This symposium considers infectious diseases in Africa, including bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic diseases, which comprise a major cause of death, disability, and social and economic disruption for millions of people in Africa’s developing countries. This conference will aim to look at the borderless effect of infection, its impact on children and the importance of intervention. International speakers will talk about how to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and discuss new diagnostics vaccines and drug treatments.
Jobs and Announcements
Pan-African Symposium on Infectious Diseases
9-11 May 2011: Johannesburg, South Africa
Second Conference of the African Health Economics and Policy Association
15-17 March 2011: Senegal
The Second Conference of the African Health Economics and Policy Association (AfHEA) will be held in Saly Portudal (Palm Beach), Senegal from 15-17 March 2011. The overall theme of this conference is ‘Toward universal health coverage in Africa’. Universal coverage is understood to mean providing financial protection against health care costs for all, as well as ensuring access to quality health care for all when needed.
Second Global Forum on Human Resources for Health
25-29 January 2011: Bangkok, Thailand
The Second Global Forum on Human Resources for Health is intended to build upon the successes achieved in the previous Global Forum, held in 2010 in Kampala, and will provide a platform to review progress made in fulfilling the commitments outlined in the Kampala Declaration and the Agenda for Global Action. It will be an opportunity to further galvanise and accelerate the global movement on human resources for health (HRH) towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage. Expected outcomes include sustaining the global movement on HRH and sharing of knowledge and experiences and measuring the progress made since Kampala through concrete examples of global and country actions. The Forum will also be expected to find strategies for coping with new and emerging issues and challenges in HRH.
128th WHO Executive Board Meeting: 17-25 January 2011: Geneva, Switzerland
World Health Organization: 2010
The Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) has decided that its 128th session should be convened on 17 January 2011, at WHO headquarters, Geneva, and should close no later than 25 January 2011. The Board further decided that the thirteenth meeting of the Programme, Budget and Administration Committee of the Executive Board should be held on 13 and 14 January 2011, at WHO headquarters.
Best Practices in Global Health Award
Closing date: 15 February 2011
The Best Practices in Global Health Award is given annually by the Global Health Council to celebrate and highlight the efforts of a public health practitioner or organisation dedicated to improving the health of disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations, and to recognise the programmes that effectively demonstrate the links between health, poverty and development. The person or organisation selected for this award must be able to demonstrate the success of their programme(s) and measurable results in the field, as well as possess the ability and expertise to share, inspire and extend best practices for improving health. If you would like to nominate someone, visit the website address given.
Call for proposals: Muskoka Initiative Partnership Programme
Deadline for submissions: 28 January 2011
The Canadian International Development Agency’s (CIDA) Partnerships with Canadians Branch (PWCB) is launching a C$75 million call for projects over $500,000 to take a comprehensive and integrated approach to address maternal, newborn, and child health, under its Partners for Development Programme. Projects must align with the elements and principles of Canada's contribution to the Muskoka Initiative, which will focus its efforts along three key paths: strengthening health systems to improve health service delivery at the district level by training more health workers and expanding access for mothers and children to needed health care facilities and interventions; improving nutrition by increasing access to healthy and nutritious food and needed nutritional supplements that help reduce mortality; and addressing the leading diseases and illnesses that are killing mothers and their children. Projects must be implemented in eligible countries with high rates of maternal and child mortality. Eligible countries in the East, Central and Southern African region are the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This call will fund projects from Canadian organisations in partnership with organisations in developing countries.
Call for scholarship applications: Netherlands Fellowship Programme
Submission deadlines: Vary for different sub-programmes, mostly in 2011
Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by the Netherlands Organizations for International Co-operation in Higher Education (NUFFIC), the Netherlands Fellowship Programme is an opportunity for non-governmental organisations, governmental and private organisations in developing countries to build their capacity. The overall aim of the NFP is to help alleviate qualitative and quantitative shortages of skilled staff within a wide range of governmental, private and non-governmental organizations by offering fellowships to mid-career professionals to improve the capacity of the organizations they work for. The need for training has to be evident within the context of an organisation. Candidates from Sub-Saharan Africa, women and members of priority groups and marginalised regions are specifically invited to apply for an NFP fellowship. The NFP offers several sub-programmes. Each sub-programme has a separate section on the Fellowship Programme’s website, with information about eligibility criteria, application and selection and deadlines (if applicable). Sub-programmes include short courses, master’s degrees and PhD studies.
Roundtable on counterfeit, falsified and substandard medicines: 16 December 2010: London, United Kingdom
Centre on Global Health Security: 2010
The threat from counterfeit and sub-standard medicines is growing, particularly in poorer countries with weak regulatory mechanisms and poorly monitored distribution networks. Counterfeiting can be very profitable, and counterfeiters are increasingly sophisticated, making patients in developing countries, who usually have to buy medicines from their own resources, particularly vulnerable. The Centre on Global Health Security is organising this roundtable meeting, the objective of which is to help refine definitions of counterfeit, falsified and substandard medicines and to consider possible ways forward for the international community in addressing the health hazards posed by these medicines. Participants will include senior representatives from concerned international organisations, governments, industry, academia and civil society.
Taskforce to be established for UN General Assembly 2011 Comprehensive AIDS Review
International Council of AIDS Service Organizations: November 2010
In 2006, the United Nations General Assembly (GA) agreed to undertake a comprehensive review in 2011 of the progress achieved in realising the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. Civil society involvement is being called for in the UN General Assembly 2011 Comprehensive AIDS Review, to be held in New York in June 2011 (still to be confirmed). A Civil Society Task Force (CSTF) is being set up as a mechanism to facilitate input of civil society and the private sector in the 2011 Review, including the preparatory process. The Task Force will include twelve individuals from a broad range of civil society groups and from geographically diverse countries. The Task Force will lead on: shaping and implementing the design for the Civil Society Dialogue in April 2011, including format, topics, messages and speakers; devising criteria and the call for nominations for civil society speakers; identifying, preparing and briefing civil society speakers for all formal sessions; and briefing civil society participants in the High Level Meeting. Those civil society advocates interested in participating in joint advocacy and mobilisation are invited to join the AIDS Review listserve.
Further details: /newsletter/id/35581
Contact: paulinehg@icaso.org
African Women's Development Fund: Main grants programme
Deadline: Rolling Deadline
The African Women's Development Fund (AWDF) funds local, national, sub-regional, and regional organisations in Africa working towards women’s empowerment. The AWDF is an institutional capacity-building and programme development fund, which aims to help build a culture of learning and partnership within the African women's movement. In addition to awarding grants, the AWDF attempts to strengthen the organisational capacities of its grantees. The AWDF funds work in six thematic areas: women's human rights; political participation; peace building; health, reproductive rights; economic empowerment; and HIV and AIDS. Applicants are expected to build relevant and reasonable running/core costs into their project proposals. Grants are made to national and regional organisations for aspects of organisational growth and development such as strategic planning, developing fundraising strategies, communications systems, retreats, governance systems etc. Grants cover capital costs such as purchase of computers, printers, and photocopiers. The AWDF makes grants in three cycles each year. Applications can be sent in at any time. Organisations can apply for grants ranging from US$1,000 - US$40,000. Grants over US$20,000 are only made to organisations which operate on a regional basis.
Contact: grants@awdf.org