News of 01 March 2011

Young, eager for knowledge and vulnerable

The editorial is only published in German and French language.

Focus: HIV, sexuality and youth
Network MMS: What's up?
Network MMS: News
International Health and more: Issues, Debates, Tools

Focus: HIV, sexuality and youth

HIV, Sexuality and youth: Linking HIV and reproductive and sexual health and rights
Bern, 7th April 2011
(E) aidsfocus.ch | UNAIDS, the International AIDS Society, the Global Fund and other international bodies are aware of the need of better integration of HIV/AIDS, reproductive and sexual health and rights and other key health priorities. At the local level, many NGOs allready work in an integrated way. However, many challenges emerge: If HIV prevention and care are integrated into reproductive health services and family planning clinics, how will groups most at risk such as young girls and boys, MSM, sexworkers etc. be reached? How can the sexual and reproductive health needs of women and young girls living with and affected by HIV/AIDS be addressed?
http://www.aidsfocus.ch/platform/Event.2010-10-27.5318

Vorteile der Programmverknüpfung
HIV im umfassenden Kontext der sexuellen und reproduktiven Gesundheit
MMS | HIV-Prävention und Behandlung sind immer auch eine Frage der sexuellen und reproduktiven Gesundheit und Rechte (SRGR). Für PLANeS, die Schweizerische Stiftung für sexuelle und reproduktive Gesundheit, ist es eine Selbstverständlichkeit, dass etwa die Prävention von Aids und weiteren sexuell übertragbaren Krankheiten integrierter Bestandteil der Angebote der kantonalen Stellen zu sexueller und reproduktiver Gesundheit sind. Die Tendenz, weg von separaten, vertikalen Strategien hin zu einem breiteren Ansatz hat sich im nationalen Kontext auch in der neuen nationalen Aids-Strategie durchgesetzt.
http://bit.ly/emRevF

Obama AIDS Plan Stumbles over Funding
"President Obama has in pitted HIV/AIDS funding against other global health priorities"
USA IPS | President Barack Obama's Global Health Initiative (GHI) "has suffered a savage slashing of its budget and, even worse, has taken a big step away from one of its core focal areas – the global fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic", towards other global health initiatives including maternal and child health writes Kanya D'Almeida on IPS.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54491

SRH and HIV linkages resource pack
Targeted towards policy makers, advocates and programme managers
IAWG | This resource pack aims to build a common understanding of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and HIV linkages and provide an overview of the current status of SRH and HIV linkages among key partners. It contains useful resources for organizations advocating for this issue.
http://www.srhhivlinkages.org/en/srh_and_hiv_linkages.html

Network MMS: What's up?

Improving Access through Effective Health Financing
Basel, 5th April 2011
Swiss TPH | This event focuses on Improving Access through Effective Health Financing. Invited speakers and experts from international organizations, partner countries and the Swiss TPH will present experiences and discuss options and strategies for improving access to health services through effective health financing. Special attention will be given to the challenges encountered in building up social protection mechanisms.
http://www.swisstph.ch/events/spring-symposium-2011.html

Chronische Krankheiten - eine globale Herausforderung
Basel, 25. - 26. August 2011
(D) PHS | Die Häufigkeit chronischer Erkrankungen nimmt drastisch zu. Mehr als die Hälfte der Weltbevölkerung lebt heute in einem urbanen Umfeld und ist Veränderungen in Lebensstil und Umwelt ausgesetzt: Schadstoffe belasten zunehmend Luft und Wasser, Bewegungsarmut und Energiedichte der Nahrung steigen. Die chronischen Krankheiten nehmen somit zu, besonders in den sozial benachteiligten Schichten. Die WHO und die Weltbank warnen bereits vor den gesundheitlichen und wirtschaftlichen Folgen einer globalen Epidemie und haben Aktionspläne zu deren Prävention erarbeitet. Wo steht diese Entwicklung in der Schweiz und weltweit? Dieser Frage geht die diesjährige Swiss Public Health Conference nach.
http://sph11.organizers-congress.ch/welcome.php

The History of Health Care in Africa: Actors, Experiences, and Perspectives in the 20th Century
Basel, 12 -14 September 2011
HHSA | Health in Sub-Saharan Africa has always been experienced, debated and pursued in a specific historical context. At the same time the history of health and health care in a specific local setting cannot be separated from processes on a larger scale. Neither diseases nor ideas and practices about health, healing and care stopped at colonial or national borders. This conference looks beyond the borders of colonial empires and national states by bringing together researchers with different temporal and spatial perspectives on the history of health, health care and medical research in Sub-Saharan Africa.
http://bit.ly/frSaKp

Network MMS: News

Libyen: Roter Halbmond versorgt Verletzte
Es fehlt an Medikamenten und medizinischem Material
(D) SRK | "Das internationale Rote Kreuz bereitet humanitäre Einsätze für die Opfer der Gewalt in Libyen und zur Versorgung der Flüchtlinge in den Nachbarländern vor. Freiwillige des libyschen Roten Halbmondes betreuen Verletzte."
http://bit.ly/dKj561

Mehr Kapazität für das Kinderspital Bethlehem im Westjordanland
Feierliche Eröffnung des An- und Umbaus
Palestine Kinderhilfe Bethlehem | Ende Dezember 2010 ist in Bethlehem die neue ambulante Klinik im Caritas Baby Hospital eröffnet worden. Das einzige Kinderspital im Westjordanland, welches die Mütter der Patienten aktiv in die Pflege einbezieht, wird um lebensrettende Infrastrukturen ergänzt. Im Caritas Baby Hospital wird jedem Kind, unabhängig von Herkunft und Religion, geholfen. Vor allem tödliche Infektions- und erblich bedingte Krankheiten werden im Spital behandelt. Mit mehr als 200 Gästen aus aller Welt ist das neue Gebäude eingeweiht worden. Finanziert und betrieben wird das Spital von der Kinderhilfe Bethlehem.
http://bit.ly/ikpo7l

Ecole supérieure de soins infirmiers en Tanzanie
Maintenir une qualité optimale des soins
Tanzania SMIH | Du besoin de renforcer le personnel soignant en Tanzanie, est né le projet de développer une école supérieure de soins infirmiers à Mbozi, dans le Sud-Ouest de la Tanzanie. Planifié sur trois ans, le projet est soutenu par le Service de la Solidarité internationale de la République et canton de Genève pour l’aspect financier, et par le Service de médecine internationale et humanitaire (SMIH) pour l’aspect enseignement.
http://bit.ly/hjpOow

La plateforme “Global Access to Health” (GAHP) grandit
59 communautés et compte 621 membres
SMIH | Dans la perspective d’impliquer les acteurs intéressés par le domaine de l’accès global à la santé dans le programme scientifique et l’orientation du Geneva Health Forum (GHF), le GHF a lancé un outil de collaboration en ligne, la Global Access to Health Platform (GAHP) à l’occasion de l’édition 2010. Son but est de faciliter le partage d’information et d’expérience. Courant 2010, des discussions en ligne liées aux thèmes principaux du Forum ont été lancées, aidant ainsi à nourrir et étoffer le contenu et l’orientation du programme scientifique.
http://bit.ly/h56YIp

Support for the mental health system in Bosnia and Herzegovina
SDC and four cantons sign an agreement
(E) SDC | The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the cantons of Bern, Fribourg, Geneva and Jura have agreed to work together to help strengthen the mental health system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The agreement they have signed calls for joint financial and technical support to improve access to services in this field and their quality. The new agreement is an extension of cooperation that has existed between the cantons and the SDC for a period of several years, notably in Eastern Europe. It also marks a “first” since four cantons are associated with the Confederation in this cooperative venture.
http://bit.ly/fgKHKb

Das fliegende Augenspital in Nepal
In den Berggebieten Nepals erblinden viele Menschen am grauen Star
(D) Nepal SRK | Im Trans-Himalaja leben 30 000 Menschen ohne Zugangsstrasse. Einmal im Jahr fliegt ein Ärzteteam dorthin und operiert im provisorischen Augenspital Dutzende von Augenkranken und Blinden. Das SRK hat die Reise nun mit einem Film dokumentiert.
http://bit.ly/fIb3Rf

International Health and more: Issues, Debates, Tools

Weltweite Armutsfalle kann beseitigt werden
Der Weltgesundheitsbericht: Finanzierung von Gesundheitssystemen
MMS | Einhundert Millionen Menschen verarmen jedes Jahr, weil sie krank werden. Diese Zahl steht im jüngsten Weltgesundheitsbericht, den die WHO im vergangenen November publiziert hat – und der in den Schweizer Medien auf nur wenig Resonanz gestossen ist. Dabei widmet sich der Bericht der Finanzierung von Gesundheitssystemen – einem Thema also, das auch in der Schweiz ganz oben auf der politischen Agenda steht.
http://www.medicusmundi.ch/mms/services/med/med201101.html

An epidemic of risk factors for cardiovascular disease
Greatest health gains could come from preventive strategies
The Lancet | "Rarely are findings as stark and as far-reaching as those from the Global Burden of Metabolic Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases Collaborating Group that are published in today's Lancet. The three Articles analyse trends over the past generation in body-mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure, and serum total cholesterol. The inescapable conclusion is that an epidemic of premature cardiovascular mortality is developing, the brunt of which will be borne by low-income and middle-income countries," concludes the editorial of the Lancet on 11th February 2011.
http://bit.ly/fQHv8i

Big Pharma shows willingness to pool HIV and Aids drug patents
Break through for the Medicines Patent Pool?
Guardian Online | "Not long ago there were those who doubted whether the Geneva-based Medicines Patent Pool would manage to persuade any of the big pharmaceutical companies that it was a reasonable idea to allow their patents on Aids drugs to be "pooled".(...) But today, two months after sending out letters inviting the major makers of Aids drugs to get involved, the patent pool announced that it is in negotiations or preparing to enter negotiations with F. Hoffman-La Roche, Gilead Sciences, Sequoia Pharmaceuticals, and ViiV Healthcare (a joint venture of GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer)," reports Sarah Bosley on Guardian Online.
http://bit.ly/fFkJWj

Is Famine the New Norm?
Global double whammy of climate and financial instability
IATP | "When global food prices spiked in 2007–2008, 100 million people were added to the ranks of the world's hungry, pushing the total number over 1 billion for the first time in history. Now, just two years later, we are seeing another food price hike, and more famine is likely to follow," predicts Jim Harkness of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis.
http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/commentary/data/000209

Introduction of new-generation pneumococcal vaccine will help save lives
Accelerating routine use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in developing countries
Kenya , Nicaragua , Sierra Leone WHO | "In an effort to protect more children against pneumococcal disease ― which causes life-threatening illnesses such as pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis ― the Government of Kenya, with support from WHO and partners, is introducing the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. Kenya is the fourth country to include the vaccine into its national immunization programme in the past three months, after Nicaragua, Sierra Leone and Yemen. The introduction comes less than two years after the same vaccine was introduced in industrialized countries."
http://bit.ly/f6ZNsd

Health care for urban poor falls through the gap
The health of the urban poor can be even worse than that of rural populations
The Lancet | "While governments and donors focus on health care for those living in rural poverty in developing countries, the residents of the world's slums are being neglected. (...) They do not have the capacity to afford health care that wealthy city dwellers access but neither do they benefit from health programmes run by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or governments in the way that rural areas do," writes Priya Shetty in The Lancet.
http://bit.ly/gZUBDp

Billions lack access to life-saving surgery
Shall the WHO create a Department of Surgical Care and Anaesthesia?
IRIN | "More than two billion people, mostly in low-income countries, lack adequate access to life-saving surgical procedures, which is a potential obstacle to achieving health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)," say specialists in an IRIN Report.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?Reportid=91980