3. 16th World Congress on Public Health

October 12-17, 2020

La Nuvola, Rome, Italy

We are excited to share the first promotional video for the 16th World Congress on Public Health.

Please share this video with your networks so that we can gather a diverse group of public health professionals, experts, and students to attend this event. 

LOW-COST REGISTRATION ENDS NOVEMBER 30

You can benefit from low-cost registration fees until November 30, 2019. We are expecting over 3,000 delegates so be sure to register early and benefit from the reduced rate. Don’t miss the largest global public health event in 2020!

4. Global Vaccination Summit

 Our president,  Professor L. Rispel, represented the WFPHA at the first Global Vaccination Summit, co-hosted by the European Commission and the World Health Organization. The WHO declared vaccine misinformation as one of the main health threats for 2019.

Prof Rispel participated in the panel discussion "In Vaccines we trust: Stepping up action to increase vaccine confidence".Prof Rispel discussed the importance of equipping health professionals to respond to vaccine hesitancy, highlighting the following three messages:

1. Health professionals should use every health encounter during pregnancy or with children under six as an opportunity to discuss vaccination.
2. Health professionals should unlearn the assumption that parents or caregivers are ignorant and do not have the best interests of their children at heart.
3. Pre-service training and/or continuing professional development must emphasize the following:

• Parental decision making on vaccination is complex.
• The “increasing vaccination model” developed by WHO.
• Provide information in a balanced manner and point caregivers to credible information sources.
• Communication with, rather than give instructions to parents or caregivers.
• Context-specific/ tailor-made communication with the opportunity to return with questions.

5. Congratulations to Incoming WFPHA President

The WFPHA  congratulates Professor Walter Ricciardi on his new position within the European Commission.

In October, president-elect Professor Walter Ricciardi was appointed the new chair of the Horizon Europe Mission Board for Cancer. Earlier this year the European Commission launched work on five new missions: cancer, climate change, healthy oceans, climate-neutral cities and healthy soil and food. The European research and innovation missions, which were inspired by the Apollo 11 mission to put a man on the moon, aim to find solutions to these global challenges.

6. World Environmental Health Day

Annual Reminder for Everyday Action

World Environmental Health Day was celebrated on September 26, 2019. Environmental health remains a core issue for public health with the WHO reporting that roughly a quarter of all human disease and death in the world can be attributed to environmental factors. 

Dr Liz Hanna, Chair of the Environmental Health Working Group, comments that ‘Essentially our patterns of consumption are killing us. If everyone on the planet lived as Americans do, we would need five planets to support us all’. We can no longer take the environment for granted. We urge everyone, all public health practitioners to lead the transition to a more caring and more sustainable society.’ Further discussion is available on the WFPHA website HERE.

9. Current WFPHA Interns

Lyz Gilgunn is completing her Master of Public Health degree with a focus in health promotion at the University of Alberta in Canada. Lyz is working alongside Prof Bettina Borisch to explore contributing factors to life expectancy declines in Canada and assess general knowledge about this pressing issue from both literature and media sources.

Anna Spillard is a UK General Practitioner with experience and interest in telephone triage, telemedicine, and remote working. Anna is looking into how digital health methods can be utilized to support people in accessing and navigating the health system.

Alma-Jade Chanter is completing her Masters degree in Communication, Health and Life Sciences at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. Alma-Jade is supporting the Oral Health Working Group with their #DPHTalks webinar series

Hannah Marcus is finishing her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences with a minor in Globalization Studies at McMaster University in Canada. Hannah is completing a research project with the Environmental Health Working Group to assess barriers to government preparedness for the health impacts of climate change.

11. Advertising & Courses

Advertise with us on our media, newsletter and Annual Report1

For more information contact:  

Menzies School of Health Research 

Do you want to gain an effective framework and reliable tools to enable you to comprehend and tackle complex population health and social issues in cross-cultural, local and global environments? Choose Menzies public health courses! Celestine Aho, a postgraduate student, tells you everything about her experience as a researcher.

The Menzies malaria research program spans a broad range of research activities aimed at both prevention and treatment, from epidemiology, diagnosis, pathophysiology, immunology, molecular parasitology, clinical trials, and evaluation of the impact and cost-effectiveness of public health interventions. 

Read about the student's experiences and find more information about the programs here.

Western University’s Master of Public Health Program in London, Canada

Do you want to shape the future of public health around the world? Our 12-month program will take you there. The Master of Public Health Program at Western University in London, Canada will place you at the intersection of leadership, policy and sustainability. With real public health issues as the foundation of your learning, you will be immersed in some of the most significant and complex public health crises of the 21st century.

Your Master of Public Health experience will include:

• Case-Based Learning – Learn by doing. Be the decision-maker in real-life scenarios.
• Team-Based Learning – Learn from colleagues with different backgrounds and experiences.
• 12-Week Practicum – Apply your learning. Gain real-world experience and connections.
• Career Support – Become a public health leader. Get help with career management after graduation.

Connect with the Master of Public Health Program online. Attend the Prospective Student Webinar to learn more about the program and get tips on how to apply. December 5, 2019 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST. Register by emailing . 

The deadline to apply is January 30, 2020. To learn more, please visit www.schulich.uwo.ca/publichealth. 

 E-Precision Global Health

Objectives

• Introduce participant to the relevant technologies
• Examine the current state of the art in applying those technologies to outbreak prediction and response
• Explore where these applications might evolve in the future

Audience

Actors from international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and foundations based in Geneva or other regional offices, as well as professional PhD candidate of the Global Health programme at UNIGE.

Programme

The programme covers five thematics around the theme of big data and digital tools in global health:

• 1.10 Introduction to e-Precision Global Health
• 3.10 “Big Data” analytics for outbreak detection and response
• 10.10 Remote sensing and spatial analysis to map and predict disease spread
• 17.10 Blockchain and cybersecurity: Data security and privacy during outbreaks
• 24.10 Modelling epidemics and pandemics– predicting the next outbreak
• 31.10 mHealth and innovative technologies – mobile technology for outbreak surveillance and detection

For more information, click here. 

Session - E-Precision Global Health - Centre pour la formation continue et à distance - UNIGE - www.unige.ch

Training Opportunites at Africa's Professional Training Centre in Community Health of Douala, Cameroon

Initial Training

The School has a Cycle for the Training of Community Health Assistants since 2013 also known as Nursing Assistants of Community Health Option. The entry requirement is GCE O/L; entry is by a competitive examination organized by the Minister of Public Health ; Training duration is 1 year: the School is to graduate its 5th batch of students this year. Graduates have opportunities to write recruitment examinations organized by the Ministry of Public Service. Admission through a competitive exam conducted by the Ministry of Public Health.

These new types of health personnel in Cameroon can easily be employed by the health and allied sectors, Councils,  Civil Society Organizations and NGOs. 

Continous Training Programme

Since the academic year 2016/2017, the School has proposed a continuous training program of a 3-12 months duration for young graduates (from GCE to Masters), Health Professionals and allied sectors as well as for community actors, civil society and municipal personnel desiring to have competence and expertise in public and community health, health Promotion, Communication for Development applied to health, Health Management and  Health Financing. For more information, please refer to the School situated in Douala at (Mile 13) PK13 (Behind SITABAC Factory, Orange antenna just near Bonamountongo Roundabout). PoB : 25098 Douala (CP) ; Phones: +237.; .699887395/693366419  / Email : . .

12. Upcoming events