PPD :: Newsletter : Issue 17 - September

National South-South Workshop on Population and Sustainable Development held in Banjul, Gambia

Partners in Population and Development and the National Population Commission, Government of the Republic of The Gambia jointly organized the “National South-South Workshop on Population and Sustainable Development” on September 4, 2008. The purpose of the workshop was to advocate and garner support from key stakeholders in the field of reproductive health, family planning and population for promoting South-South Cooperation as a modality for change and for creating a national support structure in The Gambia.

This National South-South workshop was opened by Mr. Crispin Grey-Johnson, Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology of The Gambia and was attended by Mr. Harry Jooseery, Executive Director of PPD, Ms. Fatou Jassey Kuyateh, Permanent Secretary, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Saikou Trawally, the Director of Population Affairs, National Population Commission and also PPD PCC for The Gambia, and Mr. Barnabas Yisa, Country Representative, UNFPA.

Executive Director of PPD in his address thanked the Government of the Republic of The Gambia for their sustained efforts towards supporting PPD and the cause of South-South Cooperation. He also lauded The Gambia’s significant achievements in the fields of population, family planning and reproductive health, particularly the integration of the MDGs and the ICPD Program of Action with the National Population and National Reproductive Health and Youth policies.

The Executive Director also paid a courtesy visit to the Mr. Crispin Grey-Johnson, Minister of Higher Education and Ms. Fatou Jassey Kuyateh the Permanent Secretary to the Office of the Vice President and briefed them on the PPD initiative in setting up a National Task Force to promote South-South Cooperation in The Gambia.

Japanese Delegation Visits PPD Secretariat

A Japanese delegation, led by Mr. Hiroyasu Bessho, comprised of seven students of Global Politics at Hosei University, Japan visited the PPD Secretariat on their study tour on September 09, 2008. They spent a significant amount of time at the Secretariat, with the Executive Director, Mr. Harry Jooseery and the PPD staff, learning about PPD and its activities. Mr. Amadou Moreau, International Program Officer of PPD, made a presentation on PPD’s priority areas and key activities, which was followed by a lively discussion between the students and the PPD staff.

Japanese delegates with Staff of PPD

The Executive Director and the team had discussions on the concept of South-South Cooperation, the public health and reproductive health programs in different countries, among other topics. The Executive Director, pleaded to students to act as ambassadors for PPD at their home country and to promote South –South Cooperation while in discussion with other colleagues and shareholders.

Regional Meeting of Parliamentary Committees on Health in Eastern and Southern Africa

The Africa Regional office of Partners in Population and Development (PPD) organized the Regional Meeting of Parliamentary Committees on Health in East and Southern Africa, Munyonyo Uganda from September 16-18 2008. This meeting was opened by the Honorable Dr. Stephen Mallinga, Minister of Health, Uganda, in the presence of Mr. Harry Jooseery, Executive Director, PPD, Honorable Blessing Chebundo, Chair SEAPACOH, Dr. Rene Loewe Son, EQUINET, Dr. Eliya Zulu, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Research, APHRC, Representatives of International Organizations, Dr. Musinguzi, Regional Director of PPD Africa Office.

The Regional Meeting of Parliamentary Committees on Health in East and Southern Africa

The Executive Director, in his opening session speech recommended that countries of the South with the similar background to “cluster” around each other and utilize their respective comparative advantages in order to promote the common goal.

Parliamentarians are committed to uphold the agreement made at international forums and pledged to advance reproductive health, population and development agenda in their respective country and to make the voice of the South heard in their parliamentary sessions.

The Fellowship Program is an excellent example of a South-South initiative. It is based on the voluntary contributions of fellowships by leading training institutions in order to strengthen the human resource base of both PPD and other developing countries. Through this carefully conceived program, PPD provides unique opportunities for high-quality professional exchanges among developing countries at very reasonable costs. Within this framework, Partners in Population and Development (PPD), with the support of the National Institute of Health Management (INAS) of the Health Ministry of the Kingdom of Morocco, provided fellowships to member states for a two-year training program (2008- 2010) leading to a Master’s in Health Administration and Public Health on 06 October, 2008.

The training program, which is held at INAS, especially targets senior executives in Health Management and Public Health with a view to getting them ready for the management of health services at the highest level. The program is mostly tailored to foreigners from French-speaking countries. For more information readers are requested to visit PPD website.

Initiatives for engagement of the Government of Brazil With PPD and South-South Cooperation

Mr. Harry Jooseery, the Executive Director ,PPD fielded a mission to Brazil and met with the Brazilian Minister of Health H.E. Mr. Jose Gomes Temporao and the Minister of Technical Cooperation H.E. Dr. Paul Wangner de Miranda in their respective offices in Brasilia. This is a trip to expand the PPD’s geographical coverage in South America.

During these meetings, the Executive Director appraised the Ministers about PPD’s mission, vision, strategic directions and program interventions implemented in the developing countries within the framework of South-South Cooperation. The Executive Director also discussed collaboration between Brazil and PPD Member States and possibility of Brazil joining PPD as a Member State. He also invited the Ministers in person to the PPD Board Meeting and International Forum on “ICPD @ 15: Progress and Prospects” to be held in Kampala, Uganda from 24 to 26 November 2008.