PPD :: Newsletter : Issue 22 - July

Global Cooperation are crucial to improve public health: Ministerial Declaration in ECOSOC Meeting, Geneva

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the principal organs of the United Nations, recently held its Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) from 6-9 July. This high-level ECOSOC meeting in Geneva wrapped up with a Ministerial Declaration, which called for global cooperation to tackle public health challenges.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, called the Declaration a comprehensive text in changing public health systems. At the opening of this High-Level meeting on 6 July, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on rich and poor nations to boost efforts to fight poverty and hunger.

Mr. Harry. S. Jooseery, Executive Director of PPD and PPD's Permanent Observer at UN Mr. Jyoti Singh attended this High-level event. The Executive Director of PPD pointed out in his statement the need to put more emphasizes on Reproductive Health and maternal health if at all MDGs are to be met. This was eventually echoed at the Ministerial Declaration.

The 5th IAS Conference on HIV/AIDs at Cape Town, South Africa

More than 5,000 AIDS researchers, implementers and community leaders gathered in Cape Town for the 5th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention (IAS 2009) warned of dire public health consequences resulting from a retrenchment on the global fight against AIDS. This warning came at the opening of IAS 2009, a biennial scientific meeting organized by the International AIDS Society (IAS).

The 5th IAS Conference on HIV/AIDs at Cape Town, South Africa

"Despite the recession, the global response to HIV - including the commitment of sufficient resources to achieve universal access to HIV prevention and treatment, fully fund AIDS research and strengthen underlying health systems - cannot be put in a holding pattern," said IAS President Dr. Julio Montaner, who is IAS 2009 Chair. "If we don't move forward, we will rapidly lose ground. That is the reality we face at this pivotal moment in HIV scale-up," he added.
It was a unique opportunity for the world's leading scientists, clinicians, public health experts and community leaders to examine the latest developments in HIV-related research and to explore the possible way to translated quickly the scientific advances in order to effective interventions to prevent and treat HIV/AIDs. On behalf of PPD, Mr. Harry Jooseery, Executive Director attended this Conference, and spoke at the parallel session on South- South Cooperation, and urged for the promotion of Generic drugs to HIV / AIDs patients.

Policy Dialogue on Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDs with
Afro-Arab Parliamentarians

PPD with support from Packard Foundations organized a Policy Dialogue on Reproductive Health and HIV / AIDs with Afro - Arab Parliamentarians in Nairobi, Kenya from 3 to 4 August 2009. Government Ministers, senior government officials and development partners from these regions attended the meeting.

The objective of the meeting was to discuss salient Reproductive Health and HIV / AIDS issues and their integration in view of creating a concerted action through South -South Cooperation and to address them in synergy with all stakeholders, and to enlist the support of Parliamentarians and Policy makers in this endeavor.

The Policy Dialogue provided a platform for parliamentarians and policy makers for in depth discourse on the issue of Reproductive Health and HIV/ AIDS, especially in the Afro- Arab region. H.E. Mrs. Beth Mugo, Minister of Public Health and Sanitation, Republic of Kenya inaugurated the event.

Participant of the Policy Dialogue on Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDs

Executive Director of PPD mentioned in his speech that Africa and the Arab world need an expanded health coverage and care. PPD urged parliamentarians, policy makers, legislators, the private sector and the civil-society to converge for the promotion of free health care.

Meeting with the New Chair

The Executive Director Mr. Harry Jooseery had a meeting with H.E. Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad, MP the new Chair of PPD and the new Honorable Minister, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India on 26 July 2009 in Delhi.

Meeting with the New Chair in India

During the meeting, Mr. Jooseery briefed the new chair about the mission, vision, the Strategic Business Plan of PPD, on activities undertaken and the forthcoming events. They also discussed about the reinforcement of technical assistances that India provides to PPD Member Countries.

Regional Meetings of Partners Institutions (PIs) for Francophone Africa, Rabat Morocco

Institut National d'Administration Sanitaire (INAS) in Morocco organized the first regional meeting of PPD Partners Institutions (PIs) for Francophone Africa in Rabat, Morocco from 23 and 24 July 2009. The objective of the regional meeting was to reinforce the integration of PPD Generic Modules (GM) into the existing training programs of the PIs in Francophone Africa. Ms. Geneviève Ah-Sue Sew Lun, UNFPA Country Representative for Morocco inaugurated the meeting. PPD program officers and the PPD PCC for Morocco and other stakeholders attended the event.

Regional Meetings of PIs for Francophone Africa, Rabat Morocco

PPD Francophone Africa Regional Network is composed of the National Institute of Health Administration (INAS) in Morocco; Centre International de Formation (CEFIR) in Tunisia; Center for Training and Research in Reproductive Health (CEFOREP) in Senegal.

PPD Board Member donates eyes after death

PPD Board Member, H.E. Prof. A. F. M. Ruhal Haque, MP, Honorable Minister, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh announced on 17 August 2009 that he would donate his corneas after his death. He made this announcement at the launching of the ten-bed Sandhani Eye Hospital in Dhaka.

H.E. Prof. A. F. M.
Ruhal Haque, MP

He urged the hospital to be a Centre of Excellence in Bangladesh. PPD applauds the intention of the Honorable Board Member of PPD and wishes him the best of success as new Minister for Bangladesh.

Donation of medical equipment to Uganda by the Chinese government

The Chinese government donated medical equipment worth 300,000 U. S. dollars to Uganda to boost the East African country's effort to promote Reproductive Health (RH).

"I hope it will play a positive role," said Wang Zeshan, Charge d' affairs at the Chinese Embassy while handing over the equipment to Uganda's Health Minister Stephen Malinga. The Honorable Minister said though maternal and infant mortality and morbidity is on a declining trend, it is still unacceptably high. He committed to reinforce RH programs, welcome the donation from China, and wish that delivery of services be improved further.