Meetings
The European Health Literacy Conference
Museum of Natural Science, Brussels November 22 -23, 2011
WHCA introduced system scorecard approach concepts to the meeting and will help with report finding dissemination. 150 people from more than 20 countries took part in the conference and discussed the developments and policy impacts of the health literacy survey results, which were launched. European Commissioner for health John Dalli opened the conference which was endorsed by several members of the European Parliament: Christofer Fjellner, Karin Kadenbach, Pat the Cope Gallagher and Antoniya Parvanova. [read more...]
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9th International Dialogue on Population and Sustainable Development
Education Matters: Empowering Young People for a Healthy Future
Berlin, KfW, October 19 – 20, 2011
WHCA staff engaged small group activities in the Market place and World Café sessions aimed at capturing their collective wisdom and experience in advocating, implementing, sustaining and strengthening human rights approaches to sexual and reproductive health.
[read more...]
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High-level Meeting on Non-communicable Diseases
19 and 20 September 2011, New York City
The General Assembly in its resolution A/RES/65/238 decided that the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases shall address the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases worldwide, with a particular focus on developmental and other challenges and social and economic impacts, particularly for developing countries. [read more]
____________________Workshop on Country-Level Decision Making for Control of Chronic Diseases
19-21 July , 2011
House of Sweden, Washington, DC
As the burden of chronic diseases continues to rise, low and middle income countries—whose health budgets are already stretched thin by other health and development priorities—are faced with difficult choices on how to best invest limited resources in control efforts for chronic diseases. Building on the key messages from the 2010 report, Promoting Cardiovascular Health in the Developing World: A Critical Challenge to Achieve Global Health, the IOM will hold a workshop that will focus on country-level decision making for cardiovascular disease and related chronic diseases. [read more...]
Communicating the Noncommunicable
WHCA is working with the International Journal of Health Communications on a new blog series. Read the first by Zsuzsanna Jakab WHO Regional Director for Europe on Communicating the Noncommunicable.
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Short Course in International Health Consultancy
The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health
Liverpool - United Kingdom
9th - 27th May 2011
This is a postgraduate course aimed at those embarking on their consultancy careers as well as for those consultants seeking continuing professional development opportunities.
The course aims to provide emerging national, regional and international consultants with an opportunity to enhance and improve their professional knowledge and skills in the provision and management of consultancy services within the context of international health and deliver work that is robust, evidence-based and grounded in the reality of resource-poor settings.
For further information please visit: www.lath.com/Training-and-Events/55
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Second Congress on Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion Zagreb 13-16 October 2010
Franklin Apfel, WHCA Managing Director gave a lecture and seminar on "Health Literacy and the New Media: Benefits and Dangers".
The talk explored the impact of new media, from Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to aps, blogs and citizen's journalism, on people's, systems' and policy makers' health literacy. Benefits and dangers were identified and the case made for a new 'Spirito critico' to help people make better health choices.
[...read more] [Photograph WHCA ©]
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8th International Dialogue on Population and Sustainable Development, October 05-06, 2010 - Berlin (Germany)
Making sexual and reproductive rights a reality: What does it take?
WHCA staff engaged small group activities in the World Café session aimed at capturing their collective wisdom and experience in advocating, implementing, sustaining and strengthening human rights approaches to sexual and reproductive health.
This year’s dialogue aims to collectively produce an action guide to support policy makers and advocates in their efforts to strengthen rights based approaches to sexual and reproductive health. [...more]
[Photograph WHCA ©]
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WHO 60th Regional Committee for Europe
13-16 September 2010
Moscow, Russia
Franklin Apfel, Managing director of WHCA, moderated the session on Partnerships for health in the WHO European Region. The European Commission and the WHO Regional Office for Europe: A shared vision for joint health action in Europe and beyond.
[read more...]
Live from Moscow
[Photograph WHCA ©]
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The Hidden Cities: Addressing Equity in Health
and Inclusiveness in Cities
17-19 June 2010
Sandnes, Norway
WHCA moderated some debate and politicians panel sessions at the Second Annual Business and Technical Conference of the WHO European Healthy Cities Network and of the Network of European National Healthy Cities Networks in Phase V, and introduced the use of a conference 'Signorina buonasera' to deliver announcements with a more understandable non-native english speaking voice that also provides a fresh, provocative perspective on conference deliberations - a perspective that wakes people up and enhances their engagement.[Photograph WHCA ©]
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A catalyst for action -Pacific Health Summit
London, UK 22-24 June 2010
WHCA introduced the Health Literacy issue and distributed copies of its Action Guide to Health Literacy on the occasion of the 2010 Pacific Health Summit that addressed the theme of maternal and newborn health (MNH). [...read more]
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Annual World Health Editors Network (WHEN)
pre World Health Assembly (WHA) meeting
16-17 May 2010
WHEN's latest consultation meeting was held on 16th and 17th May in Geneva to discuss issues of the 63rd World Health Assembly (WHA). Various specialists, active in the topics of the assembly were invited to meet the journalists and editors and present to the meeting. These experts' PowerPoint presentations, where used, are now available on this site [...more]
The WHCA Action Guide to the 63rd World Health Assembly, presented at the WHEN and other international meetings held in Geneva over this period, is available to download as a pdf, here.
WHCA as secretariat to the World Health Editors network will be hosting a pre-World Health Assembly briefing for journalists in Geneva at the WHO-HQ on 16-17 May 2010 (click here for programme). Any journalists interested in attending should contact franklin@whcaonline.org
[Photograph WHCA ©]
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4th Short Course in International Health Consultancy
Liverpool, England
19-20th May 2010
WHCA is providing communication training and a dinner address , "Sex, drugs and international Health Consultancy or 10 things you always wanted to know..." to the Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health's (LATH). The WHPA "Core Competency Framework for International Health Consultants" will be presented and discussed.
For more info on the course click here
For more info on WHPA click here
[Photograph WHCA ©]
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National Network Healthy City Training
Tel Aviv, Israel
18-19 March 2010
WHCA presented the Health Literacy Action Guide - Part 2 during a meeting organised by the Israeli National Healthy Cities Network which included lectures, group work and role playing.
[Photograph WHCA ©]
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4th Global IAPO Patients Congress
Istanbul, Turkey
23-25 February 2010
At the end of February, IAPO hosted its 4th Global Patients Congress in Istanbul, Turkey. This unique event brought together 130 patient group representatives and other healthcare stakeholders from 29 countries around the world to participate in an exciting programme focused on 'Strengthening Healthcare Systems Globally: The Value of Patient Engagement'. The PowerPoint slides from the workshop and plenary sessions are now available to download from the website in PDF format. [click here]
Communicable disease prevention among Roma
28-29 November 2011, Rainers hotel, Vienna (Austria)
- to share best practices and lessons learned in improving access of Roma population to public health programs to prevent communicable diseases, by bringing together key stakeholders from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Spain with experience in working with and for Roma.
- to provide an opportunity of identifying ways of improving health seeking behaviour and empowering Roma people to take part in the processes affecting their health considering the social, historical, cultural and behavioural context.
Thus the overall aim of the meeting was to provide a forum for discussion on how knowledge and experiences could be used to stimulate the use of preventive services in the area of communicable diseases. [read more about ECDC]
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Facilitating training workshops and meetings: an in-house communication workshop
11-12 October 2011, ECDC, Stockholm - Sweden
WHCA has organised and conducted a 2-day workshop at ECDC.
The aims of workshop:
1. To explore the role of facilitators in training workshops and meetings.
2. To review current, and introduce alternative ways to organise and run training workshops and meetings.
3. To gain practical experience in using different facilitation and meeting organisational approaches.
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Tackling seasonal flu in Europe: Success stories from European countries
13 October 2011, ECDC, Stockholm - Sweden
WHCA moderated discussions at the ECDC 2nd influenza immunisation behavioural and communication workshop that intended to identify, analyse and discuss various communication actions that — in some countries — have contributed to enhanced influenza vaccination coverage.
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Communicating the Non-Communicable
A Special UN High Level Meeting on NCDs 2011
Related Press and Communicators Briefing
8:00 - 9:30 A.M. - September 19, 2011
New York Waldorf Astoria 301 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022
This special UN NCD summit-related press and communicators briefing will introduce four new communication tools and resources that individuals, communities, institutions, and countries can use to help make NCD healthy choices easier and counter hazard promotion. For further information download the Programme
The UN website of the NCDs meeting
Making Healthier Choices Easier
Health Literacy Guide to Reducing NCD Risk
This guide will be launched by the World Health Communication Associates (WHCA) as a practical resource for public health practitioners, health professionals, educators, policy-makers, business leaders, advocates, and others who wish to help individuals and populations enhance their health literacy and reduce their risk of chronic illness.
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NCD investment scorecards
Making Healthier Choices Easier
Council on Foreign Relations, New York City, June 10 2011
In the run-up to the UN Summit on NCDs in September, NCD investment scorecards - which help people and policy makers better understand how to make healthier choices easier- are proposed as brand-able communication tools that can enhance NCD health literacy and commitment to preventive and corrective action on national, community and individual levels.
[download paper NCD investment scorecards]
Example of System scorecard
[Click on the image to download larger picture]
[download paper NCD investment scorecards]
Please send comments, stories and links to Sabrina@whcaonline.org___________________________
ALICE RAP
Kick-off meeting
23rd - 27th May 2011, Cosmo Caixa Science Museum of Barcelona (Spain)
ALICE RAP is a new dynamic trans-disciplinary EU project which aims is to help policy makers "re-think and re-shape" current and future approaches to the huge human and economic costs of addictions and lifestyles in Europe. This time, the initiative goes far beyond alcohol, and will investigate addiction in its broadest sense, including all types of substance problems and even internet gaming and gambling.
ALICE RAP aims to critically examine and analyse currently fragmented research and strengthen scientific evidence to inform a new dynamic platform for public and political dialogue and debate on current and alternative approaches to addictions.
Over the next five years the 'Addictions and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe Reframing Addictions Project' (ALICE RAP) will weave the work of over 100 scientists from 67 institutions in 25 countries into a integrated evidence base for informed policy action.
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ALICE RAP
Steering committee meeting
6 April 2011, Oxford, UK
The aim of the ALICE RAP Project Oxford meeting is to provide a space for the participants of the Steering group to meet themselves in person, to share visions and to think about the project as a whole. They are encouraged to discuss roles, expectations, the project mission, the image of ALICE RAP and the purpose of the steering group.
ALICE RAP (Addictions and Lifestyles In Contemporary Europe – Reframing Addictions Project) is the first major Europe wide study on addictions and their influence on wealth, health and stealth. The aim of this five year co-financed EU project is to stimulate a comprehensive public dialogue and debate on current and alternative approaches to addictions. To this end ninety top European researchers in 25 countries will investigate, document and analyze the players, policies and profits that have shaped current attitudes and governance towards addictions; including drugs and gambling.
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Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR)
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) meeting of the Competent Bodies for Communication to discuss communication activities and awareness campaigns
21 and 22 March 2011, Budapest, Hungary
The unnecessary use of antibiotics has become a public health priority following the increase in resistance to antimicrobial drugs. WHCA will give a keynote address and moderate discussions looking at ways to strengthen awareness campaigns and help change behaviours of both the public and health professionals towards more prudent use of antibiotics.
Key dates to remember: European Antibiotic Awareness Day (EAAD) held each year during the week of 18 November and World Health Day, April 7, 2001 whose theme this year is Antimicrobial Resistance
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EuMHA Conference – Launch of the Innovation and Research Workstreams
28th February – 1st March 2011
Chancellors Hotel and Conference Centre, Manchester, England.
EuMHA members along with invited guests from key industry, academic, healthcare providers and policy making organisations in the mobile eco- system converged to discuss developments, challenges, opportunities, inhibitors and facilitators for the successful development of the MHealth economy. Case studies, global experience, groupwork and plenary sessions contributed to the creation of clear blueprints to enable the MHealth agenda to be successfully driven forward. Future frameworks and partnerships were discussed, analysed and reviewed. [read more]
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European Debate on Evidence-based
Mental Health Promotion and Prevention of Mental Disorders
14-15 February 2011, The Hague, Netherlands
WHCA participated in a round table discussion on mental health and well being on 14 February. WHCA was addressing issues related to "communicating the non-communicable" when it comes to promoting actions to address mental health and chronic medical conditions.
For more information about the conference click here
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mHealth summit
8-10 November 2010, Washington D.C. (USA)
The 2010 mHealth Summit is organized by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in partnership with the mHealth Alliance and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The event took place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
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WHO Sub Network Health Literacy Meeting
21-22 October 2010, Liverpool (UK)
[Photograph WHCA ©]
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Chronic Respiratory Diseases – Exploring solutions in the EU
19th October 2010, Brussels 
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) convened an expert consultation to agree key recommendations to make to ERU Council Ministers debating new European legislation to combat the growing epidemic of chronic disease. WHCA moderated a multi-agency panel discussion on potential solutions and actions on chronic respiratory disease.
The emphasis was on prevention and innovative care models and included patient representatives.
The Forum of International Respiratory Societies (FIRS) of which the ERS is a member, have declared 2010 the Year of the Lung in a global effort to emphasise the importance of lung health. This provides a unique and first ever opportunity for the respiratory community to raise visibility for lung health at the highest political level. [ ... read more] [Photograph WHCA ©]
About 2010 the Year of the Lung
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Second Congress on Preventive Medicine and Health Promotion Zagreb 13-16 October 2010
Franklin Apfel, WHCA Managing Director gave a lecture and seminar on "Health Literacy and the New Media: Benefits and Dangers".
The talk explored the impact of new media, from Facebook, Twitter and Youtube to aps, blogs and citizen's journalism, on people's, systems' and policy makers' health literacy. Benefits and dangers were identified and the case made for a new 'Spirito critico' to help people make better health choices.
[Photograph WHCA ©]
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