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August, 2008
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"The recognized
interdependency that marks this new century has overcome the distance between
the local and the global, the individual and the collective, the micro and the
macro, the biological and the environmental, making the global nature of threats
and the global capacity to respond to them increasingly evident. In this regard,
we have the ability to coordinate our activities, increase our connectivity,
create networks for collaboration, and enlist new actors and institutions
to confront the risks and specifically protect the most vulnerable among
us."
Dr. Mirta Roses Periago
PAHO Director
February 1, 2008
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During 2008, the Area of Health
Systems and Services of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health
Organization (PAHO/WHO) launched the new Leaders in International Health Program
as a continuation of the successful "Residency in International Health" program
which existed for over 20 years. Dr. Mirta Roses approved the new decentralized
model with 8 participating countries in the pioneer group (Argentina, Belize,
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru). A brief call for
applications resulted in approximately 80 applicants, of which 20 participants
were selected. This first generation of participants will finish the program in
the third week of November, 2008.
In recognition of the importance of communication and dissemination of the new
vision and objectives of the Program, as well as its new format, the
institutional alliances for the design of the educational modules and other
experiences, we are opening a new space of communication with the Electronic
Bulletin in International Health.
This new Bulletin is intended to serve as a means for the dissemination and
reflection upon selected topics in International Health and to provide
information regarding the participants’ milestones and experiences in this new
phase. The Bulletin aims to provide an iterative environment between the
participants and the international community in order to: a) provide information
on the Leaders in International Health Program; b) disseminate and reflect upon
relevant topics related to health and international relations; c) create a space
for discussion and sharing of opinions; d) share studies and information; e)
analyze news about public health issues; and f) call attention to international
treaties and agreements related to country team’s topics. This Bulletin will
have strong linkages with the International Health Virtual Situation Rooms
managed by the country teams and will serve to provide information on the
participants’ work in the program. Given its electronic format, the Bulletin
will be open to comments and suggestions from readers and interested parties.
The Bulletin is guided by the principles and ethics of PAHO and will serve as a
link for the work undertaken by countries in the area of health and
international relations. This space will foster the relationship between former
participants in the Training Program in International Health and new
participants in the decentralized phase; in addition to the academic
institutions and centers that are collaborating with the Program in the design
and implementation of the virtual education models. These institutions and
centers include: The University of Valle-CISALVA; The National School of Public
Health, University of Antioquia; FIOTEC of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the Health
Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) of Brazil; the Institution of Nutrition of Central
America and Panama (INCAP); the PAHO/WHO Country Office in Peru; and the
regional and country offices of PAHO/WHO, along with other institutions and
individuals with interest and actions in international health.
This first edition is intended to inform interested parties of the new Leaders
in International Health Program and its contributions to the countries of the
region; to present the new participants involved in the 2008 Program; to
describe some of the steps in the development of the new Program and important
members that have collaborated and continue to collaborate in this collective
effort; and to introduce the International Health Virtual Situation Rooms (SSSI)
as an innovative working tool.
We wish to recognize the PAHO/WHO Country Offices committed to the Program,
without whose collaboration, political will and technical support, it would have
been impossible to develop a decentralized program that makes optimal use of the
Virtual Campus for Public Health, a space that proves to be of much utility for
new leaders in international health. The support of PAHO/WHO Director Dr. Mirta
Roses was imperative in choosing the 8 countries for the 2008 generation, as
well as was the technical support of the PAHO/WHO Area Managers who, both directly
and through their technical resources, have supported and contributed to the
success of all the program’s phases and activities.
Future editions of this Bulletin are open to comments and suggestions and we
invite you to continue to be informed by and participate actively in the
creation of this bulletin.
Pedro Brito
Area Manager, Health Systems and Services
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INTRODUCTION TO THE BULLETIN IN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
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The Bulletin in
International Health is a publication developed by the
Leaders in International Health Program (LIHP) of the
Pan American Health Organization/World Health
Organization (PAHO/WHO). The purpose of the Bulletin is
to contribute to the dissemination of information on
international health issues among Program participants
and other relevant actors from academia and practice in
the areas of public health and international relations.
Contributors include the Program’s participants,
representing eight countries in the Region, national
health officials, university professors, and PAHO/WHO
country and regional officials.
Each edition of the Bulletin will focus on a specific
international issue. While the majority of the thematic
issues will be derived from the participant’s country
projects, other topics of interest in the area of
international health will be explored as well. Some of
the topics being considered for upcoming editions
include access to medicines, conflict, nutrition, health
systems and services and Official Development Aid (ODA).
Each edition will include an analysis of the issue from
an international health perspective and will incorporate
information from a variety of sources, including
periodicals, the main supranational treaties and
agreements related to the topic, databases and
statistical information resources, scientific
publications, interviews with stakeholders and other
relevant actors, and public opinion surveys.
Most of the information for the Bulletin will be gleaned
from the International Health Virtual Situation Rooms
which are developed and managed by country teams
composed of the Leaders in International Health Program
participants, the PAHO/WHO Country Office and national
health officials. The Bulletin will therefore enable the
participants to synthesize and share what they have
learned through the International Health Virtual
Situation Rooms with other international health workers,
national, regional, and international health officials,
universities, and non-governmental organizations and
international agencies. If you want to see the topic of
each country and its participants click
here.
The Bulletin’s design enables people outside of the
Program to learn more about international health issues
and opportunities as well as the Program itself. By
utilizing an electronic format, contributors to the
Bulletin can share multi-media files with their audience.
These include videos, voice recordings, links of
interest and more. Additionally, a digital bulletin can
reach a larger audience than a traditional publication
and because it has the capacity to become interactive in the
future, the Bulletin’s larger, more diverse audience and
multi-media capabilities will lead to a more balanced,
transparent and dynamic publication.
The Bulletin in International Health’s next issue will
focus on Conflict, Violence and Illicit Trade from an
International Health Perspective, which was the topic of
module 3 of the Program.
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METHODOLOGICAL WORKSHOP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
LEADERS IN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH
PROGRAM 2008
Panama, Panama
29 January – 1 February, 2008
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From 29 January to 1 February 2008, the
Methodological Workshop for the Development of the
Leaders in International Health Program 2008 took place
with the purpose of finalizing the definitive
operational proposal for the Leaders in International
Health Program of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)
for 2008. The workshop formed part of the renovation of
the Training Program in International Health at PAHO,
which operated from 1985 until 2006, and trained 182
professionals from 32 countries in the Region. The efforts to
renovate the Program arise from the need to ensure its
relevance and that it responds to the needs of the
countries in the Region in the development of leadership
in international health, to expand its reach and to
reevaluate the development of its didactic strategy. A
multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral group, comprised of
public health experts, education specialists and
designers from 11 countries of the Region, contributed
in an important way to the design of the new Program,
providing key elements and perspectives from such
distinct fields and work environments as the ministry of
health, international relations, academia and
international cooperation agencies dedicated to health
and development.
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WORKSHOP FOR THE PEDAGOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE LEADERS
IN INTERNATIONAL
HEALTH
PROGRAM 2008
Quito, Ecuador
1 – 2 May, 2008 |
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The Workshop for the Pedagogical
Development of the Leaders in International Health
Program 2008, which took place in Quito, Ecuador on May
1-2, 2008, had as its goal to finalize the educational
proposal for the development, implementation and
evaluation of three virtual modules for the Leaders in
International Health Program 2008. The participants, who
came from distinguished universities and institutions in
the Region, have assumed the responsibility for the
design, implementation and evaluation of their
respective educational modules. The modules and the
institutions responsible for their development are:
Conflict, Violence, and Illicit Trade:
University of Antioquia, Colombia
CISALVA, University del Valle, Colombia
Nutrition, Food Trade and Development:
Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP),
Guatemala
PAHO/WHO Country Office in Peru
Access to
Medicines and other Technologies, Trade and
International Agreements:
Foundation for Scientific and Technological Development
in Health (FIOTEC), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), Brazil
National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA), Brazil
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INTERVIEWS
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Dr. José Antonio Pagés - PAHO/WHO
Representative, Argentina. Dr. Pagés comments on the
decentralized model of the Leaders in International
Health Program and the benefits that it offers for the
Pan American Health Organization/World Health
Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Program participants in
Argentina.
Dr. Caroline Chang Campos - Minister of Public
Health, Republic of Ecuador. Dr. Chang Campos expresses
the significance of the Leaders in International Health
Program and its contributions for national health
development and the actions of Ecuador within the sub-regional,
regional and international context.
Article
from Ecuador - The Leaders in International Health
Program was recently reviewed in the PAHO Ecuador Report.
The article examines how the Program builds capacity
among the participants from Ecuador regarding complex
issues in International Health and the Program’s
contribution to the development of health systems in
Ecuador.
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LEADERS IN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM 2008 |
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The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) recognizes that health systems of the 21st century must confront new challenges to achieve national and international health goals in the face of a globalized world. The right to health, human security in health, the introduction of new technologies, the opening of borders to trade, the growing migration of populations, and the expansion of regional and subregional integration processes have created new and urgent demands on States. Health leaders are increasingly required to formulate and implement actions that take into account bilateral, subregional, regional and global treaties and agreements. More than ever, health leaders must also act across sectors in order to achieve balance between economic growth and social development in today’s market economy, and to comply with regional and global mandates in a global environment comprised of new actors, alliances, and structures. This scenario requires the training of human resources with a profound understanding of international forces and their impact on health, thereby enabling them to effectively analyze, define, advocate and project their national health interests within this complex global
environment.
Within this context, the PAHO/WHO Leaders in International Health Program aims to contribute to the development of the
Health Agenda for the Americas 2008-2017 by strengthening the capacity of countries in the Region to understand, act upon and positively influence the international determinants of health, to promote their national interests, and to achieve intersectoral health agreements in the international arena, at all times guided by the principle of greater global equity in health.
The newly renovated Program incorporates an updated curriculum, new problem-based learning modules, a decentralized operating model and a variety of virtual and practical experiences to enhance participants’ capacity to analyze the principal concepts, theories, actors, forces, and processes related to the field and practice of international health, and to integrate learning into their countries’ contexts. Through their experience in the Program, participants develop the competencies needed to fulfill six essential functions as they relate to international health: situation analysis, policy design and decision-making, negotiation and advocacy, project management and cooperation, generation and dissemination of knowledge, and communication.
For the launching
of the 2008 program, a total of eight countries were
prioritized; these are: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia,
Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru.
Through a competitive process that included more
than 80 applicants, 20 participants were selected.
As per the stipulations of the Program, the
participants form country teams, some of which are
inter-sectoral, and work together to develop country
situation rooms, organize thematic seminars and
generate elements for the virtual bulletin in
international health. In addition, some country
teams are collaborating with other country teams to
develop a topic of mutual interest, creating a sole
project that is enriched by their distinct
perspectives.
The 2008 Leaders
in International Health Program began on 19 May in
the participants’ respective countries under the
coordination of the Program and the PAHO/WHO Country
Office. During this two-week period, participants
engaged in different activities, discussions and
visits in relation to the principal health and
development challenges facing the country and the
region as well as the main actors involved in the
same, and began to define their projects to be
developed later in-country in coordination with PAHO/WHO,
government and other authorities. Participants
proceeded to Washington, DC for a three-week
intensive training in international health. They are
currently in their countries where they continue to
function in their normal employment capacity on a
part-time basis, while devoting a minimum of 50% of
their working hours to the Program. Participants
maintain close ties with the PAHO/WHO Country
Office, particularly the PAHO/WHO Country
Representative, allowing them to experience the
technical as well as the diplomatic and political
dimensions of international cooperation. They engage
in a program of work and learning opportunities
involving PAHO/WHO and other relevant local actors
in international health, including country-based
offices of the United Nations and other multilateral
and bilateral agencies, sub-regional entities, non-governmental
organizations and academic institutions. These
experiences are reinforced through a series of
problem-based virtual modules, fomenting a community
of practice and learning that reaches beyond the
program participants. The three thematic virtual
modules are: Conflict, Violence and Illicit Trade
from an International Health Perspective; Nutrition,
Food Trade and Development; and Access to, Medicines
and other Technologies, Trade and International
Agreements. The program culminates in November 2008
with the presentation of final projects over a one-week
period in a country of the Region .
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INTERNATIONAL HEALTH SITUATION ROOMS |
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An important
aspect of the Leaders in International Health Program (LIHP)
is the establishment of the Virtual Situation Rooms in
International Health in the participating countries in
the Program. There exists a great deal of international
experience with regard to situation rooms within the
health sector, offering enormous potential to support
decision-making processes at high levels and to
contribute to the resolution of conflicts and crises,
and the analysis of opportunities in rapidly-changing
environments, among other potential applications.
The LIHP defines a situation room as a "virtual space to
analyze and reflect upon information regarding
international health issues that has been compiled from
a variety of sources and that examines them in terms of
their international health determinants and the key
forces included in the international health conceptual
framework in order to strengthen national institutional
capacity for decision-making in Health and International
Relations" (SSSI, 2008). Unlike observatories, situation
rooms are normally used in emergencies or when more
immediate decisions are required and tend to involve
primarily those actors with the greatest proximity to
the decision.
The main purpose of the international health situation
rooms within the LIHP is to contribute to the generation,
systematization and synthesis of information that
reflects diverse positions regarding strategic issues or
problem areas in international health and that involve
inter-country relations (SSSI, 2008). The Program
proposes to develop iterative virtual situation rooms
based on the utilization and synthesis of dynamic and
structured informational sources related to relevant
international health topics. In this manner, a community of practice is formed with regard to
specific country topics thereby bringing together
program participants and other stakeholders to dialogue
and analyze relevant international health situations and
issues. Information gleaned from the situation rooms
will also serve as input for the Bulletin in
International Health of the LIHP.
Each participating country in the LIHP will develop a
situation room in which information on the international
health topic chosen by the country will be compiled and
analyzed. The principal sources of information for the
room will be the supranational agreements and treaties
related to the topic, news, databases, statistical
information, scientific publications, and the opinion of
relevant actors and the general public. The rooms will
be administered by the PAHO country offices, national
authorities, and the Program participants. A regional
situation room has also been established and will
include information of interest on international health
and the forces that form part of the conceptual model.
The decentralized nature of the LIHP situation room and
its openness to different information sources allows it
to be more dynamic, creating an environment in which the
participants can explore the relationship among
international health forces and their country topic,
thereby contributing to the decision-making process. |
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