MMI Network News, Events, Reports, Resources

………….
MMI Network News
MMI Network members respond to health needs in Pakistan floods

Basel, August 2010. Members of the Medicus Mundi International Network working in the field of emergency relief respond to health needs after the widespread flooding across northwestern areas of Pakistan: Our first overview is based on incoming reports by Network members.

………….
MMI Network Event
Health justice worldwide
Berlin, 17-18 September 2010

“Worldwide, there are great disparities in people’s health, both between rich and poor countries and within individual countries. Poverty causes ill-health and shortens life expectancy. The concept of “global health” means aiming to ensure that all people are able to make their right to health a reality. This requires an acceptance of global responsibility. The conference will: Examine the interrelation between globalisation and worldwide health and also dis-cuss the opportunities and risks for relevant health policy issues arising from globalisation; Discuss the topic of health in the light of the 2010 Millennium Development Goal review; Present and discuss local and global health initiatives and strategies which aim to achieve appropriate and fair healthcare provision, as well as the social conditions necessary for good health; Create a platform in order to present possible alternatives to current health approaches and to examine their feasibility.” Conference organized by: medico international and Gesundheit Berlin-Brandenburg e.V. Contributions by MMI Network members: Wemos and action medeor.

www.medico.de 

………….
MMI Network Event
Innovative Tools and Strategies in tackling the Acute
Shortage of Health Workers in Low-Income Countries
Bern, 23-24 September 2010

“This symposium provides an excellent platform and opportunity to mobilise individuals across the world who share a common vision to identify strategies to tackle the shortage of health workers were they are needed most. Together through knowledge sharing and complementing the efforts of each other we can strive to make a difference. Through the acknowledgement of successes, identification of best practices and debating challenges from perspectives of colleagues in the source countries and health professionals in the destination countries we are a powerful force for changes that will change brain drain into brain gain.” |  Annual symposium of the Afro-European Medical and Research Network (AEMRN), a member of the Network Medicus Mundi Switzerland. | ”Text mit Bild” Kommentar (Wuelle)

www.aemrnetwork.ch/e/events.php

………….
MMI Network Campaign: Cordaid
Cordaid HIV and AIDS Award 2010

The 2010 edition of the Cordaid “HIV and AIDS Award” will reward Sexual and Reproductive Health for women living with HIV with two prices of 10,000 Euro each. You will be able to nominate yourselve or others! All the related documents: the official announcement, rules and procedures and the nomination form can be found on the cordaidpartners website. Deadlines for nominations is 15 September 2010.

www.cordaidpartners.com/address/hiv-and-aids-award-2010/home

………….
MMI Network Project: Smile Train Italia
Administration of folic acid for fertile women
in the DRC to reduce or prevent neonatal malformations

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in many other countries there is no fortification with folic acid. Folic acid is a supplemental form of a B complex vitamin called “folate” that is necessary for formation of red blood cells, DNA synthesis and for protein metabolism. It is also an important nutrient for women who may become pregnant, because a woman’s blood levels of folate fall during pregnancy due to an increased maternal RBC synthesis in the first half of the pregnancy and fetal demands in the second half. The lack of dietary folic acid leads to the occurrence of neural tube defects (NTD) in developing embryos, of congenital pathologies (premature birth and neonatal low birth weight) and pregnancy complications (miscarriage and placental pathologies). For this reason, is planning a research protocol with the main aims: (1) To promote the supplementation of folic acid for women who wish to become pregnant or who do not exclude it in the short time; (2) To perform a scientific research that could provide information on reducing of the risk of NTD, other malformations or congenital pathologies; (3) To assess the real efficacy’s research in order to create bases to perform in DRC, and in the foreseeable future, a surveillance program of the main congenital pathologies and to contribute to the better care and prevention of congenital pathologies. For this research protocol Smile Train Italia needs to the collaboration of pharmaceutical or producing industries of folic acid that can significantly support this research with a huge amount of folic acid in order to help a high number of fertile women and to reduce the number of newborn babies affected with congenital facial malformations.

Contact: Marta Romagnoli, Smile Train Italia, m.romagnoli@smiletrain.it
Related Information in Italian language: www.smiletrain.it

………….
MMI Network members
Annual Reports 2009

Further members of the MMI Network recently published their annual reports on their websites:

  • action medeor: available in German (PDF), English (PDF), Spanish (PDF) and French (PDF).
  • Cordaid: now also available English (PDF, abridged) and French (PDF, abridged).
  • Doctors with Africa Cuamm: available in English (PDF)
  • Misereor: available in German (PDF)
  • Smile Train Italy: available in Italian (PDF)

…………………

MMI Network News are edited and distributed by e-mail by the secretariat of Medicus Mundi International. Please send us your contributions.

You can subscribe to the monthly MMI Network News by sending a simple “subscribe” message to the secretariat. Please contact us also if you have received the newsletter by e-mail, but do not want to be included any more in our mailing list.