HRH and NCDs – two fields of MMI engagement and cooperation (editorial)
Dear reader,
The last weeks of 2015 have brought along some milestone events for MMI Network members engaged in the fields of human resources for health (HRH) and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
In an event in Brussels, on 9 December, the members of the European project “Health workers for all and all for health workers” handed over to representatives of the European Commission the list of 175 signatures of key actors collected for their European Call to Action “A health worker for everybody, everywhere”. At the end of the HW4All project, the Brussels conference on “Global health aspects of the implementation of the WHO Code Of Practice” aimed at sharing the itinerary of this project and disseminating the results achieved, but also at indicating the continuation of the civil society partnership after the end of the project, under the leadership of a renewed working group on human resources for health of the Medicus Mundi International Network. Since then, member of the MMI HRH working group have started to draft a work plan for the “year one” after the end of the HW4All project.
Another thematic working group of the MMI Network is currently being established: In a workshop hold at the MMI Assembly in The Hague in October 2015 and at an meeting during a dialogue event of the WHO Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of NCDs in Geneva, a group of interested MMI Network members assessed the potential tasks for a new MMI working group on noncommunicable diseases. They agreed that there is enough ground to launch an MMI working group on NCDs and are currently also drafting a work plan for 2016.
Behind these updates, MMI Network members might hear a gentle call for getting involved in the two working groups. In fact, if you are interested in joining one of them, the perfect moment is now!
Thanks to all MMI members and partners for your ongoing support and for your contributions to another successful year of our Network. I wish you a quiet Christmas break – if you have any – and a happy New Year!
Thomas Schwarz, Executive Secretary
Medicus Mundi International Network
MMI Network events
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Network event: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Ebola: A game change in global health
Geneva, 21 January 2016
“Crisis often allows change. Do we have indications of a change in global health in the aftermath of Ebola? What proposals have been put forward? What is expected of the World Health Organization (WHO)? How do Member States need to respond? What is the role of other sectors such as the humanitarian sector, the security sector or the airline industry? How does global health research need to be strengthened and what is the role of industry?” – A discussion on priority reforms that are required in the governance of global health in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis jointly organised by the Global Health Programme at the Graduate Institute (a member of Medicus Mundi Switzerland), the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security.
> http://graduateinstitute.ch/globalhealth-event21january
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Network event: Medicus Mundi International
138th session of the WHO Executive Board
Geneva, 25-30 January 2016
The 138th session of the WHO Executive Board takes place from 25 to 30 January 2016. Items on the agenda include health systems / health workforce, health in the SDGs, the follow-up of the Ebola crisis (International Health Regulations, WHO and emergencies), the WHO reform (Framework on Engagement with non-State Actors) and many others. MMI Network members and project partners who want to register for this WHO event as a member of the delegation of Medicus Mundi International are requested to confirm their participation until Friday 8 January by e-mail to the MMI secretariat.
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Network event: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Geneva Health Forum 2016: Sustainable and affordable innovations in healthcare
Geneva, 19-21 April 2016
“Geneva University Hospitals (HUG) along with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Geneva and Swiss and International organizations committed to Global Health have joined their talents and resources to organize the Geneva Health Forum. The GHF was established to link policy and practice, and addresses health issues through an integrative approach. The sixth edition of GHF will focus on sustainable and affordable innovations in healthcare.” – The Division of International and Humanitarian Medicine at the Geneva University Hospitals is a member of Medicus Mundi Switzerland.
> http://ghf2016.g2hp.net/
MMI Network members: Please send us your announcements for the events calendar on the MMI website and in the next issue of our monthly newsletter!
MMI Network news, papers and resources
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Network campaign: Cordaid
The Walk: Cordaid’s contribution to UHC Day 2015
The most impressive contribution to Universal Health Coverage Day (12 December 2015) was produced by Cordaid with its “most boring” video “The Walk”. Cordaid followed Chanceline, a pregnant woman living in one of the poorest countries, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). She had to walk hours under shower rains and heavy sun to ensure that her health and the one of her baby are fine. This is the reality that many have to face everyday to have access to healthcare services. Cordaid gave us the opportunity to join Chanceline during her real-time 5 hours forced adventure. A really touching experience, and not at all boring. Congratulations!
> https://www.cordaid.org/en/healthforall/
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Network campaign: Medicus Mundi International
UHC Day 2015: MMI take home messages
UHC Day 2015 was again an inspiring event. In addition to the simple promotional slogan along “UHC is right – smart – overdue”, there have been many substantial contributions to the dialogue on Universal Health Coverage, what it means and what it needs to achieve it. In its “MMI updates” on Twitter, the MMI secretariat repeated some key messages already published on UHC Day 2014 – but still worth to be repeated
> http://www.medicusmundi.org/en/contributions/campaigns/2015/uhc-day-2015-mmi-take-away-messages
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Network paper: GCWH
CWGH’s role at the 18th ICASA
The Community Working Group on Health (CWGH) played a critical and pivotal role during the just ended 18th International Conference on Aids and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) which was held in Harare, Zimbabwe from the 29th of November to the 4th of December 2015. The conference, which ran under theme “HIV/AIDS in the Post 2015 Era: Linking Leadership, Science and Human Rights”, brought together experts, civil society organisations, development agencies and governments from all over Africa to share successes, challenges and opportunities for ending AIDS and STIs on the African continent.
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Network news: DWA CUAMM
Remembering Don Luigi Mazzucato
On 6th November 2015 Doctors with Africa CUAMM announced the decease of Don Luigi Mazzucato, director of CUAMM from 1955 to 2008, and an old and true friend of Medicus Mundi International: “Don Luigi was a man of great intellectual stature, with an extraordinary ability to reconcile prophecy and realism. He was a strong leader and especially a teacher of life for everybody. In 1955 he took up the challenge of leading CUAMM, working with dedication, commitment and with the tendency to seek more the positive than the negative in every person and in every events. He had to overcome many trials and difficulties during the 50 years at the helm of CUAMM.”
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Network advocacy: Wemos
NCDs: Policy coherence starts at home
From 30 November to 2 December 2015, a dialogue on strengthening international cooperation on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) took place in Geneva organized by the Global Coordination Mechanism on NCDs (GCMNCD) of WHO. The meeting provided a space for governments, United Nations organizations, civil society organizations and ‘the private sector’ to discuss challenges and come up with solutions for the fast growing NCD epidemic. Mariska Meurs, Policy Researcher Global Health at Wemos, participated in the meeting as part of a broader delegation of the MMI Network. Her statement on the second day of the meeting is reported on the Wemos website.
> http://www.wemos.nl/news/?v=2&lid=2&id=416&cid=14#.Vm_vRb_2rRU
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Network resource: Medicus Mundi Switzerland
Implementation Research: Practice of NGOs and Political Challenges
Measurement and evaluation as well as looking for evidence: Implementation Research on projects and programmes is of increasing importance within health cooperation. But how does good Implementation Research look like? What are the obstacles for health NGOs in doing Implementation Research? A themed issue of the Bulletin of Medicus Mundi Switzerland deals with an issue which is also highly relevant for the MMI Network.