Organ Trafficking: Consequence of Poverty and Vulnerability

The Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism

Declaration of Istanbul "Organ transplantation, one of the medical miracles of the twentieth century, has prolonged and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients worldwide. The many great scientific and clinical advances of dedicated health professionals, as well as countless acts of generosity by organ donors and their families, have made transplantation not only a life-saving therapy but a shining symbol of human solidarity. Yet these accomplishments have been tarnished by numerous reports of trafficking in human beings who are used as sources of organs and of patient-tourists from rich countries who travel abroad to purchase organs from poor people. (...) To address the urgent and growing problems of organ sales, transplant tourism and trafficking in organ donors in the context of the global shortage of organs, a Summit Meeting of more than 150 representatives of scientific and medical bodies from around the world, government officials, social scientists, and ethicists, was held in Istanbul from April 30 to May 2, 2008."

bit.ly

Coalition for Organ-Failure Solutions: Human Trafficking for an Organ Removal

A Call for Prevention, Protection, Investigations and Accountabiliy

COFS "Human trafficking for an organ removal (HTOR) constitutes an egregious human rights abuse. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that illicit kidney removals for transplantation account for 5–10% of the approximately 65,000 kidney transplants performed annually throughout the world. (...) COFS considers the hundreds of cases we have identified in the distinct contexts of Egypt, India, Nepal and various Gulf states as victims of HTOR. This briefing focuses on COFS’ findings of Sudanese victims of organ trafficking in Egypt and on victims in India." COFS' Briefing before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission United States Congress. 23 January 2012. (pdf)

bit.ly

Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism: A Commentary on the Global Realities

Characteristics and extent of the global trafficking in human organs

American Journal of Transplantation "This report describes the characteristics and extent of the global trafficking in human organs. It includes the experience of the authors’ personal visits to numerous countries on behalf of TTS and WHO. This report is also fashioned by the extensive field research of COFS. Finally, this commentary proposes an alternative approach that must be addressed by each country to alleviate the shortage of organs for transplantation and combat the exploitative practices of organ trafficking." (pdf)

bit.ly

Victims of Organ Trafficking in Egypt

A preliminary, evidence-based, victim-centerd report

COFS "COFS-Egypt has accumulated compelling evidence that organ traffickers have exploited and are continuing to exploit Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers in Egypt. These abuses include removing kidneys either by inducing consent, coercion, or outright theft. In some cases, sex trafficking was associated with incidents of organ removal. The victims include men, women, and children. Many of the victims came to Egypt seeking refuge from the genocide and armed conflict in their homeland." (pdf)

bit.ly

Swiss Public Health Conference: (Re-)Organizing Health Systems

Lausanne, 30. - 31. August 2012

Public Health Schweiz Wie in anderen Ländern hat sich auch in der Schweiz der Gesundheitszustand der Bevölkerung verbessert. Dies ist an gewissen Indikatoren wie der vorzeitigen Sterblichkeit oder der Gesundheit von älteren Personen zu erkennen. In einer zunehmend älter werdenden Bevölkerung nehmen jedoch auch beispielsweise die Häufigkeit der Pflegebedürftigkeit und degenerativer Krankheiten zu. Diesen Herausforderungen muss mit Anpassungen unseres Gesundheitssystems bei den Zielen, der Finanzierung und der Steuerung begegnet werden. An dieser Konferenz werden Aussichten und Strategien zur Erhaltung und Verbesserung sowohl der individuellen Gesundheit als auch der Gesundheit der Bevölkerung präsentiert, analysiert und diskutiert.

sph12.organizers-congress.ch

MMS Symposium 2012: Mutter-Kind-Gesundheit

Basel, 6. November 2012

MMS Das Netzwerk Medicus Mundi Schweiz wird an seinem diesjährigen Symposium die Mutter-Kind-Gesundheit debattieren. Trotz vieler Fortschritte in den vergangenen Jahren, handelt es sich um den Bereich, in welchen die globale Gesundheit am wenigsten vorangekommen ist. Das Symposium ermöglicht es zusammen mit relevanten Akteurinnen und Akteure hier in der Schweiz das brennende Thema der Mutter-Kind-Gesundheit zu debattieren, Handlungsmöglichkeiten zu evaluieren und den politischen Prozess zu stärken.

www.medicusmundi.ch

Frauensache: Die Arbeit der traditionellen Hebammen in Nicaragua

Zürich, 23. August 2012

medico international Im ländlichen Nicaragua sind die traditionellen Hebammen, Frauen mit einem großen Erfahrungsschatz aber ohne formelle Ausbildung, für die Gesundheit der Frauen und Kinder von großer Bedeutung. Sie sind vertraut mit dem Alltag der Familien, unterstützen die Frauen tatkräftig rund um die Geburt, kennen sich in Kinderpflege aus und raten in Fragen zu Sexualität und Verhütung. Eine Informationsveranstaltung mit Malika Rabia, Projektkoordinatorin für medico international in Nicaragua. (pdf)

bit.ly

8th World Demographic & Ageing Forum

St. Gallen, 27-30 August 2012

WDA Forum "2012 is a special year in many ways: The world population has reached a total of 7 billion and is continuing to grow. In view of this growth we see action from major agencies: the UN is revisiting its Madrid International Plan of Action in Ageing, the European Union has launched many activities in the context of the European Year of Active Ageing and Intergenerational Solidarity and the World Health Organization has focused on active ageing on its World Health Day – representatives of these organizations will be at the WDA Forum to present and discuss their activities and plans. In order to capture this need to act the WDA Forum has chosen a ten year time frame for the debate at this year’s WDA Forum: 2022 – 10 Years to Shape the Demographic Shift."

www.wdaforum.org

Allgemeiner Tropenkurs

Basel, September - November 2012

Swiss TPH Der Allgemeine Tropenkurs (ATK) ist ein 8-wöchiger, ganztägiger Kurs, welcher auf das Leben und Arbeiten in Ländern mit extremer Mittelknappheit vorbereitet. Der ATK ermöglicht eine intensive Auseinandersetzung mit den globalen ökonomischen, ökologischen, kulturgeographischen und sozio-kulturellen Zusammenhängen und gesundheitlichen Aspekten des Lebens in den Tropen und Subtropen.

bit.ly

Rational Management of Medicines. A focus on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Pretoria, 14 October - 26 October 2012

Swiss TPH Medicines are an essential and cost-effective tool of health care and an important element of health systems. Yet today, for millions of people worldwide essential medicines remain unavailable and unaffordable. Diseases of poverty including HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis tragically claim innumerable lives in low income countries. This two weeks course will be conducted in Pretoria, South Africa where a full range of public, private and NGO based health care facilities offer opportunities for first hand exposure.

www.swisstph.ch

Health District Management: Priority Setting, Planning and Programme Design

Ifakara (Tanzania), 12 - 30 November 2012

Swiss TPH The course aims at introducing the basic principles of strategic programme and project management. It also focuses on practical aspects of the planning and implementation process, using the techniques of a simulation exercise and computer based support.

bit.ly

The 19th Swiss International Short Course on Travellers' Health

Basel, 28 January - 1 February 2013

Swiss TPH "This 1-week course provides up-to-date information on tropical diseases and their medical treatment. It is mainly designed for participants from industrialised countries, who need to provide reliable information and advice for travellers, and to assess travel-related problems that occur in patients who have returned from tropical countries. The course is organised in collaboration with other Swiss and German institutes, under the patronage of the International Society of Travel Medicine, the WHO, and the Swiss Society for Tropical Medicine."

www.swisstph.ch

Health Care and Management in Tropical Countries

Basel, 11 March - 14 June 2013

Swiss TPH "This 3 months full time course aims at introducing participants to the fundamentals of international health with a range of skills and knowledge needed to work as a member of a district management team. The participatory course is designed for people who already have a first qualification in a health-related profession, and at least two years professional experience."

www.swisstph.ch

Eine Wende ist möglich, wenn jetzt gehandelt wird

aidsfocus.ch zum Ende der Aids-Konferenz in Washington

aidsfocus.ch "Die heute zu Ende gehende 19. Internationale Aidskonferenz hat gezeigt, dass eine künftige Generation ohne Aids möglich ist. Wir stehen an einem einzigartigen Zeitpunkt in der Geschichte der Aidsepidemie. Mit dem heutigen Stand der Wissenschaft können Millionen von Menschenleben gerettet werden, wenn wir alle Präventionsstrategien implementieren und Menschen möglichst frühzeitig mit lebensrettenden anti-retroviralen Medikamenten behandeln," schreibt aidsfocus.ch, die Fachplattform des Netzwerks Medicus Mundi Schweiz, in einer Stellungnahme zur Aids-Konferenz in Washington. (pdf)

bit.ly

Abschluss der Aids-Konferenz

25'000 Teilnehmer in Washington

NZZ ""So rief der Schweizer Interessenverbund aidsfocus.ch (Fachplattform des Netzwerks Medicus Mundi Schweiz, Anm. medicusmundi.ch) am Abschlusstag die Schweiz dazu auf, ihren finanziellen Beitrag zur Bekämpfung von Aids rund um die Welt substanziell zu erhöhen. Diese Mittel nützen laut Manuel Battegay von der Universität Basel auch über die Bekämpfung von Aids hinaus: Der Fokus auf die Situation in Afrika und die Verbesserung der dortigen Infrastruktur hilft auch beim Kampf gegen Malaria, die Schlafkrankheit und andere Seuchen," schreibt die Neue Zürcher Zeitung in einem Bericht über die Aidskonferenz in Washington.(pdf)

bit.ly

Uzbekistan accused of forced sterilisation campaign

"Women are pressurised, tricked, or even threatened into undergoing it”

The Lancet "A nationwide campaign of forced sterilisation is being undertaken in Uzbekistan as the autocratic regime in the poverty-stricken former Soviet state looks to impose population controls and head off potentially enormous socioeconomic problems, it has been claimed. Victims and doctors have spoken to international media laying bare the extent of a secret sterilisation programme, which they say has been going on for years and which is estimated may have involved tens of thousands of women so far," reports Ed Holt for The Lancet.

bit.ly

Ausländische Hilfe in Eritrea eingeschränkt

NZZ über "Hilfswerke auf dem Rückzug"

NZZ "Eritrea stellt für Unterstützung von aussen restriktive Bedingungen. Mehrere Hilfswerke lassen ihre Tätigkeit daher auslaufen. Weiterhin aktiv bleibt das dem Regime gewogene Komitee Suke," berichtete die Neue Zürcher Zeitung am 13. Juli 2012. Von den Restriktionen Eritreas betroffen sind auch die MMS Mitgliedorganisationen medico international schweiz und das Schweizerische Rote Kreuz.

bit.ly

Gesundheit in der Entwicklungs- und Aussenpolitik

MMS Bulletin 124

MMS In der jüngsten Ausgabe des MMS Bulletins publiziert das Netzwerk Medicus Mundi Schweiz unter dem Titel "Gesundheit in der Aussen- und Entwicklungspolitik der Schweiz" sein Gesundheitspositionspapier. Daneben betten verschiedene Artikel das Positionspapier kontextuel ein.

bit.ly

Child Development Index 2012

Progress in sub-Saharan Africa very mixed

Save the Children "Children are doing worse in Sub-Saharan Africa than any other region. Africa scores 35 in the Index, reflecting the high level of deprivation in primary schooling, child health and child nutrition. It is also making the slowest progress, improving child well-being by only 20% over 1990-2006. However, progress has been very mixed; some countries in Africa have done incredibly well, while others did spectacularly badly. Countries like Malawi cut child deprivation in half, enrolling more than 90% of primary school children. But some of the poorest children in Africa live in countries suffering from conflict and poor governance; such as Zimbabwe, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Slow progress in reducing child mortality and malnutrition is a particular problem; one in six babies born in Africa will not live to see their ffth birthday. Rich and poor countries worldwide must urgently choose to tackle this problem."

bit.ly

Food Sovereignity: Power, Gender, and the Right to Food

"Gender is key to food insecurity and malnourishment"

PLoS Medicine "The inequalities in power that characterize the food system can be found in households, corporations, regional and state governments, private philanthropic foundations, and international organizations. The strengths of a food sovereignty approach lie in the heuristic approach to power relations that it invites, particularly with respect to gender. For La Via Campesina, and many others, identifying inequities in power within the global food system is more than an academic exercise—it is a means not only to interpret the system, but also to change it," writes Rajeev C. Patel on PLoS Medicine.

www.plosmedicine.org