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News/Event Item
Annual Conference To Go On As Planned
Press Release
Contact: Lynnette Johnson Williams, Global Health Council
202.327.5003 or ljohnsonwilliams@globalhealth.org
26 April 2004
Global Health Council Responds to Questions about Conference;
Conference to go on as Planned
Dr. Nils Daulaire, president and CEO of the Global Health Council, issued the following statement today in response to questions about funding and content at the Council’s annual conference, "Youth and Health: Generation on the Edge," scheduled for June 1-4, 2004:
"The Global Health Council conference has been held annually in Washington for the last 31 years. It is a forum for the Council’s members and other global health professionals to update themselves on the most recent advances in this vital area. The conference is not now, nor has it ever been, a political gathering. It is, however, a technical conference that reviews the challenges and most recent advances in delivering life saving technologies and services to the world’s neediest people - and the communication of those challenges and advances to policymakers and the public. Conference keynote speakers have included three Nobel Peace Prize recipients: Mother Teresa, Former President Jimmy Carter and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan. Daulaire noted that the annual conference will proceed as it has for the last 30 years.
"Conference participants include a wide array of individuals, universities, technical organizations, NGOs, faith-based organizations, private sector companies, government and international agencies. While they approach some issues from different perspectives and experiences, participants have always shared a common commitment to the open and respectful dialogue required to advance global health.
"In addition to its continuing focus on child health, women’s health, AIDS, other infectious diseases and emerging threats such as SARS, this year’s conference will address the important issue of youth and health. These sessions will review the technical experience of participants addressing public health interventions and practices that are culturally sensitive and have been tried and proven in the field. Inevitably, some of the subject matter of global health - and youth health in particular - can be controversial. As a matter of principle, whenever and wherever there have been differences of views on a particular subject area, our conference organizers have made every effort to insure that a full range of technical viewpoints are included. This year is no exception to that principle.
"Unfortunately, some media coverage has selectively listed just a few of the dozens of organizations presenting and participating in this conference, and made inaccurate and misleading portrayals of its purpose. A review of our conference program provides a more accurate view of the wide spectrum of groups who assure the usual balance of views and experiences that our conference participants represent.
"The Global Health Council’s annual conference has been financed though participant registration fees supplemented with grant support from both the public and private sectors. Federal funds are not used to support any restricted lobbying activities.
"The U.S. government plays a vital role in global health, even greater today with the historic passage of the President’s Emergency Plan for HIV and AIDS. For three decades, part of that role has been to assure participation of practitioners in exchanging knowledge and experience at the Council’s annual conference. We are certainly disappointed that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has disapproved funding for this year’s conference. HHS has been an important and valuable partner in our work for many years and we look forward to working with them to clarify the concerns they have raised.
"Finally, the "Youth and Health: Generation on the Edge" international conference will go on as planned, and we invite all to join us to experience firsthand the important work of our participants, presenters and sponsors."
View this Press Release in PDF format:
PDF (14K)
category: Global Health Council News : Announcements
contributed by Andrea Welch on 27 April 2004
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