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Events & Conferences in Africa - Spring 2006 Preconference Theme:
"Driving Change: Firearms Policy for Safer Societies" Durban, South Africa
March 31 - April 1, 2006IPPNW contributed to planning
for a two-day pre-conference to the World Injury Conference "Driving
Change: Developing Firearms Policy for Safer Societies", organized by
the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) of South Africa, in cooperation with
the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP),
the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), and others. Organizers
were pleased with the event, which brought together over 60 delegates from around
the world to focus on strategies that can contribute to reducing firearm violence.
IPPNW affiliates presented 3 compelling oral presentations at the preconference.
Papers were presented by medical student Andrew Pinto, Canada (who presented a
paper co-authored with Dr. Peter Olupot-Olupot from Uganda), Emperatriz Crespin
MD MPH, El Salvador, and Walter Odhiambo MD. Please see abstracts
of presentations on the IPPNW web site for more details. In addition, Robert Mtonga
MD of Zambia moderated a panel on reducing gun violence. Following Dr. Odhiambo's
moving "One Bullet Story" case presentation of a Kenyan physician shot
and treated by him and others at Kenyatta hospital, the Center for Humanitarian
Dialogue offered to sponsor this victim's travel to the UNPoA Review Conference
in New York in June to provide victim testimony at this important international
policy conference.
IPPNW conducted a strategy workshop on "Prescriptions
for Prevention: Health Professional Strategies to Prevent and Reduce SALW Violence,"
with a focus on capacity building for the IANSA Public Health Network, which is
coordinated by IPPNW. Breakdown groups produced some excellent recommendations
for the PHN to consider as goals for this coming year. These will be included
strategy discussions of the PHN as well as in the conference summary to be posted
on the ISS web site.
IPPNW hosted an evening
talk and reception for attendees of the pre-conference on the health community's
role in preventing small arms violence. Speakers included Robert Mtonga and Maria
Valenti from IPPNW, as well as Anthea Lawson from IANSA.
We contributed
to a conference
statement on firearm policy that was tabled at the main World Injury Conference
and will also be distributed at the UNPoA Review Conference.
A number
of IPPNW delegates participated in a side meeting conducted by the Center for
Humanitarian Dialogue on survivor and victim assistance, an important aspect of
IPPNW's care and rehabilitation focus at the hospital level.
For
more information on IPPNW's Aiming for Prevention campaign, contact coordinator
Maria Valenti in the IPPNW Central
Office in Cambridge, Massachusetts. posted April 28,
2006 
IPPNW's "Aiming for Prevention" program is currently supported
by grants from the Human Security Program at Foreign Affairs Canada. |
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