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SAM, Society for Adolescent Medicine
News From the Regions
Oceania
Kia ora and Greetings from Oceania
Lots of happenings in our part of the globe lately. We have had some fantastic adolescent health focused conferences - In Christchurch New Zealand in November - Inovlve'06 hosted by the New Zealand Association for Adolescent Health and Development - go to www.involve06.org.nz and see what happened - including loads of great presentations on that website so you can get a flavour of research and practice in our area. In Sydney- Australia in November we also had the 5th Annual Australia and New Zealand Adolescent Health Conference - go to www.youthhealth2006.org to see what happened there.
Also workforce development - for doctors, nurses and youthworkers is a big topic being taken more and more seriously by professional bodies, government funders and universities. The focus is being supported by the development of workforce standards and this represents what I think is very likely to lead to a major step forward in the place and role of adolescent health in our (in many respects) conservative and traditional health structures and organisations.
In all of the activities the adults are working hard to be in healthy and positive partnerships with young people and certainly the conferences gave some very rewarding examples of this.
Other developments in our region are (in no particular order):
HPV vaccine is approved for use in Australia and NZ
Political unrest in some smaller Pacific nations
Global warming leads to climate change droughts in Australia, ice bergs breaking off from Antartica and floating up the coast of NZ
Sporting stability has returned with the All Blacks clearly the best rugby side in the world and Australia completely crushing England in the first two of the Ashes cricket tests.
We head in to our festive season break with anticipation for a long hot and enjoyable summer and a prosperous 2007
Peter Watson
Africa
The leader of the Ugandan Association for Adolescent Health Abu-Bakar Matovu (contact Abu. Matovu Box 1952 Kampala Uganda,Tel: +256412245569
Fax: +25641349203 Mobile:+256752812564E. matovua@gmail.com )
Recently travelled to Sweden as his group came 4th in the Volvo Adventure 2006 competition for environmental projects. Their project was on wetlands and sports see http://www.volvoadventure.org/projectsFinalists.aspx?year=2006.
In Nigeria they recently held The First African Youth Festival of Book and Peace in Abuja, Nigeria September 19-21, 2006.
September 21st is set aside every year for the celebration of the United Nation International Day of World Peace, with a wide range of activities in which all stakeholders, government and non-governmental organizations are involved.
In pursurance of this day, the Centre for Advocacy and Development in Africa (CADA), in partnership with the World Bank YDP Network; Clean & Green Cities Foundation; Peace Corps of Nigeria; West Africa Youth Network; International Center for Peace & Development; Afemai Youth Initiative Network and in collaboration with the Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution - Presidency has organized a three-day festival of Book & Peace to Commemorate the World Peace Day.
The Festival is aimed at bringing an awareness to the majority of the youth of the African society of the unlimited power of books, which can only strive and triumph primarily in an atmosphere of peace, and to build the actions of the new generation of the African youth leaders, from various organizations, irrespective of their social status and religious background
For more information on this event, you are encouraged to contact the African Youth Festival of Book & Peace 2006 via email: aygbp@yahoo.com
Europe
The 12th IAAH Europe conference was held in Greece this year and the theme was preventing obesity. It was another successful meeting and marked the beginning of a Belgian Association and the renewal of a French Association – soon there will be a national association in every country in Europe – Please will everyone send their contact details to bagshaw@clear.net.nz so that we can share the information on the website. If you have a website it would be even better so that we can link the news.
Turkey also has a new association Dr Ercan founded the Adolescent Health Society Turkey in 2005.
South America
We have always known that this region leads the world for forming associations – we are hoping that soon they will feel better linked to IAAH – we look forward to publishing their details on the website so that we can aid communication between us and learn from each other.
South Asia
WHO recently held a congress in Delhi with the International Paediatric Association on “Consent and Confidentiality”. Dr Ueli Buhlmann our IAAH President attended and had some very useful dialogue. The adolescent paediatricians are very eager to move adolescent health forward, in India but also in the entire region of South East Asia (a total of 11 countries). There are going to be a lot of physicians and other experts involved. Just as an example: the adolescent medicine chapter of the Indian Pediatric Association has over 1000 members already!
East Asia
This will be the region for the next World Congress – at the moment there is fierce (but friendly) competition between Thailand and Malaysia – both would be wonderful.
Hong Kong has just formed its own Association of Adolescent Health after staging the very successful first Asia Pacific Conference.
For more links please click on region of interest
Asia
South East/Middle Asia
Pacific Rim
Africa
North America
Latin America (Central and South)
Europe
Caribbean
Global Links
*Disclaimer: Not all opinions and view points expressed within these links are necessarily those of the Members of IAAH.
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