Newsletter 185

Contents

Action of the Week

G8 2008: we need Action Now!

Once a year, the leaders of the world’s eight most rich and powerful countries – the G8 – come together to talk about global poverty.

This July, the G8 will meet in Japan, and they will once again have it in their power to make a huge difference to the lives of the world’s poorest people. ...not wishful thinking

The first day of the meeting falls during a Japanese festival where people tie written wishes to bamboo trees.

Join people across the globe by sending your wish and demanding Action Now on aid, health and climate change.

This action takes less than 2 minutes, and can be found here.

National News and Events

Anything Else

Website and News

The website is for YOUR events being held by YOUR branches, projects and campaigns. It is really, really easy to submit events and news, so please do, and let everyone know what wonderful things you are up to! Join in Medsin discussions at http://www.medsin.org/discuss

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National News and Events

Carbon Reduction and Health Conference

Carbon reduction and health Conference - 30th June 2008 - 9.30 'til 5 at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

5-11 Theobald’s Road London WC1X 8SH

Limited number of reduced price student places still available!

Heading for a Carbon Neutral NHS.... Wanting to cut your hospital’s Carbon footprint? Tired of waste and pollution in the Health Service? Find out more about carbon reduction and health A guide to reducing the footprint of the health sector

To apply for a place, Email: aaron.barham@rcpch.ac.uk Tel: 020 7307 5633

Sarah Walpole

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£500 Student Essay Prize

MEDICINE, CONFLICT AND SURVIVAL is offering a £500 prize for the best essay by a medsin member on a topic covered by the Journal, and publication of the essay in a forthcoming issue.

The Essay should be no more than 2,500 words long and the deadline for submission is the end of July 2008

For the topics covered by the Journal, go here and click ‘Aims and Scope’. On the same page, click ‘Instructions for Authors’ to find how the essay should be presented.

This prize is made possible through the generosity of the LionelPenrose Trust

Send your completed essay, or any queries to: Jack Piachaud on m.piachaud@imperial.ac.uk, Mary Hodlstock Mary.holdstock@ntlworld.com Michael Pountney mep22639@dircon.co.uk

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Chris Curtis

We are all truly saddened at the loss of Chris Curtis, one of the world's leading medical and malarial entomologists. Chris influenced the world's approaches to malaria control and equally changed the lives of and empassioned generations of students all over the world. In the last few years, he lectured with live mosquitoes at several Medsin talks in London, and inspired the setting up of the Malaria and Neglected Diseases Campaign.

In the words of Andy Haines, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where Chris was Emeritus Professor of Medical Entomology:

"There is a remarkably large community of people, scattered over the world, whose work and lives have been given lasting inspiration by Chris's gentleness, integrity, generosity and commitment."

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Graduating from Uni?- Become a trainer for Student Stop AIDS

We want to role out the Graduate trainers scheme again this year and are looking to recruit a team of motivated and experienced student stop AIDS campaigners who will be shortly graduating from University and would like to become trainers for the campaign.

What's involved?

  • Trainers need to be able to commit to a full day's training in London in either August or September
  • During the autumn and winter terms trainers will be expected to visit between 1-3 University societies to deliver training sessions (it's really fun!).

What support will you receive?

  • Trainers will receive training to equip you to facilitate training sessions on key campaigning skills and society mobilisation at a campus level.

  • SPW will cover travel to the training day and travel to the societies to deliver the training sessions.

  • lunch on the training day will also be provided
  • you will receive a small campaign pack with materials and session plans to enable you to deliver the training sessions to Stop AIDS Societies.

If you are interested in applying to be a trainer please fill out the short form attached and email it to frank.harle@spw.org by 16th June 2008.

When the new Coordinator starts in post (Katy's left) they will get in contact with applicants to arrange the training. Rafi

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Articles Wanted

Dear IFMSA friends..

The Editorial Board of Medical Student´s International (MSI) is already working hard on the upcoming edition of MSI, the official Magazine of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations (IFMSA).

We are now soliciting articles for this upcoming MSI, that will be released in print and online at the next IFMSA August Meeting, in Ocho Ríos, Jamaica. The theme for this edition is Nutrition and Health.

The MSI Editorial Board encourage all of you to submit articles to be published and shared with medical students and health care professionals from around the world, as it is a great opportunity.

We are looking for the following type of articles, but not limited to this:

  • Interviews
  • Short review articles
  • Photo Journalism (The idea is to write a report in the form of photographs that are consistent with the theme, Nutrition and Health. They say a picture is worth a thousand words... so give us a couple of thousand :).
    If you have question and/or need more information please contact publications@ifmsa.org.
  • A Column (Pick a topic that makes you angry, happy, passionate, confused and then rant and rave about it in a column)
  • Personal essays addressing the theme.
  • Also just photos as illustrations addressing the theme

Nutrition and Health covers a wide range of interested topics, just to mention a few

  • malnutrition as a neglected disease
  • media and over-nutritionsocioeconomic status and nutrition
  • Nutrition in HIV/Patients contributing to the "double-burden" in developing countries: malnutrition and over-nutrition
  • Epidemic of obesity
  • Anorexia & Bulemia

It is a very interesting theme, and quite important to discuss among medical students and health care professionals. Please keep the theme in mind. Your articles should be no longer than 1000 words, and for the column, no longer than 500 words.

Before starting to write, do not hesitate to contact us for further ideas and information at publications@ifmsa.org, and we will do our best to get back to you within the next 48 hours.

Deadline to accept articles: June 15 (Mind the deadline!!)

Best Regards to everyone!! and looking forward to receiveing many articles!!

On behalf of the MSI Editorial Board 07/08

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End Water Poverty

End Water Poverty (EWP) is an international campaign, driven by a growing coalition of organisations, calling for immediate action to address the global crisis in water and sanitation. Currently, 1.1 billion people live without safe water and 2.6 billion people live without access to sanitation. Of these around 5000 children die every day from water-related diseases – the equivalent of 20 airliners filled with children, lost on a daily basis to an entirely preventable public health crisis.

EWP is calling for the following:

  • One global action plan for sanitation and water monitored by one global task force
  • 70% of aid money for sanitation and water to be targeted at the poorest countries
  • Water resources to be protected and shared equitably

In the run up to the G8 meeting in July this year, the End Water Poverty Campaign is calling upon Governments to act to tackle the sanitation crisis that is undermining all development efforts.

Please support the campaign and take action by signing the petition which asks the Japanese Prime Minister as host of the G8 to take immediate action to tackle the global sanitation crisis.

Link to petition

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Anything Else?

The following aren't officially affilliated with Medsin, but we thought you might be interested.

Rights And Humanity's Global Youth Forum

Global Youth Forum 4-11 June 2008 Rights and Humanity, a leading human rights NGO, invites you to become a founder member of our new Global Youth Forum to be launched in Liverpool this summer.

The Global Youth Forum is a worldwide network of young people working to make a difference in their own communities. We encourage members to identify the key social justice issues that concern them and then we provide the training and skills necessary to tackle these issues and take action. Drawing on Rights and Humanity's unrivalled knowledge and experience in the human rights field over the last 25 years as well as our expansive network of international patrons, supporters and contacts, you can expect to learn from some of the world's most inspiring leaders and advocates.

The GYF will be launched as part of The Big Hope conference in Liverpool from 4-11 June 2008. As part of the European Capital of Culture celebrations, The Big Hope is a week-long event of speeches, forums, workshops and excursions involving young people from all over the world. As part of the conference, Rights and Humanity is hosting 15 hours of workshops to train and inspire the founding members of the GYF. With our support , members will be able to hold events, launch their own projects and initiate change in their home communities across the world.

If you would like to be involved in this new and exciting opportunity or would just like some more information, please contact Barry Grimes at b.k.grimes@durham.ac.uk or 07871 222632.

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Oxfam Training Courses

Oxfam have announced they're now taking applications for Youth Change 2008.

If you're passionate about making a difference, if poverty ruffles your feathers, and if you're aged between 18 and 25, then we want to hear from you.

This year Youth Change is being held in Birmingham on the 19th - 22nd September. Deadline for applications is the 16th June!

Apply for our free training course for 18 to 25 year olds here

You don't have to be an expert to apply; in fact we'd prefer it if you're not. We're looking for people who are new to campaigning, but eager to get stuck in and learn more.

All we ask is that you've got some fire in your belly and that you're not afraid to dive in at the deep end.

We'll help you realise your potential, give you the skills you need, and show you how you can work with others to make a massive difference in the fight against poverty and suffering.

If you've got what it takes, we'd like to hear from you.

Oxfam Activism Team

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Domestic violence: A medical issue

Wednesday 11 June 2008

Venue: The Royal Society of Medicine, 1 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0AE organised by the Royal Society of Medicine and Epidemiology & Public Health Section

Domestic violence is experienced by 28% of women in England and Wales, and costs the NHS £1.2billion. Those working within the medical profession often find themselves dealing with the physical and psychological injuries, which result. It can commence or worsen during pregnancy. There is greater likelihood that women in violent relationships will be admitted to hospital and issued with prescriptions. Given the far-reaching medical effects, domestic violence is indeed a healthcare issue.

This event will comprise of a series of talks, by those with expertise of working in the field. It will provide an opportunity to identify examples of good practice, and discussion as to how the medical profession can offer a better response

http://www.rsm.ac.uk/students/ste10c.php

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RSM "One World, One Disease" Conference

RSM are holding a conference entitled "One World, One Disease", to be held in-house on Tuesday 24 June 2008.

This conference aims to examine some of the effects of climate change on patterns of animal health and the impact on this for humans. The meeting will provide an understanding of the complexity of the global changes that we face, and will work towards the integrated approach needed to manage the serious problems that threaten animal and human health.

Please see the attached programme for further information, or alternatively, refer to the following link:

http://www.rsm.ac.uk/academ/e10-oneworld.php

Student places are £50.

Many thanks,

Chloe Waite

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Update on the Short Course in Global Health

We are quite excited about the Global Health Short Course that is going ahead over five days, Monday 23 June - Friday 27 June 2008 at Imperial, London. It is the first time it is being run, and Professor Alan Fenwick and Dr Helen Ward at Imperial are the course directors. I have attached some more information and an application form (see here). There are 50 places on the course and 20 of those have already been filled by Imperial students, and we will be accepting applications from external students from 1 May 2008.

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Seminar on "Global Substantive Health Issues"

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) will hold a seminar on "Global Substantive Health Issues" on 5 and 6 June 2008. The seminar will take place at the University of Warwick.

For more information, click here.

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Last updated on Thursday 22 May 2008 at 22:48.