Internship with WFPHA

The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) is currently looking for 3 interns.

WFPHA offers a unique environment for an internship for students in international health and development. Interns are given substantial responsibility for performing activities such as researching and writing articles, establishing contact with health and development NGOs around the world, planning international conferences, and fundraising. Each internship is structured to suit the needs and interests of the intern, such as working on an individual research assignment, as well as the requirements of WFPHA.

During the course of the internship, interns will further develop their writing and research skills and become more familiar with the key issues and actors in international health and development. They will have extensive networking opportunities as WFPHA is an international NGO in official relations with WHO, and has extensive contacts with other organizations worldwide.

Key Areas

The internship will be oral and public health focused and will involve creating PowerPoint summaries of data. It would suit someone who would like to work in public, oral, or global health research or advocacy.

Qualification and Experience

• Master student or graduate degree in the area of International Relations or health-related faculties.
• Knowledge of MS Office and Adobe.
• Excellent English language skills.
• Good writing skills.
• Eager to work within a multicultural and international environment.
• A good team player with a “can-do” attitude.
• Good at multi-tasking and working with strict deadlines.

Modality

The intern will work fully remotely.

Compensation

The internship is unpaid. The organization does not cover re-location expenses and does not sponsor international student visas.

Period

Starts as soon as possible for a minimum of 3 months. The internship may be part-time or full-time.

Application Deadline

15 March 2023

How to Apply

If you are interested in applying for the internship, please send CV and motivation letter to Dr Marta Lomazzi: marta.lomazzi@wfpha.org 

Welcoming the New Co-Chair of Our Public Health in Emergencies and Disasters Working Group

A warm welcome to Colette Cunningham for joining our family as Co-Chair of the Public Health in Emergencies and Disasters Working Group.

Colette is a multilingual, initiative-taking, and pragmatic global health professional with over 20 years’ experience in health-related work as a nurse, global health educator, complex humanitarian emergency worker, and international consultant (UN, EU, DFID, USAID, CDC) in both developing and developed world settings. She is a born leader with a history of leadership and coordination in complex public health humanitarian crises and outbreaks, having coordinated healthcare post-earthquake in Haiti in 2010. More recently, Colette has led the Occupational Contact Tracing for First-line workers (regionally) in Ireland during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colette is a lecturer in the School of Public Health at University College Cork. She earned her MPH from University College Cork, where she also earned a B.A. in European Studies and a PG Certificate in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. She holds an M.A. in Public Policy & Management from the University of York and an M.A. in e-Learning Design and Development from Munster Technology University, Cork. Currently, Colette is completing her Ph.D.

We look forward to working together towards our goals of protecting and promoting health and well-being worldwide.

What Is the Zero Draft of the WHO CA+?

In December 2021, at a special session of the World Health Assembly (WHASS), the WHO’s Member States decided to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to draft and negotiate a convention, agreement, or other international instrument under the Constitution of the WHO to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response (referred to as the WHO CA+).

In December 2022, at the third meeting of the INB, the Conceptual Zero Draft (CZD) of the WHO CA+, including its structure, was considered. It was developed by the Bureau of the INB. The CZD was presented as a bridge between the working draft and the future Zero Draft (ZD) of the WHO CA+. It was not an official / formal draft of the WHO CA+.

During its third meeting, the INB agreed that the Bureau, with support from the WHO Secretariat, would prepare the ZD, based on the CZD and input received during the third meeting of the INB, with legal provisions, for consideration by the INB at its fourth meeting, and as a proposed basis for commencing negotiations at the fourth meeting of the INB in February 2023.

The ZD is structured with a preamble, vision, and then 8 chapters, with 38 articles in total across those chapters. Topics covered in the ZD include equity, strengthening and sustaining capacities, coordination, collaboration, and cooperation, and financing for pandemic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery of health systems, in addition to institutional arrangements.

Letter to the People of Türkiye and Syria in the Aftermath of the Earthquake

We send our heartfelt condolences to the people of the Republic of Türkiye and the Syrian Arab Republic affected by the earthquake. This tragedy and its enormous effects on the lives and suffering of thousands of fellow citizens deeply sadden us.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations stays in solidarity with the people in this dramatic public health emergency and calls for governments and multilateral organizations to provide all the support needed by the population.

Improving Childhood Vaccination Coverage Rates in Europe

Childhood vaccination contributes to reducing mortality and morbidity globally, reducing disease incidence, and providing health protection. In short, it is a key driver in disease prevention.

In recent decades, childhood vaccination coverage has risen across Europe, with several countries managing to achieve the 95% coverage goal within the last ten years. This should be worthy of applause. However, coverage rates in many areas within the European Union (EU) declined in the period between 2010 and 2021. As a result, several European countries have experienced unprecedented outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), including measles outbreaks. This general trend requires increased efforts to combat barriers around vaccination uptake, as robust and resilient vaccination systems across the EU are crucial to protecting the population from preventable illnesses and deaths due to VPDs, as well as ensuring recovery from any future crises.

In an article published by the researchers of the WFPHA and its International Immunization Policy Taskforce, they assessed the state of the changes in vaccination coverage in the EU between 2010 and 2021 based on the World Health Organization (WHO) vaccination indicators of Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (DTP) 1st dose, DTP 3rd dose, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib3), Hepatitis B 3rd dose (HepB3), measles 1st dose, measles 2nd dose, and polio 3rd dose. They summarized key learnings and trends in childhood vaccination within the EU, with a focus on current challenges and enablers.

Childhood Vaccination Coverage Rates in the EU between 2010 & 2021

According to the article:

• For all vaccines assessed, a high degree of variation and fluctuation in coverage rates in the EU between 2010 and 2021 can be observed.
• There is a general pattern of declining coverage across vaccines in 2019 compared to 2010.
• Lower-performing countries, such as Austria or Romania, show more frequent or more severe fluctuations across vaccines.
• Higher-performing countries tend to have little or no fluctuation in coverage rates.

Variations Show Vulnerability

Variations or fluctuations in vaccination coverage rates are a concern. Vaccine fluctuations indicate the fragility of vaccination coverages and of the immunization ecosystem. Strong efforts are needed to ensure countries have robust and resilient immunization systems.

Factors Causing Fluctuations in Childhood Vaccination Coverage Rates in the EU

The article summarized the following barriers causing fluctuations in vaccination coverage rates in the EU:

• Structural barriers (e.g., having to take time off work to get a child vaccinated)
• Delays in vaccine procurement
• Vaccine hesitancy (among the public and/or health care professionals)
• Spread of misinformation about vaccination
• The COVID-19 pandemic
• The Ukraine crisis

Enablers for Increasing Childhood Vaccination Coverage Rates in the EU

The article summarized the following enablers for increasing vaccination coverage rates in the EU:

• Easy access to vaccine administration
• Outreach services and catch-up campaigns
• Vaccination policies (depending on local context)
• Real-time systematic data collection
• Communication between individuals and healthcare workers regarding vaccines
• Sending vaccine reminders
• Awareness-raising and education campaigns
• Easily accessible and reliable information materials about vaccination

Recommendations for Improving Childhood Vaccination Coverage Rates in the EU Based on the WFPHA’s Policy

The article summarized the following recommendations for improving childhood vaccination coverage rates in the EU based on the WFPHA International Immunization Policy Taskforce’s key recommendations to improve the resilience of childhood vaccination programs in the EU for policy makers to take forward at EU and national levels:

Facilitate access to vaccination

• Increase range of providers to administer vaccination
• Enable providers to administer vaccinations outside of the site where they are employed (e.g., administer vaccines at childcare facilities)
• Additional hours to access vaccinations (e.g., outside of regular work hours)

Develop mitigation strategies and plans to respond to VPD outbreak

• Ensure sufficient infrastructure and health worker capacity

Increase use of digital technologies

• Improve real-time data collection and disease surveillance systems
• Electronic immunization records
• Automated vaccination reminders

Improve education and awareness regarding the value of vaccination

• Public awareness and communication campaigns
• Public health education programs

Considering the convergence of the current COVID-19 and Ukraine crises, the article recommended concrete crisis preparedness plans to ensure immunity gaps do not further exacerbate the disruption of vaccination systems.

Israel Decides to Revoke the Sweetened Beverage Tax: A Grievous Blow to Public Health

In a letter published in the Lancet, members of the World Federation of Public Health Associations’ Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention and Health Promotion and Policy Working Groups and other leading scholars of nutrition policy, health sciences, and economics convey extreme concern over the Israeli Finance Minister’s decision to revoke the sweetened beverage tax.

According to this letter, the decision will undoubtedly harm lives and increase the direct and indirect economic costs to Israel’s health system and economy. This letter calls on the Government of Israel to reconsider and retract this decision and let the revenue from the soda tax be used to improve the health and welfare of all Israeli citizens.