Media Invitation

5th Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) Conference

Members of the media are invited to attend the fifth (5th) Public Health Association of South Africa (PHASA) Conference to be held at the Albert Luthuli Convention Centre, Durban ICC from 30 November to 2 December 2009.  

The 2009 PHASA Conference theme is “Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Measuring progress in public health in South Africa.” This is because existing evidence suggests that very few, if any, of the MDGs will be achieved in sub-Saharan Africa. During 2008, (the midpoint) an assessment of progress towards the MDGs revealed a mixed picture: many of the health goals remain off target, and huge inequities remain between and within countries. 

The conference will focus on:

• Social determinants of health;
• Health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs);
• Non-communicable diseases and public health implications;
• Health systems research and measuring public health;
• Community action and best practices.

Key note speakers at this year’s conference are:

• Prof Dan Kaseje, who is a Professor of Public Health and Vice Chancellor, Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Kenya;  
• Prof Mala Rao, the Director for the Institute of Public Health of the Public Health Foundation, Hyderabad; India;
• Professor Di McIntyre from the University of Cape Town and one of the appointed members of the Ministerial Committee on a National Health Insurance Scheme for South Africa and
• Dr Eddie Mhlanga, a chief director in the national Department of Health.
• Professor Dan Ncayiyana, editor of the South African Medical Journal  and
• Professor Salim S. Abdool Karim, who is Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of KZN and Director of Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA) will address the conference welcoming cocktail function and dinner respectively.

The conference will be attended by local and international public health practitioners, government employees, and representatives from schools of public health at universities, demographers, epidemiologists and health economists.

DATE:                  30 November – 2 December 2009
VENUE:                Albert Luthuli Convention Centre, Durban ICC
TIME:                   08: 30 DAILY

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Please confirm your attendance by contacting : Julian A Jacobs on 082 454 4902 or email julian.jacobs@mrc.ac.za

The PHASA website for more information is:  http://www.phasa2009.org.za/index.htm