Month: October 2020

29
Oct
2020
Symposium: School Health as we confront COVID-19 in Asia

Symposium: School Health as we confront COVID-19 in Asia

On 2 November 2020, 13.15 – 14.45 JST, 5.15 – 6.45 CET, the Osaka University UNESCO Chair Global Health and Education and the Japanese Consortium for Global Health Research will organise the symposium “School Health as we confront COVID-19 in Asia. What have we learned and where do we go from here?” The symposium will be held in English and is part of the Joint Congress on Global Health 2020 in Osaka.

Speakers from seven Asian countries (Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Lao PDR, Nepal and Philippines) will present on the COVID-19 situation in their countries and the measures that have been taken in and affecting schools.

Chairs are, Beverley Anne Yamamoto, Osaka University, chair holder UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education and Jun Kobayashi, University of the Ryukyus, JC-GSHR.

ZOOM Webinar URL:
https://zoom.us/j/98411449783?pwd=enlUQXhPSU8rRWJubmFOK1hFa29TQT09
Webinar ID: 984 1144 9783Password: 789328

Please see the flyer for details of the program.

Posted by Didier in News
26
Oct
2020
“Prioritizing the health and safety of students and educators through closer intersectoral collaboration” – Extraordinary Session of the UNESCO Global Education Meeting on Education post-COVID-19

“Prioritizing the health and safety of students and educators through closer intersectoral collaboration” – Extraordinary Session of the UNESCO Global Education Meeting on Education post-COVID-19

On 22 October, over 70 Member States adopted a Declaration in an online extraordinary session of the UNESCO 2020 Global Education Meeting expressing their commitment to protect national education financing and to implement measures to mitigate the devastating impact of the pandemic on students, families and school staff. As part of the technical discussion underpinning the adoption of the global Declaration, the UNESCO Chair in Global Health and Education was asked to participate in Breakout Session Theme 2 on re-opening schools safely.

In recent months, Professor Didier Jourdan, Dr Nicola Gray and Chair community members have written evidence- and practice-informed perspectives about safe school re-opening with partners including Sir Michael Marmot (UCL Institute of Health Equity), Mr Sean Slade (ASCD), and Dr Janet McDonagh (University of Manchester). The Chair also conducted a survey of professionals to explore their experience of providing education during the pandemic and of implementing school re-opening guidance issued by national or regional authorities.

Dr Gray, on behalf of the Chair, described the compelling evidence base supporting the ‘triple dividend’ of inclusive, equitable and sustainable secondary education – health for adolescents now, as future adults, and for their children – as the best investment that any government can make in its youth. We reported survey findings regarding the need for close collaboration between school teams, local authorities and families. We supported empowering adults in schools – to secure their rights to a safe workplace and, in turn, their responsibility to protect the setting from outside infection.

Dr Gray was specifically asked to respond to questions about supporting mental health as schools re-open, and optimising the return for children and youth with disabilities. Both issues demand effective inter-sectoral working between education and health, a view strongly shared by the contributors from Member States, reported back to the main session, and confirmed as a priority action in the Declaration (point 8).

Posted by Didier in News
05
Oct
2020
Returning to School: children and young people living with chronic illness

Returning to School: children and young people living with chronic illness

In the article “Returning to School: children and young people living with chronic illness” published on September 28, 2020 in the Journal of Children’s Services, Didier Jourdan, Nicola Gray and Janet E. McDonagh propose a framework to support the successful return to school of children and young people with chronic illnesses using appropriate intersectoral strategies.

The article is based on both research regarding the impact of school closure on children and young people with chronic illness, as well as global research findings about their lives during the pandemic and on the advice from practitioners who work in the field with these young people and their families.

It thus exposes the importance of a strategic approach to the return to school for these students who are vulnerable and recalls the need to take action against growing inequalities.

Read the article here

Posted by Didier in News
01
Oct
2020
Pre-conference: Helping people to help themselves to better health – From theory to practice

Pre-conference: Helping people to help themselves to better health – From theory to practice

Join the online pre-conference “Helping people to help themselves to better health – From theory to practice” on Monday 12 October 2020, 14.00 – 16.00 CET. This pre-conference is part of the virtual 16th World Congress on Public Health.

More than ever, the current context reminds us how public health approaches need to be based on strong knowledge of health determinants, social practices, cultures and the active involvement of the people themselves. In public health interventions there is often still an over-emphasis on individual-level factors at the expense of the social determinants of health.

During this pre-conference Dr. Nina Bartelink (Maastricht University), Pr. Kenneth Yongabi Anchang (IMO State University) and Pr. Marco Akerman (University of São Paulo) will showcase experiences of participatory community-based programmes that made a difference to people’s well-being and health. These presentations will be followed by a round table where experts as Pr. Louise Potvin (Montreal University) and Dr. Orkan Okan (Bielefeld University and EUPHA Health Promotion section) will share their views on the state of public health practice and how to get public health systems investing more in participatory community-based interventions.

The pre-conference will result in a statement with the main conditions for large-scale implementation of policies and practices that leave no one behind, by reviewing the evidence and learning from innovations in the field. Participants will be invited to contribute to this statement.

For more information or to register for the pre-conference (registration fee is € 40,-).

The pre-conference is organized by WHO Collaborating Centre & UNESCO Chair Global Health & Education, EUPHA Health Promotion Section and EHESP School of Public Health.

Posted by Didier in News