On the second day of the Summit, there will be four parallel sessions, of which delegates can choose to attend one. Details of each are below.
The sessions are:
- 3four50.com - ideas for content and promotion
- OxHA in North America
- Guidance for the diagnosis, prevention and care of HIV/AIDS: WHO can health professionals trust?
- Applying the Visual Body Map to risk-factor reduction with young people
3four50.com – ideas for content and promotion
3four50.com is an important initiative for every member of the Oxford Health Alliance and anyone interested in the subject of chronic disease and prevention, both now and in the future. This is your opportunity to come along and find out more about the concept, by talking with its main architects, and to offer your ideas on how to develop it from here.
3four50 is designed to be your 'open space for health'. So help us create the ideas, the opportunities, the networks that you think will make it truly reach out to all levels of society. We want to work with you to create a space that makes a real difference.
The session was led by Eddie McCaffrey and Tommy Hutchinson.
OxHA in North America
The Oxford Health Alliance has enjoyed strong support from participants from North America in previous Summits, particularly at Yale, but also in Oxford. At the same time OxHA has no dedicated activity in the region. The purpose of this session is to discuss whether OxHA should have North American activities and presence. We encourage participants from the region to join us to share their thoughts and contribute to understanding what action should be taken.
The session was led by Richard Bumgarner, who is supporting the secretariat in exploring potential activities in North America.
Guidance for the diagnosis, prevention and care of HIV/AIDS: WHO can health professionals trust?
HIV/AIDS is a significant chronic disease. There are 40.3 million living with the disease and this number has increased. There are 5 million new infections, 64% of which are occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. 3 million people died of AIDS in 2005 (of whom 500,000 were children).
One of the reasons for this tragic situation is the lack and availability of truly standardised information on current best practice in the diagnosis, prevention and care of HIV/AIDS. Moreover, this information is not reaching the health professionals, or even the policymakers involved in the struggle against the disease around the world.
In response to this gap in the management of the epidemic, a multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary group has embarked on a project to develop a summary of evidence on best practice for HIV /AIDS. The results will be made available to health professionals as far and wide as possible.
The project was well received at the 2006 European Health Forum in Gastein, and The Lancet refers to this project in an article 'Does the world need another AIDS authority?' (14 November 2006).
Four of the key players involved in this project: Drs Scott Ratzan (Johnson & Johnson), David Tovey (BMJ), Delon Human (HEALTHDiplomats) and Kgosi Letlape (Past President, World Medical Association) were at OxHA to discuss both the need for and current status of this guidance document.
Applying the Visual Body Map to risk-factor reduction with young people
The Visual Body Map is a life-sized map that reveals the hidden parts of the body in a simple and accessible way. It consists of nine different PVC sheets that represent nine of the body’s systems. This allows each system to be studied independently or in relation to one or more of the other systems. It also has a Resource Guide which aims to support the visual tool, and to encourage participatory learning in the classroom and other peer education settings.
The tool was developed in response to the initial implementation of You, Me & HIV – an education intervention with the objective of changing learners’ behaviour and empowering them to make informed choices regarding their lives and health. From the learners’ book, educators’ guide and extensive teacher-training programme, emerged the need for a visual tool to enhance the understanding of the complex biology of the HIV in the body.
The successful use of the Visual Body Map tool in this context can be used to illustrate the practical applications of this versatile resource in a variety of health related settings. The materials are suitable for primary and high-school learners as well as for adults. They are valuable resources for understanding HIV/AIDS, general classroom biology as well as any health-related education.
The session was led by Shani Kay.