OCTOBER 2012 QNT89 Q u a r t e r l y from the Association of Former WHO Staff Tel :+4122 791 31 03 and 3192 Office 4141, WHO, CH- 1211 Geneva, Switzerland E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://who.int/formerstaff/en/ Informed opinion and active co-operation on the part of the public are of the utmost importance in the improvement of the health of the people (WHO, Basic Documents, 47th Edition, 2009) The Paralympic Games, London 2012 OCTOBER 2012 QNT89 Photos of the Swiss Alps taken by Catherine Browne during her hikes (see page 14) View from top of Wallensee, Cantons St Gallen &Glarus 1 January 2002 Winter table, Sa. Maria, Müstair Valley, Grisons 2 Ofen Pass, 2149 m, Grisons, 1 January 2002 Thalkirch, Salfien Valley, Grisons, 1 January 2002 Sertig Valley, 1861 m, Grisons, 1 January 2002 Sertig Valley, 1861 m, Grisons, 1 January 2002 Lago Bianco, Bernina Pass, 2328 m, Grisons, 1 January 2002 Association of Former WHO Staff OCTOBER 2012 QNT89 CONTENTS Pages EDITORIAL Editorial : opposite In line with our statutes, the General Assembly and Credit to WHO for Ebola; 4 Red Cross project for seniors the election of the Executive Committee of AFSM FAFICS and AFSM 5 take place every other year, alternately: this year it News from WHO 6 is the turn of the election of the Committee which Visit to PAHO Washington 7 will take place on 23 October. The European sky Oct-Dec.; New members; VERF 8 Other elections are to take place around the same In memoriam 9, 10 time. This year – for the first time – there will be Activities of our the elections of the representatives of retirees who retirees 11,12, 13 have remained in the Staff Health Insurance to the New books 14 new SHI committees: the Global Oversight Commit- On the lighter side 15 tee and the Global Standing Committee. You have An exhibition; 16 already received the call for candidates. Do not for- BAFUNCS Photo get to vote, this election is of the greatest impor- -------------------------- tance to retirees who are members of the staff Editorial Team health insurance. Editing and layout : The International Day of Older persons on 1 0ctober David Cohen (not 31 October as announced in QN 88) rein- 3 Editorial Board forces the theme for World Health Day, held on 4 Yves Beigbeder, Sue Block Tyrrell, April, which focussed on “Ageing and Health” (cf. Maria Dweggah, page 5). Samy Kossovsky, Jean-Paul Menu, Dev Ray, As is the case each year, flu vaccination for retired Michel Thuriaux, staff in the Geneva area will be organized at WHO Rosemary Villars. headquarters. We will report back to you in the Translation and articles: all the Editorial Board next issue of QNT. ---------------------------------------- This is your news letter, so we are always happy to We pay special tribute to the Printing, Distribution publish articles from you regarding your travel, re- and Mailing Services. tirement activities etc. The opinions expressed Please remember also : in this magazine are Our annual reception on Thursday 6 December those of the authors from 17h, in the cafeteria of and not necessarily WHO Headquarters, Geneva. those of the Editorial Board. We look forward to seeing many of you there. DC -------------- Important contacts Send your contributions to: AFSM: see on page 1 Health Insurance (SHI): +41(0)22 791 18 18; in case of absence, David Cohen: please leave a message: someone will cal back, [email protected] Or email to: [email protected] Pensions: +41(0)22 928 88 00; Email: [email protected] for Geneva Or [email protected] for New York AFSM office covered on Tuesday and Wednesday From 9:30 to 12:00 Otherwise, please leave a message: someone will call back. Association of Former WHO Staff OCTOBER 2012 QNT89 Public Health Good press for WHO! The Ebola outbreak in Uganda An article in the International Herald Tribune by Juliette Kayyem (10 August 2012) gives credit to WHO for its work in controlling the recent Ebola outbreak in Uganda together with other partners. According to a WHO press release of 14 August 2012, the Ugandan Health Ministry has been working with partners including WHO, CDC, the Red Cross, MSF, World Vision and PREDICT, among others to control the outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever in Kibaale district. Twenty-four probable and confirmed cases including 16 deaths had been reported by then. Suspected cases which tested negative during the laboratory investigations were discarded as Ebola patients, treated symptomatically for their ailments and discharged following recovery. A total of 43 people were discharged from the isolation facility including one confirmed case. With the support of the psychosocial team, these 43 people have been counselled prior to discharge and reintegrated into the community. Even for the people who tested negative for Ebola, psychosocial counselling of the communities to which they were returning, has been very important. It allayed fears and reduced stigma, enabling them to be accepted back in the community. All contacts of probable and confirmed cases are followed up daily for 21 days and are monitored for any possible signs or symptoms of illness. All 4 alerts of suspected cases in the other districts have been investigated and are negative for Ebola. For WHO, the deadly Ebola is now under control, through rapid identification of the disease and containment and prompt mobilization of other partners. Yves Beigbeder ------------------------------------- Communiqué: "Geneva Red Cross launched a project a few years ago - Seniors d'Ici et d'Ailleurs - to help older people from other cultures who are now living in Geneva. Many of them mi- grated to Switzerland at a later stage in life and find it very difficult to integrate themselves in their new host country. The project is now seeking to establish partnerships between the more privileged residents in Geneva from similar corners of the world and the less fortu- nate ones. Do you feel like becoming a mentor to someone from your old culture who is new to the city? The project is looking , in particular, for those from sub-Saharan Africa, Arab countries, South America, Asia, etc. If this project interests you, please contact : Mme Nicole Renaud Zurbriggen, Coordinator of the project Seniors d'Ici et d'Ailleurs Route des Acacias 9, 1211 Genève 4 Tel. 022 304 0404 E-mail: [email protected]" Association of Former WHO Staff OCTOBER 2012 QNT89 FAFICS and AFSM The Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants (FAFICS) is current- ly made up of 53 associations. Based on a long standing practice, only one association per place had been allowed to join. More recently, associations from the same place have been accepted. To date AFSM has not opted to join issues were held on 25 June. The agenda FAFICS. During the General Assembly of covered the usual topics: the President’s October 2011, we announced that the Ex- report, admission of new members, pen- ecutive Committee would re-examine the sion issues, health insurance issues, func- tioning of the FAFICS Council, efforts to relationship with the Federation and would keep you informed through our Quarterly increase FAFICS membership, and lastly News. the election of Committee members, the budget and the membership contribution The FAFICS Council meets each year at rates. The major part of the discussion the end of June, or early July just before was devoted to pension issues: review of the meeting of the Committee of the Unit- the current situation, and proposals to be ed Nations Joint Staff Pension Board made to the Joint Committee. The (UNJSPB) and at the same venue. The CEO/Secretary of the Pension Fund pre- Council deals principally with pension is- sented a detailed status of the Fund, fol- sues, but also with health insurance, and lowed by a question and answer session. 5 other matters of interest to international civil servants. One of the important func- The presidency of Mr. Andrés Castellanos tions of the FAFICS Council is to appoint came to an end and the Council elected the Representatives, who have observer Roger Eggleston to succeed him. Roger is status, to the Pension Board. well known to us both as a member of AFSM and as outgoing president of AAFI- The AFSM President is an ex officio mem- AFICS in Geneva. We wish him a suc- ber of the Committee of AAFI-AFICS (As- cessful mandate. sociation des Anciens fonctionnaires internationaux - Association of Former In- Should AFSM join FAFICS? ternational Civil Servants) in Geneva. In As shown above, it is always possible for this capacity, s/he is allowed to be includ- us to participate in the annual meetings of ed in the delegation of AAFI-AFICS to the the FAFICS Council. We are immediately annual FAFICS Council. In the past, Da- kept informed of decisions taken by the vid Cohen, at the time President of AFSM, Council. Another non negligible ad- participated in the meetings held in Rome vantage is that it offers us an excellent (2002) and New York (2003). In the 2011 opportunity for dialogue with other asso- meeting held in Geneva, Dev Ray and Sue ciations and the Secretary of the Pension Block Tyrrell, Vice-Presidents of AFSM, Fund. Should we go further and become a were both part of the AAFI-AFICS delega- full member? Will the annual costs be tion. offset by a greater voice within the Federa- In June 2012, I participated in the Council tion? The question remains and we pro- meeting held in Paris from 26 to 29 June. pose to wait and observe the new direc- The two Standing Committees of FAFICS tions of the Federation under the presi- on staff health insurance and on pension dency of Roger Eggleston.