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Top Health Officials to Attend PIHOA Conference in Guam

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): September 18, 1997 - Secretary of the Department of (Health) Services Eliuel K. Pretrick and Administrator for the Division of Preventive Health Services Sizue Yoma departed Pohnpei last weekend for Guam to attend the Pacific Islands Health Officers Association (PIHOA) being held at the Guam Palace Hotel from September 17^th to 19^th, 1997.

The Acting Administrator for the Division of Medical Care Services Ben Jesse left Pohnpei on September 16, 1997, for the same meeting.

The objectives of the conference include development of the capacity to work cooperatively within and across regional units; establishment of a region-wide priorities, policies, and procedures for surveillance and response; and to share information on the best practice options for surveillance and response among participants.

Small groups in the conference are responsible for identifying areas for cooperative surveillance and response; define region-wide activities; and develop a blue print for standard operating plans for country and local level response.

The expected outcome of the conference are to institute long-live cooperative activities to strengthen and enhance disease surveillance and response capacity throughout the region; to develop cooperative regional policies, implementation strategies, and performance monitoring methods for surveillance and response; and to form teams to implement policies and plans for infrastructure building and improved surveillance and response.

The Honorable Masao Ueda, Minister of Health, Republic of Palau and PIHOA President and Dr. Steven Guild, Conference Facilitator are giving the opening and welcoming addresses in the conference and Dr. Pretrick, FSM Secretary of Health Services will be one of the Keynote Speakers who will speak on the topic, Healthy Community, Health Islands. Mr. Jesse, FSM Health Services' Program Coordinator, will talk about the Elimination of Hansen's Disease: "The FSM Experience."

The conference participants include representatives from the FSM, Palau, Marshalls, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, State of Hawaii, the University of Hawaii, US Communicable Disease Control (CDC) and other Health officials.