Public Health Forum
Published date: October 7, 2010In 2004, WHO regional office for South East Asia launched the South East Asia Public Health Initiative 2004-2008, with the objective of strengthening public health policy, practice and research in all member countries. One of the strategies recommended is for each country to set up a National level body to ‘oversee’ these issues.
The College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka reiterated the need of such as body and opted to act as the focal point in the in initial stages of setting up of it in Sri Lanka. It conducted a series of meetings with participation of a multi sectoral group of stakeholders in public health issues. This concept was further discussed at these meetings and the stakeholders confirmed the need for such a body. Through discussions it was decided to name this body ‘Public Health Forum’(PHF). Terms of reference of PHF is being drafted at present.
It was agreed that the newly set up PHF should initiate actions to generate evidence of success which would support further establishing the PHF as an accepted movement. Consensus was generated on specific issues to be taken up by the PHF and suggestions were prioritized.
Issues related to food advertising, improper garbage management and documentation of the aims and contents of the various public health training programmes conducted by various organizations are the issues that are being handled by the PHF at present.
Subcommittees were formed to handle each of these issues and the progress of each of the sub committee is being reviewed by the PHF periodically. World Health Organization has supported CCPSL to initiate PHF and has pledged to support further establishment of it.
Public Health Forum for Strengthening of Public Health Policy and Practice
The formal launch of Public Health Forum was held on the 20th September 2008, during the annual sessions of The College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka at the Waters Edge, Battaramulla.
Participants:
Dr. Agostinno Borra was the Chief Guest for the launch. Prof. Hasbulla Thabrani, from Indonesia, representing SEAPHEIN (South East Asian Public Health Education Institute Network) participated as the guest of honour. Members of the Council of the College of Community Physicians, invited senior members of the College of Community Physicians, retired senior health administrators, representatives of the World Health Organization, invitees from stakeholder organizations in the private sector participated.
Proceedings:
An introduction to the Public Health Forum and progress of its activities to date was presented in the first session. During the second session, the Public health Forum was formally launched.
Dr. Vinya Ariyarathne, Executive Director of the Sarvodaya, a council member of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka, chaired the first session of the meeting. He welcomed the gathering and introduced the objective of the meeting.
Dr. Pushpa Jayawardena, presented an introduction describing the background to initiation of the Public Health Forum and the progress it has achieved so far.
An overview of the results of the study on food advertising targeted at children was presented by Dr. Chrishantha Weerasignhe, on behalf of the subcommittee. Food advertisements targeted at children through electronic media, print media and radio during a selected period and the bill boards with food advertisements near schools in Colombo municipality area were covered in the study. He also presented a summary of the activities planned for the future.
Dr. M. Arnold presented the results of a survey on the advertising agencies’ perspective on issues related to food advertising, on behalf of the subcommittee to identify areas that need coordination among the food industry, media, regulatory agencies and consumers to strengthen policy and practice issues related to food advertising.
He also presented the plan of the subcommittee to conduct a half a day workshop on food regulations and advertising for food and advertising industry in September 2008. The objective of this workshop is to discuss the essentials of regulations related to food advertising. Officials from Food Authority of the Ministry of Health and relevant officers from other statutory bodies have been invited to be the resource persons at this workshop.
He also presented the plans to developing guidance booklets on regulations on food safety and food advertising.
The action plan of the subcommittees on ‘improper garbage management’ was presented by Dr. R. Haniffa, Chairperson of the subcommittee. He informed that the subcommittee has decided to address the issues of both garbage/solid waste management and health care waste management.
Background information including current status of solid waste management in the country with respect to the authorities and issues related to implementation of the National strategy for solid waste management were described.
Dr. Vinya Ariyarathne in his concluding remarks of the first session highlighted the importance of this Forum to strengthen of public health policy and practice in the country
Prof. Rajitha Wickremasinghe chaired the second half session. Dr. Agostinno Borra, The Chief Guest addressed the gathering and congratulated the CCPSL initiating the PHF among all the SEAR countries. He stressed the importance of sustaining the activities of the Forum and assured the support of SEAR/WHO in coming years.
Prof. Wickremasignhe presented the constitution of the public Health Forum (Annex I) to the house which formally accepted it denoting the formal launch of the Public Health Forum. According to the constitution, the participants present were considered as founder ordinary members of the PHF (Annex II).
Following adoption of the constitution, following fifteen members were elected to the council of the PHF.
- Dr. Manil Fernando
- Dr. Sanath Mahawithanage
- Representative from media
- Mrs. Renuka Peiris
- Mrs. Padmini de Silva
- Dr. Pushpa Jayawardana
- Dr. Pujitha Wickramasinghe
- Dr. Mahendra Arnold
- Dr. Chrishantha Weerasinghe
- Dr. Ruvaiz Haniffa
- Dr. Susie Perera
- Mr. M. Corea
- Dr. Prashantha De Silva
- Mrs. Christine Perera
- Representative from World Health Organization
It was announced that President, Secretary and the treasurer of the CCPSL 2008/2009 when elected would comprise the executive committee of the PHF. Dr. Nalika Guanwardena was requested to act as the convenor of the PHF council till then. It was decided to appoint the five members from the PHF council to the Executive committee on the day of the first meeting of the PHF council and it was decided to hold this meeting on the 2nd October 2008 at 3pm at the Public Health Lounge.
A discussion was conducted thereafter to generate ideas/proposals on activities for the PHF in the future. Dr. Susantha De Silva highlighted the need to link the outcomes of PHF activities with the policy decisions of Ministry of Health and suggested referring to the Health Master Plan of Ministry of Health as the framework on deciding on activities so that outcomes of PHF activities will be aligned with the needs of the Ministry of Health.
Dr. Borra highlighted the need to develop a set of criteria to select the issues to be taken up be y the PHF in this year.
Several option were suggested by the participating members to be taken up by the PHF next year. Promoting activities to ensure patient safety, providing public health inputs to disaster management plans and ensuring road safety issues were some of them. It was decided to take this up for discussion at the council meeting of the PHF.