PGPR's seventh symposium was held May 5, 2008 in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS). This three-part symposium focussed on the effect of armed conflict on the health and development of infants and children. Parts 1 and 3 were comprised of expert presentations providing an overview of the problems and issues and instances of work that is being done. Part 2 featured platform presentations from selected abstracts on related issues
A report of the symposium and workshop proceedings as well as the expert presentations (see list below) will be available on this site shortly.
Also see Workshop Information for details on the follow-up workshop held on May 6, 2008.
Symposium topics included:
- Overview of Health Problems Faced By Infants and Children During and After Armed Conflict
Renee Van de Weerdt, UNICEF - Public Health & The Human Cost of War
Frederick "Skip" M. Burkle, Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Harvard School of Public Health and University of Hawaii - Death and Disability Resulting from War in Northern Uganda
Jane Aceng, Lira Regional Referral Hospital and Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda; and Margaret Nakakeeto, Milago Hospital and Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda - Maternal and Newborn Health in Afghanistan
Stephen Wall, Saving Newborn Lives, Save the Children U.S.A., Washington D.C., U.S.A. - The Professionalization of Humanitarian Assistance and Its Implications for Child Health
Ronald J. Waldman, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, U.S.A. - Abuse of Children During and After Armed Conflict
Harendra de Silva, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka - The Effect of Armed Conflict and its Aftermath on the Development of Children in the First Three Years of Life
Raija-Leena Punamaki University of Tampere, Finland - The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children: The Need for a Holistic Approach
Ed Cairns, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Workshop Information
At the follow-up workshop on May 6 colleagues from high-, mid- and low-income countries met in order to examine the critical issues and establish clear plans for collaborative study on the effect of armed conflict on the health and development of infants and children and ways to alleviate these affects. One of the goals of the workshop was to discern the next research steps that should be taken.
