1) INSTITUTIONAL ABUSE AND RACISM IN UK IMMIGRATION REMOVAL CENTRES
Led by Dr. Helen Groom: GP and member of Medical Justice and ex detainees.
“The strength of a liberal democracy is measured not by how it treats its majority but how it cares for the minorities and those at the margins of society. The best tests for humanity and decency are conducted in its dark places; in prisons, psychiatric hospitals, and in institutions for failed asylum-seekers and other migrants” Stephen Shaw Prison Ombudsman.
Medical Justice is a voluntary group of ex-detainees, medical professionals, solicitors, barristers and detention centre visitors who work to give independent medical and legal support to asylum seekers detained in immigration removal centres. The workshop will explore how our British ‘liberal society’ is abusing some of the most vulnerable members of our society.
2) RAPE AS A WEAPON- ITS CONSEQUENCES AND IMPLICATIONS WHEN WORKING IN WAR ZONES
Brad MacIntosh, SAFER
How can we address the immediate medical needs of health care centres in regions of mass-scale gender-based violence against women? Come to a fascinating and challenging interactive discussion led by Brad Macintosh from SAFER (Social Aid for the Elimination of Rape)
3) PLANNING FOR PANDEMIC INFLUENZA: SCARCE RESOURCES AND DIFFICULT DECISIONS
Dr Mary Chamberland
Since the first emergence in 1997 of avian influenza H5N1 concerns have intensified that a new pandemic might be in the offing. Countries have embarked on the difficult task of planning the public health response for a pandemic. This workshop will briefly review current information about the pandemic threat. Participants will consider critical issues such as the allocation of limited supplies of antivirals and vaccines during a pandemic, access to care, and their obligations as healthcare workers.
Trained in Medicine (NY MedicalCollege) and Public Health (HarvardUniversity). Medical epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since 1982. Currently seconded to the UK Health Protection Agency and WHO, working principally on pandemic influenza preparedness. Previous positions at CDC included work on epidemiology of HIV/AIDS, blood transfusion safety, SARS, anthrax and West Nile virus.
4) FORGOTTEN DISEASES- CANCER IN AFRICA
Professor David Kerr
Which disease causes more deaths worldwide than HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria combined? The answer is cancer. It has been predicted that by 2020 there will be more than 15 million new cases of cancer each year with around 70% of cases occurring in developing countries where resources for treatment and pain relief are poor. Recognising the deficit in comprehensive cancer management in Africa Professor David Kerr set up the organisation AfrOx. This workshop will explore the impact of cancer in Africa and the role of AfrOx in delivering effective cancer care to those living in some of the poorest countries in the world.
5) SO YOU WANT TO BE AN EXPEDITION DOCTOR?
Dr Tariq Qureshi
Dr Tariq Qureshi will present some of dilemmas that a doctor may be faced with when screening prospective travellers, the challenges that an expedition medic may face while in the field, and the relevant skills that can be gained in preparation for such work whilst still a medical student. In addition he will discuss the prospects for pursuing such work, within the constraints imposed by MMC.
Tariq Qureshi has a long standing interest in Pre-Hospital Care and Expedition Medicine. He is actively involved with the Wilderness Medical Society (WMS), running courses for Student Interest Groups around the UK and lecturing at the National Student WMS conference, and is a contributing author to the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Expedition and Wilderness Medicine. Tariq is an active member of the faculty for Wilderness Medical Training, delivering training for laypersons and healthcare professionals in the UK and overseas, and is an enthusiastic teacher for the Acute Life Threatening Events – Recognition and Treatment (ALERT) course. He has previously worked in Resuscitation at the Oxford Radcliffe Hospital and as a Clinical Skills Tutor for Oxford University Medical School.
6) WORKING OVERSEAS
Susan Wright - Médecins Du Monde
Interested in a career overseas? What does it take? What should you do? What can you expect? Come for a frank and informative discussion about the realities of overseas recruitment. We will talk about the realities of working in the field, their unique challenges and rewards. This will lead to a discussion of the skills and experiences that are needed to thrive in a field setting, along with strategies for getting those skills and communicating them effectively. We will then talk about the process of recruitment so that you have a clear idea of what to expect.
Susan joined Medecins du Monde UK in December 2006 after five years in Bosnia and Herzegovina where she worked with Paddy Ashdown as Head of the Rule of Law Department at the Office of the High Representative.
She has taught International Criminal Law and worked in Sierra Leone for the war crimes tribunal. She leads the team at Medecins du Monde UK, with a particular focus on advocacy.
7) ENHANCING CHILDREN: the use of biotechnology in reproduction
Mark Sheehan, Oxford University Department of Philosophy
Modern biotechnology has brought with it the possibility of significant changes to the way in which human beings are able to reproduce and the kinds of reproductive options that are available. One quite extreme example is the possibility of ‘designer children’. This session will look at some of the ethical arguments surrounding the use of these technologies.
Mark Sheehan received his PhD in Philosophy from the CityUniversity of New York. Prior to his position at Oxford, he was a lecturer in the Centre for Professional Ethics at Keele University, Ethics Fellow at the Mt. Sinai Medical School, New York and Adjunct Lecturer in the Philosophy Department at The City College of New York. His current research interests in applied ethics are arguments about interfering with nature, particularly as they are applied to new reproductive technologies, problems of distributive justice in healthcare and various issues in research ethics. He has published in a number of edited collections and in such journals as the Journal of Applied Philosophy, the Journal of Medical Ethics and the American Journal of Bioethics
8) SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE ELECTIVES
Becky Davis, Child Family Health International
Child Family Health International (CFHI) is a global family of committed professionals and students who work at the grassroots level to promote the health of the world community.
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Community Initiatives -- healthcare for underserved communities through local medical professionals and clinics
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Medical Supply Recovery -- collection and distribution of salvaged medical supplies
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Global Service Learning -- medical student programs that focus on cultural competency in the health setting.
Becky has worked for the San Francisco based global health NGO, “Child Family Health International” for 2 ½ years. Prior to moving to San Francisco, Becky spent a number of years working in the hospitality industry in San Diego, where she lived after studying Spanish and learning about the ecotourism industry in Costa Rica. During her studies in the UK, Becky interned for People and Planet, Oxford, and helped write the Responsible Tourism guidelines for The Gambia. Becky has a B.A in Sociology with Development Studies from AFRAS at the University of Sussex, and a Masters in Responsible Tourism Management from the International Centre for Responsible Tourism at the University of Greenwich, London. Becky works to manage CFHI's rapidly growing network of Alumni in connection with conducting outreach and marketing for CFHI's global health education programs and other activities. Becky is UK Cultural Ambassador for Step Up Travel, an online Responsible Travel community, and takes great pride in being part of an organization which is truly working in a socially responsible and financially just manner.
9) HIV AND FEMALE EMPOWERMENT
Hope Chigudu
As a specialist in gender and development, Hope Chigudu has worked for the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, a well as serving on the boards of NGOs such as the Global Fund for Women and the Urgent Action Fund. She now lives in Zimbabwe, where she has helped found the Zimbabwe Women's Resource Network, an organisation promoting education, economic empowerment and better health for women. Her work on development projects in many different countries has given her extensive insight into the challenges of tackling HIV in resource-poor settings.
10) ACCESS TO WATER- A HUMAN RIGHT?
Mary O’Connell
How do poor communities realise their right to water and what are governments’ responsibilities in realising those rights? The workshop will be in 3 parts: (1st) setting the background to the right to water – where is the right to water and sanitation situated– its origins in law and the definition of the right to water, and sanitation, by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in 2002 (General Comment No. 15) (2nd) small groups discussions using a problem tree analysis to address the question of how poor people can realise their right to water within different scenarios (3) updates on case studies from WaterAid’s Citizen’s Action work in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia – how WaterAid supports the efforts of poor peoples representatives to realise improved services
Mary O’ Connell works in a CapacityBuilding role in the Policy Team at WaterAid supporting programmes of learning to increase advocacy knowledge and skills in the thematic areas of WaterAid’s policy work. These include the right to water and sanitation, development finance, urban reforms, sanitation, governance and sector wide transformation.
11) FACILITATION
Joel Burton
Come to this workshop to learn more about the role and value of a facilitator within a meeting. You'll also get the opportunity for lots of hands-on practise!
"If you can find something everyone agrees on, it's wrong."
Mo Udall
12) THE SILVER RING VERSUS THE CONDOM
Charlotte Clarke - Sexpression UK
A workshop to explore people’s attitudes and values about sex and sexuality, including games, discussion, debate and fun! Sexpression educates young people in sex and relationship issues and aims to empower them to make informed choices about their reproductive health. Healthcare students deliver interactive and informal sessions to small groups, creating a relaxed environment to learn about sexual health and broach sensitive topics.
13) CAMPAIGNS- GLOBAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROJECT- ASYLUM
(led by Tom Yates)
Global Health Advocacy Project (GhAP)
Current Activity
Access to primary healthcare for a large group of vulberable UK residents is under threat.
We are also conducting a wider campaign against the government’s denial of healthcare to failed asylum seekers
We believe that health is political and that long lasting solutions to health inequalities will require political change. The project is concerned with undertaking, encouraging and facilitating campaigning by Medsin members on the issues that they feel strongly about. We work with the other Medsin campaigns. We also work closely with the Global Health Education Project to raise awareness about the broader determinants of health.
We had our first meeting in Leeds in October 2005. We were adopted as a Medsin project in April 2006.
14) CAMPAIGNS- UNIVERSITIES ALLIED FOR ESSENTIAL MEDICINES
(led by Mori Mansouri)
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines has a two-fold mission:
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to determine how universities can help ensure that biomedical end products, such as drugs, are made more accessible in poor countries and
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to increase the amount of research conducted on neglected diseases, or those diseases predominantly affecting people who are too poor to constitute a market attractive to private-sector R&D investment.
In both cases, universities are well-placed to make a difference. University scientists are major contributors in the drug development pipeline. At the same time, universities have an avowed commitment to advancing the public good. As members of these universities, our fundamental goal is to hold them to this commitment.