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Gibraltar hosts inter-island public health forum
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Gibraltar will be hosting the 12th conference of the international Inter Island Public Health Forum (IIPHF). The conference will take place from Thursday September 18th to Saturday September 20th at the Caleta Hotel.
The IIPHF is an association of health professionals and others with a special interest in the health needs of small island communities. Participants share the belief that factors affecting health in small ?island? communities are frequently similar, even when the islands might be on opposite sides of the world.
PARTICIPANTS
Although geographically a peninsula, Gibraltar is regarded as an "island" for this purpose. The IIPHF was created in 1993 to provide opportunities for sharing learning and innovation among people with an interest in the health of small islands. Participants include doctors, nurses, epidemiologists, environmental health practitioners, health promotion specialists, occupational health practitioners, health and safety advisors, disaster-planners, general practitioners, screening providers and people from other health-related disciplines.
Although the IIPHF is dedicated to the advancement of public health practice in small islands, it is open to anyone interested in its work - it is not limited to islanders. The theme of this year?s conference is ?Happy Islands?. This title is intended to convey the importance to our general health, of mental well being, positive mental health and the absence of mental illness. However, the conference also has a broad range of other topics. The conference has been organised jointly by the Department of Public Health, Gibraltar Health Authority and the Environmental Agency. The local host is Dr. Vijay Kumar, Director of Public Health.
The conference will be inaugurated by the Minister for Health Mrs. Yvette Del Agua and the keynote address will be delivered by Professor Alan Maryon-Davis, the President of the Faculty of Public Health at the
Royal College of Physicians. There will be a number of presentations from local as well as international speakers.
VISITORS
This year, visitors will be coming to Gibraltar for the Conference from Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and the UK mainland. During their stay visitors will also be taken to local sites of educational value. Rather like the Island Games, the Inter Island Public Health Forum conference will provide opportunities for greater understanding and co-operation between island communities in the health field, says the GHA.
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