LEADERS IN INTERNATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM 2008
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I. Program Description
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The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) recognizes that health systems of the 21st century must confront new challenges to achieve national and international health goals in the face of a globalized world. The Health Agenda for the Americas 2008-2017, launched in 2007 by the ministries and health secretariats of the Region, as well as the Millenium Development Goals, establish an ambitious set of priorities and commitments which require intersectoral and international action for their equitable and collective acheivement. The right to health, human security in health, the introduction of new technologies, the opening of borders to trade, the growing migration of populations, and the expansion of regional and subregional integration processes have created new and urgent demands on States. Health leaders are increasingly required to formulate and implement actions that take into account bilateral, subregional, regional and global treaties and agreements. More than ever, health leaders must also act across sectors in order to achieve balance between economic growth and social development in today's market economy. The challenge of equity is an imperative for leaders, which necessitates an understanding of the social determinants of health and requires that countries collaborate to design and implement intersectoral public policies to face common problems. Simultaneously, the emergence of new actors, alliances, and structures has altered the dynamics in the definition of the global health agenda and poses new challenges for international cooperation and for the countries who must reconcile the interests of these actors with their own national priorities. This international scenario requires the training of human resources - in public health and in international relations, as well as in other fields - so that they are not only technically prepared, but they also have a more profound understanding of international forces and their impact on health, thereby enabling them to effectively analyze, define, advocate and project their national health interests within this complex global context. Top |
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Within this context, the PAHO/WHO Leaders in International Health Program aims to contribute to the development of the Health Agenda for the Americas 2008-2017 by strengthening the capacity of countries in the Region to understand, act upon and positively influence the international determinants of health, to promote their national interests, and to achieve health agreements in intersectoral and international environments, at all times guided by the principle of greater global equity in health. Top |
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The newly renovated Leaders in International Health Program incorporates an updated curriculum, new problem-based learning modules, and a decentralized operating model to enhance participants' abilities to integrate the learning into their countries' contexts. Through its problem-based learning strategy, the program utilizes a variety of virtual and practical experiences through which the participants will analyze the principal concepts, theories, actors, forces, and processes related to the field and practice of international health. The following problem areas are among those to be considered by program participants: nutrition and food security, migration, processes of conflict and peace, disasters, climate change, drugs, and tobacco. Through the program, participants will develop and hone the competencies needed to fulfill the following six essential functions as they relate to international health: situation analysis, policy design and decision-making, negotiation and advocacy, project management and cooperation, generation and dissemination of knowledge, and communication. Top |
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The 2008 Leaders in International Health Program encompasses 26 weeks, launching on 19 May in the participant's country under the coordination of the Program and the PAHO/WHO Country Representative. During this two-week period, the participant will engage in different activities, discussions and visits in relation to the principal health and development challenges facing the country and the region as well as the main actors involved in the same, and begin to define a project to be developed later in-country in coordination with PAHO/WHO, government and other authorities. Participants will then travel to Washington, DC for a three-week intensive training in international health. Subsequently, they will return to their countries where they will be able to continue to function in their normal employment capacity on a part-time basis if needed, while devoting a minimum of 50% of their working hours to the program. Participants will maintain close ties with the PAHO/WHO Country Office, particularly the PAHO/WHO Country Representative, allowing them to experience the technical as well as the diplomatic and political dimensions of international cooperation. They will engage in a program of work and learning opportunities involving PAHO/WHO and other relevant local actors in international health, including country-based offices of the United Nations and other multilateral and bilateral agencies, sub-regional entities, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions. Participants will also have the opportunity to complete a short-term placement at the PAHO/WHO Country Office or with another sub-regional, regional or international health institution in their country. These experiencies will be reinforced through a series of problem-based virtual modules, fomenting a community of practice and learning that reaches beyond the program participants. The program will culminate in November 2008 with the presentation of final projects over a one-week period in a country of the Region. Top |
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The program will provide transportation costs, a stipend and accident insurance for the participant only during the training in Washington, DC and the closing phase. Participants are responsible for securing their own health insurance and visas. Top |
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II. Eligibility Criteria and the Application Procedures
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The minimum requirements for participating in the Leaders in International Health Program are as follows:
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The aplication procedure includes submitting the following documents:
This application form can also be requested through the PAHO/WHO Representative Office in your country. Letters of recommendation are welcome, although not required. Applications can be requested from and submitted to the PAHO/WHO Country Office. Completed applications and enclosed documents must be presented in the indicated order and in duplicate (original plus one copy). Please do not submit original diplomas and certificates as these will not be returned. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Letters of reference may be submitted separately.The PAHO/WHO Country Office will invite only the top applicants for an in-country interview which will include an assessment of language ability. The interview results will be sent to PAHO Headquarters in Washington DC as input into the selection process. Top |
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III. Contact Information |
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For more information, please contact your PAHO/WHO Country Office or the Leaders in International Health Program at the following address:
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