Projects Bulletin 9

Issue 9 March 2011

PROJECTS BULLETIN

IFMSA

The mission of IFMSA

was founded in May 1951 and is run by medical students, for medical students, on a non-profit basis. IFMSA is officially recognised as a nongovernmental organisation within the United Nations’ system and has official relations with the World Health Organisation. It is the international forum for medical students, and one of the largest student organisations in the world.

is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues. Through our programs and opportunities, we develop culturally sensitive students of medicine, intent on influencing the transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet.

Imprint Editors Nick Watts, Australia Phillip Chao, New Zealand Design/Layout Anny Huang, Australia Proofreading Phillip Chao, New Zealand

Publisher

International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations General Secretariat: IFMSA c/o WMA B.P. 63 01212 Ferney-Voltaire, France Phone: +33 450 404 759 Fax: +33 450 405 937 Email: gs@ifmsa.org Homepage: www.ifmsa.org

Contacts

publications@ifmsa.org Printed in Indonesia Notice: Every care has been taken in the preparation of these articles.

Nevertheless, errors cannot always be avoided. IFMSA cannot accept any responsibility for any liability. The opinions expressed in this Projects Bulletin are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the IFMSA

IFMSA Projects

– The Heart of the IFMSA Dear IFMSA Members and Project Enthusiasts,

Contents Foreword

It is with great excitement that we present to you the MM11 Projects Bulletin – a publication dedicated to celebrating the inspiring work our projects do every day, all around the world.

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Introduction ..4 Endorsed projects

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Transnational projects ..11 Initiative projects

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Inside, you’ll find briefings on all the IFMSA’s Initiative, Transnational, and Endorsed Projects, as well as the candidates for the upcoming Rex Crossley best IFMSA Project Award.

2011 is going to be an exciting year of the IFMSA’s Projects Support Division. Growing this year to include a small working group dedicated to improving the quality of our projects, we can expect exciting changes in the near future. No matter where your interests lie in IFMSA, the Projects Bulletin has something for everyone!

Have a read, and get to know your IFMSA – with projects from all six of the Standing Committees, we’re sure you’ll agree that our projects are the heart of the IFMSA. Nick Watts IFMSA Projects Director 2010-2011 Phillip Chao IFMSA Projects Assistant 2010-2011

Rex Crossley Award Competition ..21

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Getting to know your projects An IFMSA ‘project’ can refer to any activity within the scope of medical student interest, that is in agreement with the IFMSA’s principles, aims, and policy statements. Considering this, a project can be anything from a series of events or workshops, to a network, survey or campaign.

three sessions (all run at the GA), where projects are given their ‘10 seconds of fame’, and the have an opportunity to present and promote themselves.

Within the IFMSA’s structure, there are three kinds of projects:

But being recognised as an IFMSA project means much more than just a name! Benefits include:

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Personalised support from the Projects Support Division, and the IFMSA Team of Officials, Letters of recommendation from the IFMSA Executive Board, on request, Access to any international conferences, speakers, and resources that the IFMSA can help you with, The provision of support and expertise when applying for grants and sponsorship, Prime position for promotions throughout the vast IFMSA networks, and those of our partner organisations, The provision of guaranteed places at the bi-annual General Assemblies, Use of the IFMSA website (ifmsa.org), and the official projects database, The use of the IFMSA bank account for specific projects.

IFMSA Endorsed Projects, whichare organised by a single National Member Organization, or a partner organization.

IFMSA Transnational Projects, whichare organised by more than one National Member Organisation, or in collaboration between at least one NMO and another organisation.

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IFMSA Initiatives, which are projects or series of projects centrally co-coordinated under the responsibility of the IFMSA Executive Board who elect the project coordinator. Our Initiative Projects (Think Global and the Tobacco Initiative Project) represent issues which are core to the beliefs and values of the Federation.

The IFMSA is always looking for new projects, wanting to build upon the way it impacts the world around us. For information on how to become an IFMSA project, contact Nick, at projects@ifmsa.org or join the projects Yahoo server (IFMSA-Projects).

(Below) Participants in action in Breaking the Silence, one of the IFMSA Transnational Projects

We use our General Assemblies (GAs) as a space for celebration of the fantastic work our projects and their coordinators have been doing over the previous six months.

• The Projects Fair presents an opportunity for projects to showcase their achievements and resources all on one special night. IFMSA members are given the chance to browse stalls, gathering ideas for new projects in their own National Member Organisations (NMOs).

• The Project Presentations represent

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Endorsed Projects Curriculum Database E:

christinacristian@gmail.com

CURRICULUM DATABASE was implemented in Romania, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sudan. Its aim is to help medical students easily find information about the different ways of studying and teaching medicine in faculties and countries around the world.

A concern was the increasing need for information for different medical universities on a world-wide scale without the hassle of using multiple servers in different countries. Moreover, this provides the opportunity to get a comparison of different curricula within their nations and across counties; thus using this data to help improve their curricula. One benefit of this project is that the information being provided includes both an official and students’ point of view. Curriculum Database Project is an online tool through which anyone can see and compare different curriculum of medical schools worldwide. There are 3 types of questionnaires that each country has to complete before entering the database - national, local and individual questionnaires.

EQUIP E: C:

of tons of reusable supplies annually that are much needed in developing world clinics. The cost of regulated waste disposal is both an economic issue for the hospitals and an environmental issue for society. Fortunately, REMEDY has developed an equipment recovery model that can be applied to different hospitals. Partner charities redistribute the supplies to clinics in developing countries.

EuWHO E: C:

ifmsanpo@gmail.com Chuck R. Vrasich

EQUIP is an international effort led by students to address medical surplus. Formed on the principles of 3 E’s: Environmental benefit, global health Equity and cost-Effectiveness, EQUIP is a program where open, unused medical and surgical supplies from developed countries are donated to clinical facilities in developing countries.

EQUIP is a national campaign to engage students in medical supply recovery and donation to the developing world. Formerly a transnational project, EQUIP is being revived, starting as a pilot project within AMSA-USA. Together with REMEDY, EQUIP aims to increase awareness of medical surplus, the number of equipment recovery programs and the utility of donated supplies.

The foundation of the project is 3 Es: Environmental benefit, global health Equity, and costEffectivess. U.S. hospitals discard thousands

euwho@medsin.org Gemma Owens and Paul Reidy

The European World Health Organisation Simulation (EuWHO) was a 3 day simulation of a WHO World Health Assembly meeting, which was held at the Royal Society of Medicine in London from December 3rd to 5th, 2010, and which was provide an engaging opportunity for university students across the UK and Europe, to act as representatives of WHO member states and discuss, debate and develop resolutions to pressing issues in international health.

During the conference, delegates to the WHO met to address the key global health issue and spent the weekend working towards a sustainable plan that ensures a solution to the global health problem.

Delegates had the opportunity to debate in full plenary sessions, as well as initially working in smaller “regional blocks” — committees composed of countries divided by world region. At the close of the conference, delegates wrote a Declaration of Principles outlining the view of the simulated WHO on the issue. This declaration has been sent to the actual World Health Organization.

Global Medicine W: E: C:

www.globalmedicine.nl coordinator@globalmedicine.nl Rianne Schutter & Ragna Boerma

Global Medicine is a magazine for medical students worldwide. Since two years ago, Global Medicine was distributed at international meetings of IFMSA and EMSA to broaden our audience (about 10% of our total target group). We will continue spreading them at meetings, but since a couple of months it is also possible to have it sent to your home address anywhere in the world.

Every edition has some definite topics, such as short news articles, updates about research studies, a column, an article about neglected diseases, a career interview and and interview with a medical student somewhere in this wide world. The other pages are reserved for general articles that could cover any topic. While selecting the articles we try to guarantee a diversity of medical fields and try to cover the different continents of the world. Furthermore we try to receive articles about “hot topics” that were currently in the news.

Healthy Planet International W: E: C:

www.medsin.org/campaigns/ healthyplanet healthyplanet@medsin.org Maya Tickell- Painter

A healthy environment is vital to allow people to live healthy lives. The WHO estimates that

To increase awareness of medical surplus, the number of equipment recovery programs and the utility of donated suppliesDelegates wrote a Declaration of Principles outlining the view of the simulated WHO on the issueWhile selecting the articles we try to guarantee a diversity of medical fields and try to cover the different continents of the world

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Many environmentally sound ways of living are also healthier for individualsWe have had great feedback from outgoing studen tives in resource-limited settingsThe educative intent of the project is double: besides the information that it provides to the readers, i ethical consumers of pharmaceutical industry marketingFor 3 days medical students addressed global and migrants’ health relate 150,000 deaths a year are attributable to man made climate change.

Many environmentally sound ways of living are also healthier for individuals, as avoiding the use of fossil fuels is often synonymous with living a more active life style and low-carbon policies have health co-benefits.

Healthy Planet aims to mobilize the health profession to take action on climate change.

Health professionals have a uniquely respected and trusted role in society; our voice will be listened to. Similarly, given the threat to health, we have a unique responsibility to take action on climate change.

Healthy Planet aims to mobilize students and health professionals at the grassroots level to lobby and campaign, as well as taking individual action, on climate change.

Laboratorio di Mondialità (LabMond) W: E: C:

http://labmond.sism.org norp@sism.org Alice Perfetti

LabMond is a three-day educational event focused on the topic of global health and is the largest Italian event on global health.

The project was formed by Segretariato Italiano Studenti in Medicina (SISM) Italy in 2006/2007.

In April 2010 the fourth edition of the event took place, hosted by the Local Committees of Rome. For 3 days medical students addressed global and migrants’ health related topics.

In September 2010, almost 30 students met in Bologna to evaluate the past edition of LabMond and also to start organising the next edition. The main point of the discussion has been on how to organise the 2011 edition, which specific topics to address and which local committees will be the host of the event.

LabMond is coordinated by the National Officer on human Rights and Peace (NORP) of SISM and managed by a Scientific Committee also called “Quelli di Bologna” that works with official and unofficial SISM partners.

Minima Medicamenta W: E: C:

www.sism.org minimamedicamenta@sism.org Giulia Bartalucci

Minima medicamenta is a printed publication distributed to medicine students during national Segretariato Italiano Studenti in Medicina (SISM) Italy meetings (every 6 months). It contains 4 case reports, written by students and residents. Hence, the educative intent of the project is double: besides the information that it provides to the readers, it gets the students involved in the writing of a scientific publication. Since all the local committees of SISM participate in the project, the best case reports are selected for publication among the proposals received from almost all the Italian medical faculties.

Italian edition number 4 and 5 were released in May and November 2010 and an August 2010 meeting edition included case reports written in English, French and Italian. The project has been inserted in the national library of medical papers.

Pre-departure Training (PDT) Ensuring Adequate Training for All Medical Students on Electives in Resource-Limited Settings W: E:

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Ian Pereira & Eileen Cheung

Our Pre-Departure Training (PDT) activities continue on 4 fronts: 1) Advocacy to improve productivity, sustainability, and availability • Increasing awareness and understanding of the necessity for PDT at student and faculty levels • For increased student and faculty collaboration to develop and share PDT resources • For increased faculty support to ensure sustainability • For the mandatory provision for PDT through LCME (the accreditation body for all Canadian and the majority of American medical schools) accreditation to ensure availability 2) Knowledge-Sharing • Develop platforms to effectively share and review PDT resources 3) Standardisation and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) • Continually revise national guidelines and develop white papers based on current research, best practices, and stakeholder input • Establish evaluation tools to assure the quality of PDT and its continuous improvement 4) Development of Internationally-Relevant PDT Guidelines • Collaboration with other NMOs with interest and expertise on PDT to establish recommendations for PDT competencies that are relevant to all medical students on elective in resource-limited settings

http://CFMS-PDT.org cfms.pdt@gmail.com

Many environmentally sound ways of living are also healthier for individualsWe have had great feedback from outgoing studen tives in resource-limited settingsThe educative intent of the project is double: besides the information that it provides to the readers, i ethical consumers of pharmaceutical industry marketingFor 3 days medical students addressed global and migrants’ health relate

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nts and it has made our exchanges much more beneficial in every aspectEnsuring adequate training for all medical students on elecit gets the students involved in the writing of a scientific publicationIt is our ambition that all NMOs in the IFMSA will be educated, ed topicsWashing hands properly is the single most important preventive measure

Pharmafacts W: E: C:

Standing Committee on Research Exchange

Pre Exchange Training (SCORE PET) W: E: C:

www.turkmsic.net firatbuyuktaskin@yahoo.com Fırat Büyüktaşkın

SCORE PET is a training program that aims to increase the scientific knowledge, technical skills, and general motivation of the outgoing students before attending the exchange. The agenda could include lectures and trainings on science philosophy, research ethics, hypothesis formation skills, research planning, basic biostatistics, and intercultural learning. The motivation of the students is the key issue to get them involved in their research.

However we need to support their motivation with basic academic knowledge. This motivation and knowledge has to be kept alive by stimulating critical thinking and behavioural change In many countries. Research exchanges cannot reach their ultimate goal due to a lack of student motivation, knowledge and awareness.

The hope is that SCORE PET will play a big role in filling this gap.

The knowledge gained from SCORE PET will also make students more aware of ethical misconduct so that they could refrain from such unethical behaviours.

After 3 SCORE PETs in Turkey we have had great feedback from outgoing students and it has made our exchanges much more beneficial in every aspect.

www.sism.org minimamedicamenta@sism.org Giulia Bartalucci

Introduction: There is continuing debate amongst pharmaceutical industry representatives, doctors and medical students about the state of interactions between the medical profession and the pharmaceutical industry. In order for medical students to adopt an evidence-based approach and act with professionalism and integrity, they must be educated on the truths of the pharmaceutical industry.

Project Vision: It is our ambition that all NMOs in the IFMSA will be educated, ethical consumers of pharmaceutical industry marketing. We propose an Endorsed Project within the IFMSA which will provide a means of discussion and education, to facilitate a better understanding of the pharmaceutical industry.

Methods: 1.

Education at events, online tools and information access, and discussion forums.

2.

Creation of a network and toolkit to allow collaboration between students for discussion and debate or experiences and pertinent issues.

3.

Educational and project resources to be shared.

The overwhelming majority of population is illiterate, and belongs to low income group. A lack of awareness regarding good personal hygiene is another major reason for spread of infectious diseases. In this regard washing hands properly is the single most important preventive measure. Unfortunately, many do not realize its importance.

To create awareness regarding: 1.

Proper hand washing techniques and instructions on washing hands before each meal and after attending the toilet.

2.

Proper management of household waste – not to dump it out in open areas near the house.

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Proper means of water purification – boiling and water purification tablets.

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Methods of cleaning kitchen wares and utensils.

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Proper cleaning of toilets and the house in general.

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Increase awareness among medical students about issues related to poor hygiene and sanitation in developing Countries

Reproductive Health Education Project for Adolescents in School (RHEPAS) E:

Project on Hygiene and Sanitation E: C:

faseehshahab@gmail.com cherryred1988@hotmail.com Faseeh Shahab & Mahrukh Ayesha Ali

Only 20% of the population of Pakistan has access to clean drinking water. Added to that, a lack of proper hygiene and we have the biggest problem facing the Health Sector of Pakistan: an immense burden of infectious diseases including dysentery, typhoid, hepatitis etc.

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girismith@iom.edu.np abhikjswl@gmail.com cherryred1988@hotmail.com Smith Giri & Abhishek Kr. Jaiswal

Adolescents in Nepal have been hit hard by problems occurring during this period such as adolescent pregnancy, unsafe sex, STDs and even HIV/AIDS. To address, Nepal Medical Students’ Society (NMSS) has come up with the Reproductive Health Education Project for Adolescents in school (RHEPAS) in which the need of an effective tutor to conduct the reproductive health information dissemination sessions will be fulfilled by medical students.

NMSS will conduct the project in two years in

nts and it has made our exchanges much more beneficial in every aspectEnsuring adequate training for all medical students on elecit gets the students involved in the writing of a scientific publicationIt is our ambition that all NMOs in the IFMSA will be educated, ed topicsWashing hands properly is the single most important preventive measure

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Ultimately our goals were fulfilled during the course and the participants demonstrated a heightened knowledge baseWe seek to p mostTo raise awareness of dependence disorders and to raise the knowledge and skills required to enable young people to face the the tropical diseases whilst discussing the management plans, including investigationsWe are running this program to reduce mat the Bagmati zone of Nepal. In the first year, secondary schools from five districts of Bagmati zone will be identified and listed as project sites. A team of volunteers will be assembled and about ten volunteers will be united to form a unit. Each unit will be responsible for one project site in a month. The units will conduct questionnaire survey, impart knowledge on reproductive health through a specially designed curriculum by a team of experts for this purpose, conduct pre and post session tests and meet with the local teachers and school administration to provide them with necessary help and support required for conducting the program on their own in future.

Sex Education For Sex Sudan International Rwanda Village Con- Workers ( SESWO ) Medical Mission cept Project (RVCP) W: http://seswo.blogspot.com (SIMM) E: seswo2010@hotmail.com W: E: C:

www.rwanda-vcp.org vcp_coordinator@yahoo.com Vincent Ndebwanimana & Jean Christophe Rusatira

The Rwanda Village Concept Project (RVCP) has 3 initiatives: • Maternal Health Care Education Program, in collaboration with Globe Med we are running this program to reduce maternal mortality, child mortality, number of women delivering at home, knowledge and skills to take care of the kids and mothers, acute consultation of any healthy disorders, and promote the improvement living standards through poverty eradication • Huye Health Centre Capacity Building development initiative :where RVCP, in partnership with Globe Med, capacity build through the training of peoples. Prevention is better than cure and it also raises awareness of the different diseases affecting the community.

• Let Little Children Come to Me support initiative: Where RVCP with the Firelight Foundation provide school fees and schooling materials.

There is also a focus on the five topics of: 1.

HIV/AIDS Awareness 2.

Hygiene Promotion Water and Sanitation 3.

Pyramid Project 4.

Malaria Prevention 5.

Income Generation

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Johana Calderon Galvez, Kattia Lazarte Valencia & Alonso Lopez Herrera

Sexual Education for Sex Workers (SESWO) is a project created by the Standing Committee on Reproductive health including AIDS (SCORA) Team of Asociación Peruana de Estudiantes de Medicina Humana (APEMH) Peru. It is addressed to the informal sex workers who mostly have not received sexual education. We will tackle problems like: how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV infection?; how important is a condom, how to use it correctly, and how to negotiate its use with their clients; get them familiar with female condoms; stressing the importance regular medical check-ups;, the importance of voluntary HIV testing and offering it to them; sexual and reproductive rights and the charter of sex workers; cervical cancer and human papilloma virus (HPV) prevention methods.

We have given training at our national assembly in October 2010 in Lima and have gotten in touch with several organisations that may assist in the project, including Miluska, an organisation that is responsible for protecting the rights of sex workers.

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www.medsin.sd almatador90@hotmail.com Mustafa Hatim Abdelbagi & Mohammed Elsir Hommaida

The project is a Community Development Based activity. Doctors, medical laboratory technicians along with national and international medical students participatw together in the Sudan International Medical Mission (SIMM) through field trips of 2 days covering 4 areas each day, providing the following: 1.

Essential free medical consultations.

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Essential free laboratory investigations.

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Health education to the communities and special target groups.

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Essential free medications and pharmaceuticals, which would be collected after taking official permission and distributed according to the doctors’ consultation.

As part of Standing Committees On Public Health and Professional Exchange we organise a medical mission to enable both local and international students to learn and experience the great pleasure of working and helping people in our country and to provide sustainable improvement in the level of health of the people in the El-Dewaim Province in the White Nile State with continuous follow up and upgrading of the health status by medical missions and medical days (the minor versions of the medical missions).

Ultimately our goals were fulfilled during the course and the participants demonstrated a heightened knowledge baseWe seek to p mostTo raise awareness of dependence disorders and to raise the knowledge and skills required to enable young people to face the the tropical diseases whilst discussing the management plans, including investigationsWe are running this program to reduce mat

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provide content, cases, and teaching/learning resources in order to increase training capacity, specifically in regions where it is needed e challenges and pressures of societyTo get acquainted with the scientific knowledge about the pathological and clinical features of ternal mortality, child mortality, number of women delivering at home, knowledge and skills to take care of the kids and mothers line textbook for primary care and public health students worldwide. We seek to provide content, cases, and teaching/learning resources in order to increase training capacity, specifically in regions where it is needed most.

Content is designed to be universally relevant.

Cases, however, need to be geographically and culturally situated. We are endeavouring to create two cases per country for each topic – one urban and one rural. As the number of contributors from various countries grows, so too will the representative cases.

Sudan Tropical Exchange Project (STEP) W: E: C:

www.step2010.org medsin.step@gmail.com Mubashar Abugussi & Musab Magdi

Sudan tropical exchange project (STEP) is a project for international students to get acquainted with the scientific knowledge about the pathological and clinical features of the tropical diseases whilst discussing the management plans, including investigations. It will be supervised by professors, doctors and tutors specialised in each field. The program includes lectures, researches in the tropical diseases, lab work , clinical live cases, hospital rounds, surgical operations, medical mission that provides free diagnosis, investigations, treatment and health education in rural areas in Sudan.

Focus is put on tropical diseases including malaria, tuberculosis, leishmaniasis, schistosomiasis, typhoid fever, tropical gastroenterology, rheumatic fever and mycetoma. All the while, students explore the African culture and the Sudanese heritage in a very rich social program. A total of 16 students participated in the program from the 5th of Nov 2010 until the 2nd of December 2010.

Sharing in Health W: E: C:

www.sharinginhealth.ca contact@sharinginhealth.ca David LaPierre

SharingInHealth.ca (SiH) is an open-access, on-

Authorship is being carried out by interested students, while topics are reviewed by knowledgeable residents, clinicians, and staff.

We plan to eventually cover all content required for pre-licensure students – approximately 3,000 topics. In order to demonstrate utility and pilot our approach, we are initially focusing on reproductive health, with a total of approximately 120 topics,and intend on having these written and reviewed by June 2011.

At this point, we hope to pilot our work in both urban and rural Uganda, with partnership with students in the Makerere University Medical Students Association (MUMSA), in Kampala, Uganda.

Substance Abuse and Dependence W: E: C:

www.ifmsa-serbia.org/sadproject milicaradovic16@gmail.com bsekeres@gmail.com Milica Radovic & Bojan Sekeres

The goal of the project is to raise awareness of dependence disorders and to raise the knowledge and skills required to enable young people to face the challenges and pressures of society.

The main reason for this project was a lack of effective and continuous educational programmes for medical students in the fields of prevention, education and research of dependence disorders.

We started collaboration with EURO HEALTH GROUP who were in charge of the INSADA (Implementing the National Strategy Against Drug Abuse) Project in Serbia. They are part of the

EU programme. The summer school for 20 students of medicine, pharmacy and psychology (from Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac and Nis) was organised with their support and finance.

It was held 19-23 July, 2010 in Novi Sad. The aim of the summer school was to educate a group of students for Y-peer programmes within the substance abuse and dependence fields.

Summer School “Corso” E+D W: E: C:

www.rmbolivia2011.org summerschooled@yahoo.com Daniela Villarroel Balderrama & Daniel Vasquez Quispe

The purpose of the course in escape and relief operations (curso de operador de escape y socorro (CORSO)) was to provide all participants with basic knowledge about emergencies and disasters, response procedures and protocols.

It will also give medical students the skills and experience in emergency knowledge to deal with the stress and pressures of an emergency, empowering them to help our communities.

For one month, the participants were qualified in the paramedic areas, firefighting and rescue system. The teaching methods were both theoretical and practical. Ultimately our goals were fulfilled during the course and the participants demonstrated a heightened knowledge base. It was a privilege for us to have met and worked with them.

provide content, cases, and teaching/learning resources in order to increase training capacity, specifically in regions where it is needed e challenges and pressures of societyTo get acquainted with the scientific knowledge about the pathological and clinical features of ternal mortality, child mortality, number of women delivering at home, knowledge and skills to take care of the kids and mothers

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Transnational Projects

ACTION (Asian Collaborative Training on Infectious Disease, Outbreak, Natural Disaster, and Refugee Management) E: C:

action@ifmsa.jp Misa Hyakutake

The Asian Collaborative Training on Infectious Diseases, Outbreak, Natural Disaster and Refugee Management (ACTION) is aimed at providing healthcare students from the Asia-Pacific region with the essential knowledge and skills required to prevent, cure or relieve, and rehabilitate victims of disasters, such as infectious diseases, natural disasters, and conflicts. During the seven-day training, participants will acquire the basic skills and knowledge of disaster relief and medical control with all of its related aspects, especially focusing on Asia Pacific region-specific approaches. Students around the world will also benefit from the outcome of the training as all follow-up activities will be disseminated through the IFMSA’s global networks.

ACTION 2010 was held from August 23rd to 29th, 2010.

Awareness Strategies for Pollution from IndustrieS (ASPIS)

Breaking the Silence

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“Breaking the Silence” aims to establish a better way to interact and relate with the deaf/ hard-of-hearing patient-doctor relationship.

www.helmsic.gr aspis@ath.forthnet.gr Maria Tsichli & Sophia Vasilakou

Awareness Strategies for Pollution from IndustrieS (ASPIS-ΑΣΠΙΣ = Ancient Greek word for “shield”) started as a European Project and has realised a cluster of actions (ASPIS I and ASPIS II) with the aim to inform and raise awareness of decision makers on environmental issues (civil servants, engineers, medical doctors, lawyers and journalists). ASPIS has developed to a ‘tool of decision making’. It is based on the TRans European Environmental Educational Health Network (TREEE Health Net) that was launched in 1994 following an initiative of the University of Athens collaborating at first with the University of Liverpool and since 1996 with the Free University of Brussels.

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www.breakingthesilence.helmsic.gr http://www.bts.helmsic.gr bts@helmsic.gr Alina Vlase & George Tsaknias

“Breaking the Silence” national or local projects have been developed individually in countries like: Poland, the Netherlands, Greece, Lebanon, Italy, Croatia, Tunisia, Slovenia and Romania. “Breaking the Silence” as a transnational project aims to create and promote a common platform for teaching medical students and young doctors how to communicate with the deaf patient. This will be done by: • Organising Sign Language courses and Workshops for the benefit of students, young doctors and medical personnel in each of the countries participating in the project and for the IFMSA; • Conceiving basic sign language courses online

With the participation of medical students of different countries in all the stages of the project, ASPIS has aimed to: 1.

Inform young health professionals about current health-related environmental issues.

2.

Bring up fruitful and productive thinking through seminars, round tables and discussions about the future of the implication of human activity on health.

3.

Activate medical students not only towards the prevention of environmentally induced disease, but also towards environmental pollution itself.

Providing healthcare students from the Asia-Pacific region with the essential knowledge and skills required to prevent, cure or reliev platform for teaching medical students and young doctors how to communicate with the deaf patientWe believe that health is a univ To inform and raise awareness of decision makers on environmental issuesThe feedback from volunteers is almost always very posit

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Improving the health conditions of the people who live in the villages of the rural areaWe as future health-care professionals are often a first point of contact for women suffering from the effects of domestic violenceBring up fruitful and productive thinking through seminars, round tables and discussions about the future of the implication of human activity on health

Crossing Borders for Health

Calcutta Village Project Daphne

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www.crossingbordersforhealth.org jldevereux@gmail.com Jennifer Devereux

Crossing Borders for Health is an international network of students whose mission is to remove barriers to healthcare for refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants. Article 25 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights declares that the right to health and medical care should be assured in every country, for the entire population and we believe this statement applies to all individuals, regardless of immigration status. However, in many countries migrants often received substandard levels of healthcare if they receive any healthcare at all.

We believe that health is a universally recognised, fundamental human right and that as students and future healthcare professionals we are in a unique position to promote and defend the right to health of vulnerable people.

Through education, direct assistance and policy change we aim to realise our belief that migrants receive the highest standard of healthcare, irrespective of immigration status. Crossing Borders to Health is an initiative to centrally coordinate projects in different countries working on these issues and share resources, best practice guidelines and funding between them.

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www.projectforpeople.org www.sism.org internationalcvp@gmail.com info@projectforpeople.org Vincenzo Bertino & Anna Klicpera

Calcutta Village Project promotes international development and supports the activities of the Institute for Indian Mother and Child (IIMC), an Indian NGO established in 1988 by Dr. Sujit K. Brahmochari Mandal with the purpose of improving the health conditions of the people who live in the villages of the rural area in the south of Kolkata, especially mothers and children.

Each month, several students were given the opportunity to join the project as volunteers in Kolkata, to discover first hand the social reality in India and how a project of development cooperation is structured. In addition, the project is increasingly rooted in different NMOs. Finally, the feedback from volunteers is almost always very positive; more and more students ask about the project. Thanks to the sponsorship programme, more than 2500 children are being sponsored today.

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www.ifmsa.pl nora@ifmsa.pl Katarzyna Żochowska

Daphne was created to combat domestic violence. Only 12% of abused women will ever come to the attention of a justice system and 80% stay with the abuser.

We as future health-care professionals are often a first point of contact for women suffering from the effects of domestic violence. Unfortunately there are hardly any training courses focusing on the health repercussions of domestic violence. Guidance is needed to develop a pragmatic and sensitive approach to recognising the signs of domestic violence and caring for the victims.

Thus, DAPHNE is to assist medical students to recognise and respond appropriately to family violence.

There are 3 steps of DAPHNE: Step 1 Active workshops for medical students Step 2 Peer education in highs chools Step 3 Social campaigns: STOP violence marches, posters etc.

ve, and rehabilitate victims of disasters, such as infectious diseases, natural disasters, and conflictsTo create and promote a common versally recognised, fundamental human rightAssist medical students to recognise and respond appropriately to family violence tiveStudents whose mission is to remove barriers to healthcare for refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants

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We want to provide medical students with knowledge and skills to help their patients, as well as to raise awareness of the problem an unpleasant dutyWe hope to develop a basis through which medical students are sensitised and empowered to take on a significan can be more helpful than sophisticated medicineIt can grow into a much larger network which will become self sustainingThe ap

Daisy Project – Margarita E: C:

tsomaka@auth.gr Tsomaka Effrosyni

Daisy Project Margarita was developed in Greece and it is a pilot educational community based project which is proposed on a voluntary basis to medical students and it takes place in cooperation with International Association of Health Policy. As it is implied by the project’s name, it is comprised by a central activity (training in communication skills) which is attended by all participants and 4 peripheral activities which are optional according to the students’ preference.

Training in communication skills is the project’s core. All participants attend the weekly sessions which are coordinated by a professional psychologist, specialised in the field of health.

Some of the topics being discussed during the sessions were: patient-doctor communication, ways of dealing with uncooperative patients, announcement of bad news, etc. Among the peripheral activities included: health education intervention in secondary schools, nurse aid, medicine in the community, and research in social medicine.

The expected outcome includes: the exposure of medical students to the real working conditions in the field of community-based medicine and the application of theoretical knowledge in order to deal with public health problems; the increase of awareness and the development of skills concerning the communication with the patients and their relatives and the approach of the patient as psychosocial entity by medical students; the recognition of the doctor’s role as health professional towards the direction of disease prevention and the promotion of health, as science researcher and as active citizen with social responsibility and the development of critical scientific spirit within the framework of inter-professional cooperation.

Dying A Human Thing E: C:

babara.ryba@poczta.fm Barbara Ryba

“Dying- a human thing” is a project created by the SCOME Team of IFMSA-Poland, addressed to all medical students, who are interested in work with terminally ill patients. Medical universities teach their students about the mechanisms of the human body. But unfortunately, in many cases this is not enough. When it comes to terminally ill people it is often not pharmacology or pathophysiology that really matters.

Our Project strives to teach future doctors how to give support to dying people and very often a simple conversation can be more helpful than sophisticated medicine. Through workshops with specialists we provide answers to questions such: “How to reveal fatal diagnosis to a patient?”, “How to talk to a family of a dying patient?”, “How to support my patient?”

Sometimes the most obvious questions are the most difficult ones.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Awareness Project E:

Eating Disorders E: C:

eatingdisorders.ifmsa@gmail.com Aleksandra Herbowska

The problem of eating disorders is often underestimated, which is in contrast to its prevalence. Actually in some countries the threat of an epidemic arises. Unfortunately the majority of our societies are ignorant of this problem.

The reason for such a low social awareness of this issue is the lack of widespread information.

‘Eating Disorders’ (ED) is an umbrella transnational project aiming to unite medical students in a fight against eating disorders. Through our initiatives we want to provide medical students with knowledge and skills to help their patients, as well as to raise awareness of the problem among the general public.

There are several projects organised within the Eating Disorders Transnational Project, such as: Fashion Show against anorexia and bulimia, Peer Education lessons, Workshops for parents, Workshops for Medical Students, ED Campaigns and Conferences.

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khalda_omer@yahoo.com and ranaasalem@yahoo.com Khalda Omer Abuelgasim & Rana Salem

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has always been a serious issue that a lot of countries world wide face. We, as medical students and future doctors, should find ourselves responsible for raising the awareness amongst people and promoting zero tolerance for FGM. Our project aims for a world free from FGM and to prevent further mutilations and to protect all the girls all over the world from this inhumane act, while respecting their reproductive and human rights.

Through a joined effort between IFMSA-Egypt and Sudan, We hope to develop a basis through which medical students are sensitised and empowered to take on a significant role in preventing FGM and increase the public awareness about the risks and dangers of this act.

Through the Eating Disorders project we want to expand our activities to reach more and more communities, and develop collaboration between international medical students.

We want to provide medical students with knowledge and skills to help their patients, as well as to raise awareness of the problem an unpleasant dutyWe hope to develop a basis through which medical students are sensitised and empowered to take on a significan can be more helpful than sophisticated medicineIt can grow into a much larger network which will become self sustainingThe app

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among the general publicWe want the young girls to associate a gynaecological examination with a step into a healthy future, not nt role in preventing FGM and increase the public awareness about the risks and dangers of this actVery often a simple conversation plication of theoretical knowledge in order to deal with public health problemsIt can grow into a much larger network

Ghana Health and Education Project

Healthy Diet Project

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info@ghei.org Diana Rickard

The aims of the Ghana Health and Education Project are simple – we want to build the capacity of local communities within Ghana, in an effort to allow them to improve their own levels of health and education. In this regard, we strive to construct a project which is both sustainable and participatory in principle and nature. The Ghana Health and Education Initiative runs Education programs which respond to the needs and desires of the local Ghanaian communities in which we work. We run supplementary courses for bright young students and construct facilities which can be used and accessed by the entire community, to better their knowledge and skills.

Go SCORP C:

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Andreea-Mihaela Rosca & Ali Halawi

Go SCORP aspires to unite all humanitarian SCORP projects from around the world into a unique platform database accessible to all SCORP members worldwide. This will allow any SCORP member from any IFMSA NMO to have access to currently active humanitarian projects of different participating organizations.

The project started in the MM09 in Tunisia when it was first introduced as an idea in one of the SWG entitled ‘Humanitarian projects’. Since then, it evolved to include a number of humanitarian projects, ranging from places like Romania to Tunisia.

This is an exciting young project in the IFMSA, and with your help and support, it can grow into a much larger network which will become self sustaining.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Firstt G Gynaecological l i l Consultation (FGC) E: C:

fgc_tp@hotmail.com Mardelangel Zapata Ponze de León & Justyna Szymczak

First Gynaecological Consultation is a project created in 1996 by the Standing Committee on Reproductive health and AIDS (SCORA) Team of IFMSA-Poland. Now more NMOs are involved in it (SloMSA Slovakia, APEMH Peru, IFLMSA Brazil, MMSA Malta). It is addressed to young girls attending high school or the last year of secondary school (age 14-18) who mostly have not had a first gynaecological consultation.

We try to help the girls in solving problems like: • Fear before their first gynaecological examination • Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infection • Incompetence in the self breast examination • Not enough level of knowledge about prevention of uterine cancer We decided that the “peer education” method will be the best to reach the teenage girls, particularly talking about sometimes embarrassing, difficult and private topics.

We want the young girls to associate a gynaecological examination with a step into a healthy future, not an unpleasant duty.

dr_professional2010@yahoo.com martacirciu@yahoo.com Nabil Ali Nasr & Marta Circiu

Healthy Diet Project was developed in Palestine, Egypt and Tunisia. The project aims are: to increase the awareness among the medical students in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of the nutritional problems we face in our region and their contribution to the development of chronic disease and other healthy bad effects by collecting data about Children’s Diet, the hazards of the unhealthy diet and trainings that will be given to the medical students who will act as health educators; to increase the awareness of school children regarding healthy food and diet habits, as a way to prevent chronic diseases by visiting at least 50 schools targeting an average of 200-300 pupils per school during one year in the whole region and increase the knowledge of the target by at least 60% and to motivate the IFMSA members of the EMR to work together in addressing this issue affecting their region, thus strengthening the collaboration between them.

Since eating behaviours during childhood track into adulthood and thus contribute to long term risks of healthy problems and chronic diseases, the project will be targeting mainly the primary school children. By changing many of the wrong habits the school children may have, we want to play an active role in limiting the alarming rate of spread of many of the chronic diseases in our region.

About 2500 school children have attended healthy diet sessions in 12 different governorates have filled the pre- and post-questionnaires which are being analyzed.

Hepatitis Awareness Campaign E: C:

dr_professional2010@yahoo.com Nabil Ali Nasr

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem in Egypt, where the sero-prevalence is 10–20-fold higher than that in the

among the general publicWe want the young girls to associate a gynaecological examination with a step into a healthy future, not nt role in preventing FGM and increase the public awareness about the risks and dangers of this actVery often a simple conversation plication of theoretical knowledge in order to deal with public health problemsIt can grow into a much larger network

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Foster interdisciplinary and a multi-sector approach to prevention / health promotion, in order to develop a coherent response to the cu a change in people’s attitudes and mentality towards people whose sexual orientation is other than heterosexualTo develop academic and collecting the saliva samples Recognizing that Kenyan women in rural areas often lack access to credit, we have also organized United States. HCV infection is expected to be even a greater public health problem in Egypt, as about 24% of the population is infected. As serious as the issue of HCV infection appears, the disease is totally preventable. The precise monitoring and examining of the donated blood and health education of the blood handling workers as doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians about the dangers of contracting HCV remain the only barriers against more spreading of the infection.

What we are trying to address and emboss in the peoples minds is that both HCV and HAV are preventable; mainly by increasing the awareness of the groups that are at risk of getting infected.

This project acts at multiple stages, facing both HCV and HAV. The campaign will be targeting Nursing Faculties and Nursing Schools Students in the HCV issue and Preliminary Schools Students in the HAV issue. It will act on these groups through awareness campaigns that will increase their awareness about this issue and hopefully will influence their hygienic and behavioral attitudes.

IFMSA Campaign On Malaria E: C:

abdo_ifmsa@yahoo.com Abdalla Khalil & Rehab Farahat

The project aims to raise awareness about malaria worldwide, so the activities include the World Malaria Day celebrations, health education days in endemic areas, medical missions, and workshops to train medical students to work in the field of health education.

Over the past 6 months, the Malaria Exchange Project in Indonesia was formed, medical missions in Sudan went to endemic rural areas, health weeks in Ghana, health education days in Sudan, and IFMSA The Netherlands may soon have a new project against malaria.

For a Homophobia-Free International I t ti l St Students d t World Network on Aging and W: www.ifmsa-mx.org/scora.html Health (ISNAH) E: patty_vr@hotmail.com C:

Patricia Vázquez Rivas

For a long time, people have been suffering from discrimination and prejudice due to their sexual orientation and this is why we –in the IFMSA –are trying to make a change in people’s attitudes and mentality towards people whose sexual orientation is other than heterosexual – LGBTQ people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer).

Homophobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards homosexuality and people identified or perceived as being homosexual.

Definitions refer variably to antipathy, contempt, prejudice, aversion, irrational fear and in some countries jail and even murder. Homophobia is observable in critical and hostile behaviour such as discrimination and violence on the basis of a non- heterosexual orientation.

It affects all society, not only LGBTQ people.

That’s why we in Mexico, Colombia and Slovakia have this campaign to avoid homophobia.

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oscargffu@gmail.com tim.robbins@bnc.ox.ac.uk Oscar Flores Flores & Tim Robins

To promote awareness among health care professionals, especially medical students, to improve the process of acquiring knowledge and construction of competencies about ageing and older adults health.

Specific Objectives: 1.

To generate and encourage research in geriatrics and older adults health.

2.

To increase awareness of medical students about the ageing process and the demographic situation.

3.

To develop academic resources in geriatrics and older adults’ health.

4.

To enhance a better curriculum including geriatrics clerkship and geriatrics specific topics.

A national survey of UK medical students has been completed in the UK and presented at 3 conferences, it has subsequently been written up and submitted for publication. This will now be launched internationally, initially to countries with English-speaking medical students and hopefully more from there onwards.

In Peru, we have started another research but with a similar topic of attitudes to older adults.

Foster interdisciplinary and a multi-sector approach to prevention / health promotion, in order to develop a coherent response to the c a change in people’s attitudes and mentality towards people whose sexual orientation is other than heterosexualTo develop academic and collecting the saliva samples Recognizing that Kenyan women in rural areas often lack access to credit, we have also organized

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urrent global cancer burdenThe project aims to raise awareness about malaria worldwideWe – in the IFMSA – are trying to make c resources in geriatrics and older adults’ health Students run the entire clinic, from welcoming others to counselling potential donors d an income-generating program for the local womenIncreasing the awareness of the groups that are at risk of getting infected

Kenya Vill K Village P Project j t

Marrow M

Mr and Ms Breastestis

Kenya Village Project was developed in Kenya with the support of the US. Their aim is to fight AIDS, build libraries and pre-schools, encourage micro-enterprise for women, assist the local educational system and provide health care for the people of Western Kenya without regard to religion, politics, ethnicity or nationality.

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Our main area of focus since 1998 has been AIDS education. On a shoestring budget with no source of external funding, we have managed to sensitize over 48,000 Kenyans about the transmission and prevention of HIV/AIDS. They constructed and opened the first public library in Western Kenya (Kabula location), with the potential of serving the 800,000 people of the area in the future, a preschool and established a Sponsor a Child’s Education program to assist those children whose families cannot afford to send them to school. Recognizing that Kenyan women in rural areas often lack access to credit, we have also organized an incomegenerating program for the local women. Each consortium was given five sewing machines to begin their businesses.

www.anthonynolan.org/marrow nationalmarrow@gmail.com Katie Evans & Jonathan Gaughran

Marrow is a volunteer student organisation based in 32 medical schools across the United Kingdom (UK), as well as in Netherlands, Finland, France, Germany, Spain and Austria. Marrow works in association with the UK’s largest national bone marrow register, The Anthony Nolan Trust (ANT) charity, who are recognised by the UK government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) as part of the international bone marrow and stem cell register.

Marrow helps to take back lives from leukaemia by organising donor recruitment clinics in universities across the UK and by raising the charitable funds needed for these lifesaving activities. Students run the entire clinic, from welcoming others to counselling potential donors and collecting the saliva samples.

As students are young, healthy and represent a broad cross section of ethnicity they are the perfect potential bone marrow donors and so it is Marrow’s ultimate aim to provide every student with the opportunity to join the bone marrow register. In the UK in 2009- 2010 alone Marrow recruited 3061 potential donors onto the register in addition to raising over £100,000 for the AN.

See www.facebook.com viviana.hr@gmail.com Viviana Radica

Mr and Ms Breastestis is a reproductive neoplasms prevention project that aims: • To assess medical students’ knowledge on Reproductive Neoplasms • To educate medical students on Reproductive Neoplasms • To assess public knowledge on Reproductive Neoplasms • Foster interdisciplinary and a multi-sector approach to prevention / health promotion, in order to develop a coherent response to the current global cancer burden It is a Standing Committee on Reproductive Health and AIDS project that involves medical students interacting with the patients, as well as general population and high school students. Through peer education, it promotes prevention and early detection of these reproductive neoplasms.

In Croatia, a campaign for cancer awareness was held in June 2010, where medical students had interactive educational lectures, healthy lifestyle lectures and sport activities, as well as a concert. In Egypt, a Run for Cure Race was held for the second time by the Breast Cancer Foundation in Egypt and Susan G Komen. More than 800 IFMSA-Egypt members participated and it was the largest team in the race.

urrent global cancer burdenThe project aims to raise awareness about malaria worldwideWe – in the IFMSA – are trying to make c resources in geriatrics and older adults’ health Students run the entire clinic, from welcoming others to counselling potential donors d an income-generating program for the local womenIncreasing the awareness of the groups that are at risk of getting infected

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It is a one of a kind activity and it represents the peak point that everybody wants to reach: recognitionStudents from all over the wor communication techniques for educating young people about how moral disengagement can be resistedIt started with the first confe leaves enthusiastic and full of new ideasIt is coordinated by medical students, and medical students are the ones who provide inform

N th Northern European E CoC Organ Donation Project Orphanage Initiative in ahmadyakan@hotmail.com operation of Sex Educa- E: Romania irisrodijk@gmail.com C: Ahmad Yakan & Iris Rodijk W: www.fasmr.ro/oir tion (NECSE) Projects E: orphanage.initiative@gmail.com E: C:

necse2012@gmail.com Eva Hesmondhalgh & Pihla Patma

The Northern European Cooperation of Sex Education (NECSE) Projects links Standing Committees on Reproductive health and AIDS from across Europe who have an interest in peer-led sex education. The main role of NECSE is to facilitate the meeting of all member National Member Organisations (NMOs) at a conference held annually each Easter. The location for this conference rotates annually. Last April it was held in The Netherlands, this April it will be in Finland and next year, the UK. The NECSE conference is an opportunity to strengthen links and share best practice between our NMOs. We use the conference as an opportunity to exchange methods. Everyone leaves enthusiastic and full of new ideas.

In the last 6 months since the NECSE Conference, Finland have been busy planning the next NECSE meeting – planning the venue, programme and speakers list. The upcoming 6 months will show a lot more NECSE activity as the upcoming conference will occur in April.

The huge advancement in the field of organ transplantation gave a new hope to those who were doomed to death previously. The technological advancement was so fast that unfortunately a new problem became a reality - the lack of organs. Realising the central and important role of medical students, the Standing Committee on Public Health started the project to respond to the huge lack of organs worldwide. It started with the first conference in Croatia, followed by multiple training sessions during General Assemblies and summer schools in the Netherlands. The latest activity and the biggest was held in Beirut where more than 100 Lebanese medical student participated and more than 12 students from IFMSA.

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Line Pedersen & Preda Irina

The target groups are children from 3 to 18 years, living in state institutions in Romania.

The main goal of the project is to help orphans develop in a normal way, both physically and mentally leading to socially adapted adults.

During the school year, Romanian medical students have weekly activities with the children in one or two institutions in their city. The activities are chosen by the local coordinator for each institution and they try to meet the children’s specific needs. Generally, there are activities that stimulate the creativity of the children through games or workshops with specific themes, but alternated with educational discussions about hygiene, alcohol or drugs.

The second part of the project’s activity occurs during the summer holiday. Students from all over the world are invited to volunteer in the project and help the Romanian volunteers. The foreign volunteers bring more stimulation for the children, due to the new culture they meet and also due to the language barriers they will have to come across.

It is a one of a kind activity and it represents the peak point that everybody wants to reach: recognitionStudents from all over the wor communication techniques for educating young people about how moral disengagement can be resistedIt started with the first confe leaves enthusiastic and full of new ideasIt is coordinated by medical students, and medical students are the ones who provide inform

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rld are invited to volunteer in the project and help the Romanian volunteers Survey methods for measuring moral disengagement and erence in Croatia, followed by multiple training sessions during General Assemblies and summer schools in the NetherlandsEveryone mation for their countriesTwinning means making new friends and future collaborators

Peace Test W: E: C:

www.ifmsa.net/public/ project.php?id=26 jihad_imam@yahoo.com norp@ifmsabrazil.org Jihad A. Imam & Cinthia Jaqueline Baia de Souza

Peace Test is a human rights and peace education project. Mass violence is a major public health problem. Aggressive responses to intergroup and international conflict are partly determined by the processes of moral disengagement, in which collective violence is justified by public judgments of conflicts, choices and enemies. Individual and collective tendencies toward violence may be related to measurable and modifiable differences in attitudes supporting moral disengagement. So the Peace Test project has developed survey methods for measuring moral disengagement and communication techniques for educating young people about how moral disengagement can be resisted. The data is usually collected from secondary or elementary school students around the world. Statistical analyses will compare groups and investigate the psychometric properties of the measurements. Technical findings can be published in scientific journals.

Non-technical national reports can be widely publicised among medical, university and secondary students and more general audiences in each country, with educational outreach and an internet site designed to help young people learn to resist the processes of moral disengagement.

Residency Database Project W: E: C:

www.residency-database.helmsic.gr rdb@helmsic.gr Maria Christina Papadopoulou & Paris Kytrilakis

to specialise aboard. It is coordinated by medical students, and medical students are the ones who provide information for their countries. The information provided is mainly about the residency system, the financial state and the application procedure for a country.

The standardised questionnaire used to help students collect information needed of their countries to contribute in the project was sent to people who expressed interest in participation.

We mainly promote the project towards medical students instead of National Member Organisations (NMOs). NMOs can participate in the project by completing the questionnaire and sending it to us. Peru and Spain have contributed in the project this way during the past 4 months.

SCORA Twinning E: C:

Rex Crossley Award E: C:

rexcrossley@gmail.com Iza Ene & Claudiu Toader

The Rex Crossley Award transnational project has one of the most beautiful, but at the same time challenging, jobs in the projects division. Twice a year it must bring together, analyse, evaluate and reward the best ideas and projects in the IFMSA. It is a one of a kind activity and it represents the peak point that everybody wants to reach: recognition.

And the best part is that the evaluation is not done by any official but by the project coordinators themselves, because who can speak about IFMSA’s vision if not the people that are struggling to accomplish it every day?

The Rex Crossley Award is all about competition, motivation and breaking new frontiers.

All of these put together create an atmosphere where projects can be born, grow and change lives.

johanna.hoeper@gmail.com jelena1507@gmail.com Johanna Hoeper & Jelena Križančić

The Standing Committee on Reproductive health and AIDS (SCORA) Twinning project is a cooperation of SCORA teams involved in peer education from 2 to 3 different National Member Organisations (NMOs) through training and twinning during 3 to 4 days. Training offers experience and methods exchange, gain of facilitating skills and group discussions in order to develop one’s own strategies in handling delicate teenage issues. Twinning means making new friends and future collaborators through a familiar environment in small groups. Guest participants are hosted in participants homes and brings together different cultures through time spent intensively together.

The first Twinning of Poland and Germany took place in Lodz, Poland on 9th-12th December 2010. Croatian Medical Students’ International Committee (Croatia) and Bosnian and Herzegovinian Medical Students’ Association (BoHeMSA) Twinning took place in Split, Croatia from 21st to 24th October 2010. CroMSIC and Slovak Medical Students’ Association (SloMSA) Twinning took place in Radovanci from 3rd to 6th November 2010. As part of SCORA Twinning we had a training on project development and management for the Homophobia Free World project.

The Residency Database Project is an online database, providing medical students and young doctors with the essential information they needed to know about when pursuing a place

rld are invited to volunteer in the project and help the Romanian volunteers Survey methods for measuring moral disengagement and erence in Croatia, followed by multiple training sessions during General Assemblies and summer schools in the NetherlandsEveryone mation for their countriesTwinning means making new friends and future collaborators

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A tool for IFMSA to coordinate the numerous initiatives that already exist on TB and promote the organisation of new ones within i workshopTo keep all the medical students worldwide informed about the different opportunities in medical education, to help studen awareness of medical students and doctors of the impact of smoking behaviour on the publicIt is also about exploring new cultures, concept of role-play simulation in its activities and interventions. The participants will reflect on the role profile of a doctor who is smoker (Smoking-ologist) in an artificial social setting where smoking is a medical specialty (Smoking-ology). Such a concept of a smoking doctor, who promotes smoking will expose the participants to first-person experience of personalities, motivations and backgrounds of doctors who are smokers.

GOAL 1 to assess and raise awareness of medical students and doctors of the impact of smoking behaviour on the public.

SCORA-Xchange SCORA Xh

Sexperience

GOAL 2 to assess and raise knowledge of medical students and doctors of smoking hazards and tobacco control.

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GOAL 3 to promote and advocate the non smoking behaviour of medical students and doctors.

http://scora-xchange.weebly.com cobec_i@yahoo.com Ionut Cobec

The Standing Committee on Reproductive health and AIDS (SCORA) X-change is a 3 - 4 week long unilateral exchange program for medical students, focused on sexuality, reproductive health and rights related issues. It provides opportunities to learn about the medical services of the hosting country’s healthcare system and civil society, related mainly to HIV/ AIDS, as well as the country’s prospective on the HIV/AIDS global epidemic.

This program offers a chance for medical students to learn, gain experience, expand their knowledge, build practical skills and share ideas with local students and healthcare professionals, in the areas of HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health as well as other SCORArelated issues.

SCORA X-change is not a purely scientific experience; it is also about exploring new cultures, meeting new people and gaining friends from all over the world. During your clerkship, a social program is also organised in order to give you the chance of sightseeing and exploring the countries culture.

sexperienceifmsa@gmail.com Faydra Ioné Lieveld & David Alexander Gryesten Jensen

Many teenagers worldwide lack sufficient knowledge about sexuality, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and contraception. This leads to significant problems, two of which are the high incidence of STIs amongst teenagers and younger students, as well as unwanted teen pregnancy. Along with the physical issues of lack of sexual education comes emotional insecurity towards oneself and others.

There is also a lot of false information about HIV and AIDS among young people, which can lead to stigma and discrimination towards homosexuals and people living with HIV/AIDS. Sexperience is a vision of unity within the sex education projects of IFMSA. Unity that offers support for newly started projects, substantial knowledge and material sharing, and an opportunity for IFMSA to know exactly how many thousands of adolescents are being reached each year. Furthermore we wish to encourage and ensure that all the member projects live up to a set of quality standards.

Smoking-ologist W: C:

www.ifmsa.net/public/ project.php?id=85 Amany Ahmed & Albena Nikolova

Smoking-ologist is a project that integrates the

Scientific Opportunities Database W: C:

www.ssmt.ro/pagina_scientific_ opportunities_database/index.html Roxana-Zoe Ilie & Irina Cristescu

The Scientific Opportunities Database is a network that contains dates about congresses, meetings, workshops and other scientific manifestations related to the entire medical community from all over the world. Also, we would like to involve more and more countries, so that they could show and promote through us their scientific activities for medical students.

The Scientific Opportunities Database’s main aim is to keep all the medical students worldwide informed about the different opportunities in medical education, to help students join together with colleagues from all over the world in events aimed at personal and professional development. In the future, we would like our project to become more and more popular among medical students and to be a very useful tool for them in discovering the worldwide medical scientific opportunities.

In the next period, we will try simultaneously to collect the information about the worldwide activities and also to promote them through our project‘s means.

A tool for IFMSA to coordinate the numerous initiatives that already exist on TB and promote the organisation of new ones within i workshopTo keep all the medical students worldwide informed about the different opportunities in medical education, to help studen awareness of medical students and doctors of the impact of smoking behaviour on the publicIt is also about exploring new cultures,

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its National Member OrganisationsAll leading up to an intensive, very SCORAlicious, 5 day peer-to-peer sexual education training nts join together with colleagues from all over the world in events aimed at personal and professional developmentTo assess and raise meeting new people and gaining friends from all over the worldAdvocate for long term community health the disease.Through our Campaign we hope to motivate the National Public health Officers and other Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH) members to become involved in the global initiative adopted against tuberculosis. Through gathering information on all anti-TB projects, providing assistance, forming a database and promoting anti TB activities, the IFMSA Anti-TB Campaign is a tool for IFMSA to coordinate the numerous initiatives that already exist on TB and promote the organisation of new ones within its National Member Organisations.

IFMSA AntiUganda Village Project Workshop in PeerTuberculosis Campaign Education for Medical E: lubna_ifmsa@yahoo.com Students dr.tooofy@yahoo.com Uganda Village Project was implemented in Uganda. The aim of the project is to promote and advocate for long term community health and development solutions based on grassroots needs in the Iganga District of Uganda.

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Lubna Jalal & Mustafa Hago

The IFMSA Anti-TB Campaign aims to raise awareness on tuberculosis and establish an international strategy among the medical students worldwide to respond to the return of the disease.Through our Campaign we hope to motivate the National Public health Officers and other Standing Committee on Public Health (SCOPH) members to become involved in the global initiative adopted against tuberculosis. Through gathering information on all anti-TB projects, providing assistance, forming a database and promoting anti TB activities, the IFMSA Anti-TB Campaign is a tool for IFMSA to coordinate the numerous initiatives that already exist on TB and promote the organisation of new ones within its National Member Organisations.

IFMSA AntiTuberculosis Campaign E: C:

xerox67@hotmail.com Jorge Alejandro Gil Romero

The IFMSA Anti-TB Campaign aims to raise awareness on tuberculosis and establish an international strategy among the medical students worldwide to respond to the return of

The main areas of focus are healthcare (with special attention to malaria, obstetric fistula, and eyesight), orphan support, and clean water. The project is based on a year-round basis currently with Ugandan partners with the help of our team of officers plus long-term and shortterm volunteers. Long-term volunteers are also known as ‘interns’ and they are responsible for the most important aspects of the projects such as maintaining the quality of the programmes on a continuous basis.

Since May 2009 they have worked on healthy villages conducting survey in five villages; malaria nets holding 66 household malaria net sensitizations and solding 430 nets; safe water completing four wells; orphan support funding orphan scholarships for 35 secondary school students; poverty reduction and HIV having 150 HIV community sensitizations, 4 school sensitizations and organized 5 testing days in the community and at a school.

E: C:

fadi.halabi9@gmail.com k-zochowska@wp.pl Fadi Halabi & Katarzyna Żochowska

At a time in which the transnational exchange of knowledge and experiences proved to be the only way forward, it was only natural for LeMSIC-Lebanon and IFMSA-Poland to establish a peer-education training workshop to share the experiences of the two national member organisations. However, with time, this training was expanded to now include other countries especially within the Eastern Mediterranean region, with the first experience being with IFMSA-Jordan.

Members get recruited. Participation calls get sent. Venues get chosen. Educators get trained.

National training divisions prepare workshops.

Applications get assessed ... All leading up to an intensive, very SCORAlicious, 5 day peer-topeer sexual education training workshop.

Sessions on peer-education skills, stigma and discrimination, and sexually transmitted infections are given to enthusiastic medical students from the participating National Member Organisations to produce ambassadors of peer-education in one of the most needing regions in that domain! After all...it’s all about peer-education!

its National Member OrganisationsAll leading up to an intensive, very SCORAlicious, 5 day peer-to-peer sexual education training nts join together with colleagues from all over the world in events aimed at personal and professional developmentTo assess and raise meeting new people and gaining friends from all over the worldAdvocate for long term community health

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Initiative Projects

(Above) Medical Students campaign for the inclusion of Health in the international Climate Change negotiations. Montreal, August 2010

Think Global E: C:

thinkglobal@ifmsa.org Emi Fitzgerald

So you’re interested in Global Health, hey?

Then this may just be the place for you!

Think climate change, extreme poverty and hunger, mass migration, violent conflict, access to healthcare, globalisation, THINK GLOBAL! Think Global aims for all future healthcare professionals to have an understanding of global health. Working with students involved in IFMSA, it provides them with opportunities to learn about global health in the context of their clinical and extracurricular activities.

In 2011, these opportunities will include: • Global Health Workshops and the Theme Events at the IFMSA General Assemblies and Regional Meetings • An ongoing effort to include global health education in the medical curricula, worldwide.

• A focus on Global Health advocacy, allowing IFMSA members to gain an in-depth and exciting insight in to what “Getting to Know Your World” really means.

• An upcoming International Survey on Global Health Have a great Global Health Project your NNO runs, or just want to get involved? Then sign on to the Think Global Yahoo Server (thinkglobalteam), or email us at thinkglobal@ifmsa.org and tell us about it!

Tobacco Initiative Project W: E: C:

www.tip.ifmsa.org tip@ifmsa.org Milica Radovic

Some of you may recall the Marlboro Man (rugged looking cowboy)? You think that you are “cool” if you smoke in company of your peers?

You are mistaken! We don’t like smoking. We think that smoking is out of fashion, bad and an expensive habit. This unhealthy and antisocial experience can cost you a life. But you should know that we really care about public health and we will be always present to help you and your friends to quit smoking. We are medical students who created the Tobacco Initiative Project. It is a project to help raise awareness about the hazards of smoking cigarettes, inform and prevent young people from falling into a trap of smoking. We are fighting against tobacco - organising smoke-free parties, antitobacco marathon, y-peer trainings, different activities in public places. We created many useful things within the project. If you are creative, you do care for your health and health of your friends, love fun and team work, and think that your ideas can reach the project than you should join us.

The Tobacco Initiative Project (TIP) is intended to function primarily as a network for medical students against tobacco, allowing better coordination and structure of IFMSA anti-tobacco activities. This network will also provide the opportunity for trainings and designing of new materials, in collaboration with IFMSA’s partners. TIP would include a constantly updated database of all anti-tobacco activities, allowing ideas to be shared faster and better than previously possible. With evaluation a central theme of this project, the Standing Committee on Public Health aims to regularly improve the quality of projects within TIP, ensuring maximal benefit and effectiveness of activities.

We know that there are the people who live a clean life (free of the addiction that you are overcoming)….and still can enjoy life! Together, with our willpower, we can make our environment a tobacco-free place.

Think Global aims for all future healthcare professionals to have an understanding of global healthTogether, with our willpower, we can make our environment a tobacco-free placeThink climate change, extreme poverty and hunger, mass migration, violent conflict, access to healthcare, globalisation, THINK GLOBAL!

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IFMSA PROJECTS BULLETIN

Rex Crossley Award Winners August 2010 The Rex Crossley Award for the Best IFMSA Project, Best Projects Presentation and Best Project at the Projects Fair.

The process for the selection of the best IFMSA project is a vigorous one. Before each general assembly (GA) the Rex Crossley Award (RCA) Coordinators make a call for applications. Each time, numerous applications are received and the RCA Coordinators subsequently review each project independently. Keeping in mind the objectives of the RCA, the reviewers assess projects methodologically with preset guidelines on the importance of the problem that the

application addresses, the impact of the project, originality, goals and objectives, methodology, management of resources, activities and evaluation. A points scoring system is used to consolidate an agreed short-list of applications who then are asked to submit an article for the Projects Bulletin.

The final stage involves a round table where selected projects are asked to present to each other and the RCA Coordinators and advisors at the GA. Each project is tasked with providing feedback in the form of an evaluation for the other finalists. The selectors will take these

evaluations into account when making the final decision.

For the best projects presentation and best project at the projects fair the RCA Coordinators assemble a jury of five members, one from each standing committee. These jury members are usually recommended by the standing committee directors to the RCA Coordinators after the first standing committee session at the GA. A parallel process happens for the projects fair selections and the top 3 projects in each category will be announced in the evening of the last plenary session!

Project Fair

Project Presentations

Best Projects

1. Minima Medicamenta (Italy) 2. Dying a human thing (TNP) 3. Access to Medicines (Norway)

1. Healthy Planet (UK, Endorsed) 2. EuWHO (UK, Endorsed) 3. First Aid in Middle School (Denmark)

1. STEP (Sudan, Endorsed) 2. Marrow (UK) 3. Los Chavitos (Peru)

Rex Crossley Award Competition March Meeting 2011 Prepared for ACTION in Face of Disaster

A Manifesto of Medical Students from the Asia-Pacific Abstract:

ACTION2010 - August 23-29, 2010 in Manila, Philippines – revolved around the theme, “Health Management in Hospitals and Beyond in Times of Emergencies.” The conference ended with participants from 6 different countries working together to write up a manifesto. This manifesto best represents the desire of medical students to be more proactive in the area of

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disaster risk reduction and management.

Main Text:

During emergencies such as natural disasters, countries are thrown into chaos by a barrage of health concerns, structural losses and financial crises. This is most especially true in the AsiaPacific region, which is greatly vulnerable, both in geographic and socioeconomic terms, to the ill effects of disasters.

We medical students from Asia recognize that the health sector plays an imperative role in ensuring the safety and health of every citizen, especially in times of public health emergencies. As future doctors, it is our responsibility

to take an active part in this – and the time to achieve this is not tomorrow, but now.

Firstly, we aspire to become the bridges between doctors and patients, hospitals and communities…We possess the energy and creativity of youth as well as the technology – from mobile phones to social networking websites – that will enable us to connect to every person involved in emergency situations.

Secondly, should opportunities arise and our conditions allow, we will, without hesitation, volunteer to help in the actual emergency response, whether through university task forces, non-governmental organizations, or even government agencies... Even a small act con-

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tributes largely to the full recovery of a community devastated bydisaster.

Thirdly, we will also strive to become leaders in health emergency management, whether in a small community or on a national scale…

In order to fulfill these roles, we will avoid becoming victims of disaster. Thus, we should prepare by becoming aware of local hazards existing in our respective communities, as well as help not just in the response and recovery phase but more importantly in the prevention and mitigation stage…

Now more than ever, we medical students possess the burning desire to be of help to people in times of disasters… We believe that public health emergencies and their management should be taught in medical schools, so that the future health professionals can gain a greater understanding of these public health threats early in their career. As early as the first year of medical school, we should be trained in triage, basic life support and rehabilitation, to name a few topics.

The future of our region’s health lies in our hands. To be prepared for ACTION in the face of disaster remains our collective aspiration.

Conclusion:

ACTION-Project aims to provide healthcare students from the Asia-Pacific region with the essential knowledge and skills necessary for the prevention, response, and rehabilitation of communities in the face of disaster. During the seven-day training program, participants experience a wide range of topics on disaster risk reduction and management as well as medical approaches to emergencies. The course is unique as it draws lessons from experiences in the Asia-Pacific region. Medical students from

around the world will certainly benefit from the outcome as all follow-up activities will be disseminated through the IFMSA’s global networks.

Renzo Guinto, President of AMSAPhilippines and Misa Hyakutake, Chair of ACTION 2010/2011

Breaking the Silence

The art of hearing with your eyes Try to imagine a day without any sound! Imagine one day handling your activities without saying a single word. First of all, you should know that you may encounter serious side effects! You might get disoriented, misunderstood, irritated, disappointed, and you you might not succeed in solving your daily problems. Second, add an extra illness to the mix, add more worries, poor access to quality information, mix them all and afterwards all that, go to see a doctor.. How does it feel?

And this is how the idea of a project which aims to teach medical students, young doctors and medical personnel how to improve their communication with deaf patients was born. The transnational project “Breaking the Silence” was initiated by Romanian in cooperation with Greek medical students, but its roots date back to 2003 in Bialystok, to one of IFMSA’s - Poland Local Committees.

Worldwide, 250 million people suffer from hearing impairment and 2/3 of these people live in

(Below) Workshop: Planning for Future Public Health Emergencies In groups, we discussed how we should respond to emergency and did a presentation about it. (Photo by Misa Hyakutake)

developing countries. Only five percent (5%) can read and write, and there is enormous variation among them in terms of their ability to talk or read lips. Consequently, the interaction between a doctor and a deaf patient is difficult.

In addition, we had been in contact with many doctors and exploredtheir inability to communicate with deaf patients in the absence of a translator in emergency.

Considering all of the above, we conclude that the goal of providing “Breaking the Silence” Project to the medical community is perfectly adapted to the needs of medical students and future doctors. It’s aim can be said to be: organizing Sign Language courses and Workshops for the benefit of students, young doctors and medical personnel in each of the countries participating in the project and for IFMSA. And, due to the fact that the number of participants for the sign language courses is limited, we are now designing a web page with sign language courses online. We are starting by posting words in Romanian and Greek sign language, but any NMO can join and enrich its content.

The local program consists of 20 to 60 hours of practical exercise and short lectures - both available for medical students. Lessons take place in groups of 15 – 25 people. Teachers, who instruct students are recommended by the national or local authority of the deaf community.

With the aid of their experience, throughout the courses students not only learn signs, but lectures also give them an opportunity to better understand the problems of deaf peoples’ life style. Moreover, participants interact with deaf children at various events: providing medical presentations for children and celebrating & enjoying parties together and others.

We are really glad due to the fact that Breaking the Silence is running as a transnational project, because we made sign language known to our colleagues. Also, we helped them understand the importance of communicating with patients and broadened their perception of handicapped people: those who feel aside the society and not those with a disability. The results that are coming out of the evaluation of the project are very encouraging.

For all that and more, dissolve the noise and give signs a chance at www.bts.helmsic.gr!

Peace Building from Hiroshima to the World

Examine the Scars of War, Step Forward for Peace Abstract:

Hiroshima, Japan is a well known city as a symbol of peace. Hiroshima Summer School offers international students an opportunity to explore the various effects of the atomic bombs, learn how to treat war victims and build peace. For future action, we remind medical students that

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the a-bombs. Nowadays 3,500 atomic-bomb survivors live outside of Japan (2005), plus the number of hibakusha is gradually increasing worldwide because of accidents in nuclear power plants, nuclear experiments and the uses of depleted uranium missiles.

Our project intends to examine the health and social effects of a-bombs and other scars of war. Not only that, we also intend to learn how best to approach irradiated patients and discuss how we should contribute to peacebuilding as future medical professionals.

Conclusion:

(Left) At a nursing home, Hiroshima (Photo by Yuri Hamashima) we can play a big role towards world peace and care for the indelible scars of war.

Text:

It was a beautiful morning on the 6th of August, 1945 in Hiroshima, Japan. Some students were on their way to school and some workers were walking to their office. In the next second, quite an ordinary scene changed into tragedy. Do you know what happened? The atomic bomb exploded and killed civilians and soldiers.

One survivor described the damage as follows: “The appearance of people was . . . well, they

all had skin blackened by burns. . . . not only on their hands, but on their faces and bodies too - hung down. . . . wherever I walked I met these people. . . . Many of them died along the road - I can still picture them in my mind -- like walking ghosts.”

Even today, there are still a lot of hibakusha, survivors of atomic bombs suffering from the after-effects. Different survivors have a different ideas about the a-bombs, but a common message among them is that “The tragedy should never be repeated again”. Also they have faced with harsh reality that only a few physicians can diagnose and understand the health effect of

We hold a summer school in Hiroshima, and offer international students the opportunity to explore the effects of the atomic bombs from various viewpoints and learn how we should approach irradiated people as medical professionals. The program includes lectures from prominent doctors and researchers, discussions and tours of a hospital, an institution, and a nursing home. We also arrange a unique opportunity to meet the survivors. Our summer school is designed not only to learn about the various impacts of a-bombs but also to have profound discussions, share our knowledge and develop our compassion towards those victims.

We also aspire for spreading our messages to many other people. Last year, we held a public session on the last day of our program and made a presentation on the roles we could play in peace building from the perspective of the three fields of education, the media, and government policy. Such ideas as “create a special day for heightening awareness of nuclear issues and radiation” and “teach about the advantages and disadvantages of atomic energy through film” were offered.

Yuri Hamashima, Project Coordinator of Hiroshima Summer School 2009/2010 and Emi Igarashi, Project Coordinator of Hiroshima Summer School 2010/2011

Aiders Against AIDS

LeMSIC-SCORA tells their story with AIDS, the people living with AIDS, the community

(Above) Concert poster designed by LeMSIC-SCORA members as part of the WAD Campaign

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The WAD Campaign is an annual event held by the Standing Committee on Reproductive Health including AIDS, part of the Lebanese Medical Students’ International Committee (LeMSIC-SCORA). This year’s campaign was by far the most successful one, making it the leading AIDS Campaign in Lebanon. It revolved around three main axes, with the primary aim

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of raising funds for Lebanese AIDS patients to pay for their immunity tests. The rest of this article will share with you the vision that made our mission a success. It can be so for you as well.

This is our story, the story of 65 devoted SCORA members from Lebanon, who planned a ground-breaking World AIDS Day Campaign, let people in on the reality of AIDS in Lebanon and the world, and touched every Lebanese AIDS patient’s life. In 2001, LeMSIC-SCORA created the SCORA HIV fund in the three main Lebanese hospitals. Ever since, SCORA has been fundraising on every WAD for this fund through a benefit concert, to pay for AIDS patients’ CD4 count tests, which could reach up to 250 USD each!

Fueled with energy, the SCORAngels began with axis one: fundraising. Targeting sponsors for the concert since October, running a multi-restaurant branch donation and awareness campaign for a whole weekend around WAD, selling tickets for the concert featuring the hippest pop rock youth band in Lebanon, selling T-shirts that the SCORA members designed themselves under the theme of the campaign: “You do not have to be a doctor to fight AIDS”, all amounted to a fully-packed 850-participant concert that grossed over 20,000USD for the HIV fund, the biggest amount to ever be fundraised yet. But that was not even the beginning. Enthusiastically, the SCORAmbos worked on axis two: awareness. The notorious Free Hugs Awareness Campaigns spread over University campuses, the famous central clubbing streets and areas, and restaurant branches. SCORA members headed everywhere in their famous red T-shirts distributing hugs, condoms, self-designed pamphlets, posters, and plate mats to every

passer-by and every curious and not-so-curious person around! The media were buzzing with the SCORA campaign from live interviews on National Television and Radio stations before, during, and after the concert, and articles and blogs written about that intriguing youth student-run organization that is speaking out for aiders against AIDS. The SCORAwesomes also created and featured in a commercial on AIDS awareness which ran in December on National Television. This media frenzy helped in propagating axis three: peer education. Starting from WAD, December 1st, up until the concert, they were enlightening people via peer education sessions on the reality of HIV in Lebanon and worldwide, how to protect themselves, how to accept their peers with HIV, and where to get tested for HIV in Lebanon.

This campaign has taught us a lot, and has got us to heights we only dreamed of achieving in Lebanon. We spoke out against AIDS, but for aiders. We had people and NGOs talking about the issue, targeting us for more campaigns, sending their patients to us for testing, and fighting against AIDS, yet fighting for aiders. This is our story, the story of how we made a difference.

You can also do your share of ground-breaking; what are you waiting for?

Marrow

Be a Match, Save a Life Every year thousands of people are diagnosed with leukaemia and other blood disorders. For many their only chance of survival is a stem cell transplant, however only 30% of these will find a match within their family, the rest rely on strangers to be a match and donate their stem cells. 30,000 people in the world are currently waiting for a stem cell transplant, Marrow groups work to recruit people onto stem cell registries and so save the lives of these people.

Our Story:

Karen was a vibrant, dynamic, intelligent medical student at Nottingham University. She also had leukaemia. Her only hope was to have a stem cell donation, but a match was never found. In 1998 Karen died, that same year her friends set up the first ever Marrow group. Their aim was to give every student the opportunity to save a life by joining Anthony Nolan, the UKs largest stem cell registry.

Today our aim is the same; so far UK Marrow groups have signed up over 35,000 potential donors by running donor recruitment events at their universities. In recruiting at universities we sign up the best quality donors who are young, fit and healthy and from a mixture of different ethnic backgrounds. On top of this Marrow groups fundraise and promote awareness for stem cell donation. It costs 130 Euros to sign each person up to the registry and so Marrow groups fundraise to help Anthony Nolan continue their life-saving work, last year UK Marrow groups raised over 116,000 Euros.

These fundraisers are anything from bake sales to big running events “Marrow-thons.” There are a lot of myths surrounding stem cell donation, we help dispel these myths and give students the facts by contributing to education programmes and going into schools, teaching about blood disorders and stem cell donation.

A new aspect to Marrow in 2011 is that we are starting a campaign section, which will lobby the government, together with other blood disorder charities, to ensure that there is enough funding for treatment and research into these disorders.

Marrow’s position internationally has grown with the help of the IFMSA, we now have groups established in the Netherlands, France, Finland, Austria and Germany, and we’re constantly looking to expand further. Each of these international branches work with existing registries in their country, but many of these registries work internationally, so a student signed up by a Marrow group in Germany could donate their stem cells to a patient anywhere in the world.

(Above) Saliva Samples: The new way to sign up to the stem cell registry

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On the 25th Feb 2011 UK Marrow groups are holding their first ever “National Marrow Day.” Every UK branch will be hosting an event with the aim to raise funds and awareness for Anthony Nolan and the work they do. Next year we will be expanding this day internationally, bringing all the Marrow groups in the world together on one day.

IFMSA PROJECTS BULLETIN

most expected season of the year.

The second part of our project is called the Orphanage Exchange and it takes place during the summer holiday for three weeks. In this period, medical students from all over the world are invited to volunteer in the project and work side by side with the Romanian volunteers. Their volunteer program consists of playing with the children, helping with their homework, painting, drawing, playing sport, dancing and any other activity that will be fun and stimulating for the kids. This is a very important part of our project as foreign volunteers bring more stimulation and incitement to the children, due to the new culture they meet and also due to the language barriers they will have to cross upon. This is also a very good opportunity for the children to learn to speak English, but it also presents the challenge of finding new ways to communicate, other than the usual one.

Conclusion:

(Above) Volunteers of the Orphan Initiative Romania together with the children In recognition of our dedication to international health Marrow was the proud winner of the Rex Crossley awards for “best project in the world” at AM07 and AM08, and “project fair competition” at MM10. These awards have been invaluable in helping us grow internationally and so save more lives.

The simplicity and direct action of Marrow is what inspires our volunteers to work tirelessly recruiting donors, fundraising and raising awareness for stem cell donation.

Joining the register and getting involved with Marrow is easy, if you want to find out more visit www.anthonynolan.org.marrow or email us at nationalmarrow@gmail.com

Orphanage Initiative Romania

Join our efforts in creating a better future for the children!

Abstract:

In Romania there are over 70.000 institutionalized children. These institutions can be considered insufficiently prepared to assure a proper environment for child development in accordance with the principles of social reintegration.

Because of the low number of employees, some children might not get the full attention from a grown up throughout the day. That is why our mission is to fill the emotional gap of the chil-

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It is important for the children that they feel like a part of the community and they have results which they can be proud of. For that reason, for every activity that we make we give out diplomas and certificates of participation. We always encourage them in learning and enhancing their performance at school and in different activities. We hope that through our efforts we can build a better future for them or at least give them a better start in life, like all the children should have.

dren living in orphanages and to turn them into socially adapted members of the community.

Our goals are to develop the emotional capacity of the children, to develop a sense of team spirit and the fair-play, to stimulate the children’s creativity and to give the children a proper hygiene and healthy alimentation education. We think that through a constant interaction with medical students, these children can gain confidence in themselves by having new friends that are supportive and committed.

Content:

The project’s activity is split in to two main periods: during the university school year and during the summer holiday. At the national level, the Orphanage Initiative Project is held in 5 cities: Bucharest, Iasi, Craiova, Oradea and Sibiu.

During the school year, our volunteers (Romanian medical students) have weekly activities with the children in one or two orphanages in their city. The activities are chosen by the local coordinator for each institution and they try to meet the children’s specific needs.

Generally, they are activities that stimulate the creativity of the children through games or workshops with specific themes, but these are alternated with educational discussions about hygiene, alcohol or drugs. In this 1st period we have also have thematic parties for children and special events such as Easter, Christmas, End of school party or The International Child’s Day – which is also the Orphanage Initiative’s Day. With the money gathered in our fundraising programs we manage to help Santa every year to bring presents for all the children, in the

Rwanda Village Concept Project (RVCP)

Students’ contribution to improve the community living conditions Most doctors as well as medicals students are attracted to medicine because they look forward to curing disease. But all things considered, most people would prefer never to contract a disease in the first place or, if they cannot avoid an illness, they prefer that it be caught early and stamped out before it causes them any harm.

That is why Rwanda Village Concept Project (RVCP) is here to present asolution for community, where local and internationals students with aim of providing sustainable improvements to the health and living standards of underprivileged communities at the Village level and giving an opportunity to participating students to develop their skills and knowledge on the preventive methods and basic analysis of the community health-based problems.

To help achieve this, RVCP i organized in to different programs and initiatives:

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Programs: HIV/AIDS Awareness , Reproductive Health and Family Planning (aimed at nonschooled youth from rural areas)),Pyramid Program (HIV/AIDS and Gender empowerment, aimed at the secondary school students), AntiMalaria (Aimed at people from HUYE villages and primary school pupils), Hygiene, Water and Sanitation (aimed at people from HUYE villages and primary school pupils by contributing to the constructions of latrines and to the sessions about the effectiveness of hygiene practice the essentials tool to limit the spreading of infectious diseases), lastly Income Generation assistance (for anti HIV/AIDS clubs, widows and women with malnourished kids participating in Maternal Healthcare Education Program (MHEP) which aims to sustain and generate income for them, allowing the eradication of poverty).

Initiatives: Through MHEP, we are running this program to prevent maternal and child mortality., Huye Health Center Capacity Building Development and Let Little Children Come to Me orphanage center where we help those orphans feel comfortable within society as if they had their own family.

Despite all our achievements, we still have some challenges, but our funders and volunteers are helping us to achieve more. Because the needs of the community exceed our capacity and we can’t forget to mention the limited time students have. Specials thanks must go to all committed students and partners who have been involved in our project and we welcome all volunteers and partners to continue to consider the initiatives of students.

(Below) Condom demonstrations in the village

by RVCP volunteers

Sensibilizarte

Humanize through art Abstract:

The Sensibilizarte Project was created to provide medical students with a more sensitive and well-formed concept of humanism and a holistic view of the patient, as well as encouraging the medical student to think about the role of health professionals in our society. This

approach seeks to create an even stronger doctor-patient relationship, capable of providing better healthcare. The project is developed in four different areas: clown, music, storytelling and crafts.

Text:

Sensibilizarte was born in 2007, when two medical students, Rodrigo Aralios, and Marina Papa Penteado, inspired by the work of Patch Adams, created a project that aimed to improve the methodology of Clown therapy in to other artistic modes of play, such as Storytelling and Music. More people became interested in working on deploying this new project, but they felt something was missing before it could be complete. Then came up with the idea: why not also add craft? And indeed, this was the arrangement that was missing for the project to become complete. Then, in this unusual way, the Crafts modality appeared in Sensibilizarte.

The project was put into practice, and since then has not stopped growing in Brazil. Every week, at least two modalities visit the hospital, so that one acts in pediatrics and the other in the adult ward. Currently there are over 150 students in three different cities working on this project, with the support of teachers, actors, musicians and experts in medical humanization. We have not only medical students, but also nursing, psychology, pharmacy, dentistry and physiotherapy students. Still there more Colleges interested in implementing Sensibilizarte.

Implementing the project at your Local Committee level is very simple! First, you need a hospital where you can make periodic visits.

Besides this, it’s important to train the volunteers in each modality of their interest. It’s not

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(Left) Sensibilizarte volunteer clowns with one of the patients (Right) Volunteers with SKIP Edinburgh working with children from an orphanage in Moldova necessary to hire a teacher to train the people if you do not have money, as the volunteers themselves, can train each other. You can find very good and funny videos on the internet to train the clowns. The music training consists of groups to choose and sing selected songs. You can make origami and develop designs for the children to paint, among many other craft possibilities. As for storytelling training, you can choose stories to enact with puppets, or tell stories for the adults. You can also make two modalities act together. For example, Handcrafts and Storytelling, so the Crafts can propose an activity based on the story told, or vice versa. Or the Clowns can act with the Music, and they can sing and clown around all together. In fact, there are many possible activities to develop, and they all lead to excellent results.

Each modality brings a new collection of positive results and an even greater range of resources to humanization, allowingthe volunteer to choose the mode that best fits their personal skills. Thus, the health professional’s quality of life is improved with this project and occupational syndromes such as burn-outs are prevented.

Conclusion:

Born from the inspiration of two people, Sensibilizarte now runs with over 150 students. In its 4th anniversary, the project approached more than 10,000 people, allowing us to reap countless benefits and imbuing the participants and patients with a feeling of happiness and kindness. Working with humanization is very rewarding! It’s great to bring moments of joy to patients and it is also a benefit to both them and the volunteers, who become more humane and empathetic towards suffering. We will be, surely, better professionals.

Students for Kids International Projects (SKIP)

Supporting and empowering global communities SKIP is a student- led charity which implements sustainable interventions in partnership with NGOs in impoverished communities across 11 different countries. Since our inception in 2003 the charity has grown to 11 branches across the UK. Our 600 affiliated members are uni-

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versity students, primarily from a healthcarerelated background.

We strive to: • Support vulnerable and impoverished communities worldwide in accordance with their needs • Educate and empower students to initiate and maintain sustainable community integrated overseas projects • Work with collaborating NGO’s to improve the health, welfare and education of children • Promote the universal rights of the child and the role of future healthcare professionals in advocating and implementing change Through our branches we run a diverse range of sustainable interventions such as dental hygiene, health education, sex education, English teaching and hygiene. These interventions are audited every two years.

Education, infrastructure projects and carefully directed funds can only go so far towards improving the health of a community faced with global health problems. Greater advocacy is needed if the underlying problems are to be tackled by students. By harnessing the experiences of our volunteers and the direct contact they have with those affected by global health issues we advocate for change in public attitudes and policy and by doing so empower those communities in which we work.

Our inherent strengths are also our structural weaknesses. By having annual rolling committees of healthcare students, we have a versatile and fresh group of enthusiastic and motivated, but sometimes naïve and time-poor individuals who can take time to form cohesive and cogent teams.

Since our ultimate goal is to no longer be of need to our partner organisations and communities, now our biggest goal is to provide sustainability at a project level, ensuring the benefits continue for years to come. Sustainable funding at both a branch level, to maintain and develop our interventions, and at a national level to ensure training and growth of the charity are the continuing needs we face.

Conclusion

We hope our work will inspire others to set up their own similar sustainable community integrated projects in one of the thousands of communities in need. By spending time with the people we work with we are able to listen to and address the needs of the children, and hence the wider communities. In this we have the tools to implement SKIP’s vision of care and providing support to children in accessing their basic rights of health, education and welfare and for future healthcare professionals to have an awareness, ability and motivation to influence and contribute to global development.

“As a charity we have never been better equipped to meet our aims. However, knowing the calibre of our volunteers and committee members, I anticipate that just meeting them will not be enough: rather they will be adapted and their scope widened as we grow.” Holly Macdonald, SKIP Executive Board.

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Algeria (Le Souk) Argentina (IFMSA-Argentina) Armenia (AMSP) Australia (AMSA) Austria (AMSA) Azerbaijan (AzerMDS) Bahrain (IFMSA-BH) Bangladesh (BMSS) Bolivia (IFMSA Bolivia) Bosnia and Herzegovina (BoHeMSA) Bosnia and Herzegovina - Rep. of Srpska (SaMSIC) Brazil (DENEM) Brazil (IFMSA Brazil) Bulgaria (AMSB) Burkina Faso (AEM) Burundi (ABEM) Canada (CFMS) Canada-Quebec (IFMSA-Quebec) Catalonia - Spain (AECS) Chile (IFMSA-Chile) China (IFMSA-China) Colombia (ACOME) Colombia (ASCEMCOL) Costa Rica (ACEM) Croatia (CroMSIC) Czech Republic (IFMSA CZ) Denmark (IMCC) Ecuador (IFMSA-Ecuador) Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt) El Salvador (IFMSA El Salvador) Estonia (EstMSA) Ethiopia (EMSA) Finland (FiMSIC) France (ANEMF) Georgia (GYMU) Germany (BVMD) Ghana (FGMSA) Greece (HelMSIC) Grenada (IFMSA-Grenada) Hong Kong (AMSAHK) Hungary (HuMSIRC) Iceland (IMSIC) Indonesia (CIMSA-ISMKI) Iran (IFMSA-Iran) Israel (FIMS) Italy (SISM) Jamaica (JAMSA) Japan (IFMSA-Japan) Jordan (IFMSA-Jo) Kenya (MSAKE) Korea (KMSA)

Kurdistan - Iraq (IFMSA-Iraq/Kurdistan) Kuwait (KuMSA) Kyrgyzstan (MSPA Kyrgyzstan) Latvia (LaMSA Latvia) Lebanon (LeMSIC) Libya (LMSA) Lithuania (LiMSA) Luxembourg (ALEM) Malta (MMSA) Mexico (IFMSA-Mexico) Mongolia (MMLA) Montenegro (MoMSIC Montenegro) Mozambique (IFMSA-Mozambique) Nepal (NMSS) New Zealand (NZMSA) Nigeria (NiMSA) Norway (NMSA) Oman (SQU-MSG) Pakistan (IFMSA-Pakistan) Palestine (IFMSA-Palestine) Panama (IFMSA-Panama) Peru (APEMH) Peru (IFMSA Peru) Philippines (AMSA-Philippines) Poland (IFMSA-Poland) Portugal (PorMSIC) Romania (FASMR) Russian Federation (HCCM) Rwanda (MEDSAR) Saudi Arabia (IFMSA-Saudi Arabia) Serbia (IFMSA-Serbia) Sierra Leone (MSA) Slovakia (SloMSA) Slovenia (SloMSIC) South Africa (SAMSA) Spain (IFMSA-Spain) Sudan (MedSIN-Sudan) Sweden (IFMSA-Sweden) Switzerland (SwiMSA) Taiwan (IFMSA-Taiwan) Tatarstan-Russia (TaMSA-Tatarstan) Thailand (IFMSA-Thailand) The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MMSA-Macedonia) The Netherlands (IFMSA-The Netherlands) Tunisia (ASSOCIA-MED) Turkey (TurkMSIC) Uganda (FUMSA) United Arab Emirates (EMSS) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Medsin-UK) United States of America (AMSA-USA) Venezuela (FEVESOCEM)

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