Global Meeting on Tobacco Treaty
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging member countries that are signatories to the new Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) to participate in a Feb. 6–17, 2006, meeting in Geneva that will nail down important details of the treaty's implementation. The Conference of the Parties will discuss and likely decide on critical issues including the structure and functions of the FCTC Secretariat, financing mechanisms for implementation, reporting requirements, and priorities for negotiation of protocols to the treaty. The FCTC entered into force in February and has been ratified, acceded to, or accepted by 110 countries, 14 of them from the PAHO region. Others must do so by Nov. 8 to participate in the February Conference of the Parties. (Contact: selinhea@paho.org.)

Grenada Eyes Five-Year Health Plan
Grenada's Ministry of Health, with support from PAHO, is developing a new five-year National Strategic Plan for Health, which it expects to begin implementing in early 2006. The plan provides guidelines for future actions in health protection, health promotion, and health services and explores ways "to collaborate, finance, and implement" changes needed to improve the country's health system, according to Minister of Health Ann David-Antoine. "The plan will empower people to take charge of their own health needs and encourage them to seek the kind of health care and modify lifestyles to achieve optimum health," the minister said during the launch of the planning process in September. The plan will incorporate elements of several regional and international agreements, including the Caribbean Single Market and Economy and the Millennium Development Goals.

Central America in Joint Approach to Water and Waste

The Forum on Potable Water and Sanitation for Central America and the Dominican Republic (FOCARD-APS) met in San Salvador in early October to discuss plans for an integrated approach to water and sanitation in the subregion. Participants included Minister of Health of El Salvador José Guillermo Maza Brizuela and representatives of the World Bank, the Central American Bank of Economic Integration (BCIE), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the Central American Integration System (SICA), the Central American Regional Network for Potable Water and Sanitation (RRASCA), ministries of health, and nongovernmental organizations. Discussions focused on the need for a regional policy on water and sanitation, ways of harmonizing methods for water quality monitoring, the implementation of a regional system for epidemiological surveillance, and training programs to address common human resource needs in these areas. The Pan American Center for Sanitary Engineering and Environmental Sciences (CEPIS), one of PAHO's network of scientific and technical centers, is supporting FOCARD-APS's efforts. (Contact: jjenkins@paho.org.)

Clean Hands Mean Safer Patients
The World Alliance for Patient Safety has launched a new campaign, "Clean Care Is Safer Care," to encourage health care workers to practice better hand hygiene to help reduce infections acquired in health care settings. Health care associated infections are a major issue in patient safety, contributing to deaths and disability, promoting resistance to antibiotics, and adding to health care costs. The launch of the campaign drew some 250 participants to Geneva in mid-October, including senior government officials and representatives of international and governmental agencies, professional associations, civil society organizations, academic and medical institutions, and departments of WHO and its regional offices. Participants called on ministries of health around the world to pledge their support for actions to reduce health care associated infections in their countries and to share results and lessons learned. The campaign is the first in a series of "Global Patient Safety Challenges" planned by the alliance, and will also promote blood and injection safety, safe clinical practices, and safe water and sanitation in health care.

Cyclists Raise AIDS Awareness

Extreme sportsman Joachim Franz of Germany and a team of five other cyclists set a Pan American record by cycling 30,000 kilometers from Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina in an effort to raise awareness and funds to fight the global HIV epidemic. Citizens from towns and cities along their route turned out to support the Pan American Aids Awareness Expedition 2005. In several countries, local PAHO offices provided logistical and other support, organizing press conferences and special events. The team took 39 days—from Aug. 12 to Sept. 19—to travel from Deadhorse, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina, the hemisphere's southernmost town. The trek across 13 countries inspired radio, television and print media coverage that called attention to the global HIV epidemic and the needs of the 3 million people in the Americas who have HIV. The expedition was cosponsored by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). (Contact: sida@paho.org.)