Panama - Plans for Centennial Celebrations

Panama Celebrates the Centennial

Panama organized a series of activities honoring the centennial during the mid-August visit of PAHO Assistant Director Mirta Roses. The visit included a lecture by Roses on epidemiology and public health, delivered to some 60 government officials and representatives of international organizations, as well as a special 6-kilometer Health Walk led by President of Panama Mireya Moscoso and including her entire cabinet.

Panama kicked off the Centennial Celebrations!

January 11, 2002 - Presided over by the PAHO Representative, the press conference that launched the centennial celebrations was attended by Panama Public Health Hero, Dr. Ana de Palau, Champion of Health, Dr. Rosa María Britton and Vice Minister of Health, Alexis Pinzon, among others. During the ceremony, the Clarence Moore Prize of the Children of Darien Foundation was awarded.

Other developments:

•   National Committee has met and will continue to meet every two months, it includes representatives from the following institutions/sectors:

  Office of the President
  Ministries of Health, Foreign Affairs, Education, and Agricultural Development
  Office of Social Security
  University of Panama
  UN Agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNESCO)
  OAS

•  A list of potential Public Health Heroes and Champions has been compiled.

Suggested activities will include:

• Various press releases and conferences in both 2001 and 2002 to promote centennial activities.
• Work with the National Savings Bank (Caja de Ahorros) on a national oratory contest addressing health issues.
• Work with various national groups to conduct a national painting contest on the centennial theme.
• Work with various national groups to coordinate a Walkathon for the centennial.
• Coordination of national sporting event (Juegos Florales de la III Edad) in association with the Social Security Administration Office.
• Incorporate and support 2 or 3 scientific events in celebration of the centennial during 2002.
• In collaboration with the Social Security Administration Office, create a commemorative "tamborera".
• Work with the National Lottery for the release of lottery tickets alluding to the centennial.
• Work with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on the possibility of producing a commemorative coin with the centennial logo.
• A solemn program defined and approved by the National Committee and the Office of the President of the Republic, on December 2, 2002.

Latest updates:

• A local committee for the Centennial has been established and Dr. Federico Harnández Pimentel is the coordinator of that committee.
• Plans are underway for the publication of a historical publication about the History of PAHO in Panama which will involve interviewing current as well as former PAHO staff members
• Preliminary lists of Public Health Heroes and Champions of Health have been drafted.
• Public Health Heroes have already been contacted with a request for their curriculum vitae- to be reviewed.
• Have contacted the Vice-Minister of the Presidency with a proposal for the ceremony on 2 December, 2002 which will be attended by the President, the Cabinet, the Diplomatic Corps, and representatives from international NGO's
• The National Beneficiary Lottery will print tickets with the Centennial logo
• The National Bank is considering request to print coins with Centennial logo
  

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