Media Advisory – World Medical Association Annual General Assembly
13-16 October -Vancouver, BC
Ottawa, Oct 5 – The World Medical Association (WMA) will hold its annual General Assembly in Vancouver, BC under the presidency of Dr. Dana Hanson a New Brunswick dermatologist and Past-President of the Canadian Medical Association (CMA). The meeting will be held in Vancouver’s Fairmont Hotel, Oct. 13-16, 2010.This year’s scientific session theme is “Health and the Environment”, with speakers from around the world including Professor Sir Michael Marmot, President of the British Medical Association. Sir Marmot will speak on social determinants and environmental health and how to improve health for all in the face of a changing environment.
The key features of the meeting include:
Wednesday, Oct. 13 – Committees
•Medical Ethics committee;
•Finance and Planning Committee;
•Socio-Medical Affairs Committee;
•Credentials Committee.
Thursday, Oct. 14 – Scientific session
•Summary of current WMA and CMA initiatives in “Health and the Environment” – Dr. Maura Ricketts, CMA and Dr. Ruth Collins-Nakai, WMA;
•Social determinants and environmental health – Sir Michael Marmot, British Medical Association;
•Indoor air quality in developing countries – Dr. Diego Bassani, University of Toronto;
•Strategic approach to international chemical management – Dr. Dongchun Shin, Korean Medical Association;
•Mercury toxicity and its phase out in health care – Dr. Peter Orris, Chicago;
•Health impact of climate change – Dr. Alan Abelsohn, University of Toronto;
•Built environment and sustainability – Dr. Lawrence Frank, University of British Columbia;
•Adaptive measures at local and regional levels to mitigate the health impact of climate change – Dr. Ray Copes, University of British Columbia;
•Aboriginal and indigenous health and the environment – Dr. Kue Young, University of Toronto;
•Child health and the environment – Dr. Robin Walker, IWK Health Centre, Halifax.
For more details on the scientific sessions and for bios of the speakers, click on:http://www.wma.net/en/50events/10statutorymeetings/03ga_2010_sso/index.html
Friday, Oct. 15
•Main Meeting of the 186th Council Session
•Assembly Ceremonial Session
Saturday, Oct. 16
•Plenary Session of the Assembly
Among the issues to be discussed throughout the WMA’s General Assembly are:
•Physician-pharmacist relationships;
•Violence against women and children;
•Violence in the health care sector;
•Prison conditions and the spread of TB;
•End-of-life care;
•Placebo use in medical research;
•A mechanism for reporting situations where physicians have been asked to be
•involved in torture;
•Medical care for refugees and displaced persons.
More information on the WMA General Assembly can be found on the WMA website: www.wma.net.
The World Medical Association is the independent confederation of national medical associations from 95 countries and represents more than eight million physicians. Acting on behalf of patients and physicians, the WMA endeavours to achieve the highest possible standards of medical care, ethics, education and health-related human rights for all people.
For further information:
Members of the media wishing to attend the scientific session and the Assembly meeting should register by contacting:
Canada
Lucie Boileau
Media Relations Manager
Canadian Medical Association
lucie.boileau@cma.ca
Tel.: 1-800-663-7336 ext. 1266
Mobile: 613 447-0866
International
Nigel Duncan
+44 (0) 20 8997 3653
nduncan@ndcommunications.co.uk
