International Alliance of Patients' Organizations
March 2009 Update
The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations continues to be the international voice for patient-centered care. This year NHC President Myrl Weinberg will complete her two-year term as chair of the IAPO Governing Board. Recent activities by IAPO include the following:
- IAPO staff attended the World Health Organization Executive Board meeting January 19-27 in Geneva, Switzerland. Two issues of particular interest to IAPO were counterfeit medical products and a global strategy on the convergence of public health, innovation, and intellectual property. IAPO staff also met with representatives from the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations, World Health Professions Alliance, and other organizations to discuss a broad range of common concerns.
- IAPO has developed new and updated existing policies and procedures, many of them similar to those NHC requires its members to adopt in order to meet the NHC Standards of Excellence. One of the newest IAPO policies supports the involvement of former Board members on external committees and their presence at external events. The policy reads in part, “(T)his continued [involvement] of former board members on behalf of IAPO can be a valuable resource for IAPO in increasing its international presence and involvement in initiatives. . .(F)ormer board members can represent IAPO in external committees and events if approved on an individual basis by the board.”
- Staff is finalizing a report on its regional meeting, Working Together to Strengthen Healthcare Systems in Africa, which was held in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2008. The report is due to be released in February 2009. Additionally, IAPO is in the process of planning for the 4th Global Patients Congress to be held in 2010.
- IAPO’s Policy Statement and Guidelines on Health Literacy and Patient Involvement are now available in Spanish on the IAPO website at http://www.patientsorganizations.org/showarticle.pl?id=975;n=960.
Staff contact: Myrl Weinberg, President
