253742 25 years of Strengthening of Public Health Associations (SOPHA) Program

Monday, October 31, 2011: 8:30 AM

James Chauvin , President-Elect, WFPHA, Canadian Public Health Association, Ottawa, ON, Canada
     
The Strengthening of Public Health Associations (SOPHA) Program has been the flagship international initiative of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA) since 1985. Over the intervening 25 years, CPHA has provided technical and financial assistance to contribute to building national and global public health capacity and competence through nurturing the organizational and programmatic capacity of national Public Health Associations in over 30 countries around the world.

The Program's achievements include improved capacity to design and advocate for healthy public policy, programs and practices that contribute to the improvement of individual, community and national health for all. This presentation will examine the achievements and lessons learned over the past 25 years, and outline ideas for future SOPHA-like interventions.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Other professions or practice related to public health
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Describe and analyze the achievements and value-added of an initiative dedicated to nurturing organizational and programmatic capacity of national public health associations in developing countries as a means to build and strengthen national and global public health capacity. Discuss multi-country partnerships for building public health competence and capacity.

Keywords: Public Health Advocacy, Public Health Agency Roles

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was Director of the SOPHA Program for several years and as well Director of CPHA’s Global Health Program as of January 2006 up until February 2011 – I have many year’s experience with the SOPHA Program and in providing technical assistance to overseas public health associations.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: WFPHA-Canadian Public Health Association-APHA Joint Session
See more of: International Health