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AFSM Quarterly News October 2019

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The magazine of the Association of Former WHO Staff Members (AFSM)

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Supporting former staff and helping them to stay in touch and informed

Cayenne

Maripasoula

FrenchGuiana

In 1967 an AFSM member was posted to Maripasoula as district physician Just over 50 years later he returned for the first time and relates this anniversary trip on page 17

The doctor’s transport for the medical rounds – A traditional Boni village with carved and painted wood facades


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In 1967 an AFSM member was posted to Maripasoula in French Guiana. See page 17

Photo 1 The Maroni river in the dry season. Photo 2 The plane to Cayenne, far from new in 1967. Photo 3 In the hospital. Photo 4 Making a bow (Wayana). Photo 5 The Post Office in 1968. Photo 6 The Post Office in 2019. Photo 7 A Wayana child. Photo 8 A Boni village elder. Photo 9 The Maroni river in the rainy season. Photo 10 The village of Maripasoula in 1968. Photos: J-P Menu

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CONTENTS EDITORIAL

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

We lead this issue with a report on the recent FAFICS Council held

in Vienna, where pensions and health insurance issues were

discussed. An appraisal of the current situation at the Pension

Fund follows, and an informative report on the recently held SHI

Global Oversight Committee.

By coincidence this is an issue of anniversary articles:

the 50th anniversary reunion of some of the staff who joined WHO

in 1969 (page 16); a return to the Amazon after 50 years for an

AFSM member (page 17); the 500th anniversary of the death of

Leonardo Da Vinci (page 18); and the 10th anniversary of the

germination of a vision to build a school in memory of a WHO

colleague who died in tragic circumstances (page 23).

In the previous issue of Quarterly News you may have reviewed

the results of the survey of our members’ rating of topics in

Quarterly News. Did you notice that one of the most popular

topics with our readers is – letters from other readers? So, unless

you make the effort to write to the magazine you, the readers, will

be deprived of this popular item. As short or as long as you wish –

well, do please try to keep it to no more than 300 words! – let’s

be hearing from you. Factual, whimsical, annoyed/dismayed or

pleased, write and tell us.

Keith Wynn

48th FAFICS Council

Pension Fund: Toll-free numbers

Pension Fund: Update

SHI: News of the Global Oversight

Committee

SHI On-line: New features

New AFSM members

WHO colleagues reunited

Humour

News from WHO

Our Health: Blue light

A reunion of some WHO staff

recruited in 1969

Return to the Amazon after 50 years

Leonard Da Vinci, 500th anniversary

of his death

AFSM Cruise 2020

Book review: WHO: A History

The sky for October–December

Readers' Letters

News from around the world

In Memoriam

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AFSM: Office 4141, WHO, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Tel.: +41(0) 22 791 3192 or E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]. The AFSM office is covered on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 12:00. Alternatively, please leave a message and someone will call you back. Website: http://who.int/formerstaff/en/

Health Insurance (SHI): Tel.: +41(0) 22 791 18 18; in case of absence please leave a message, someone will call you back, or send an e-mail to: [email protected]

Pensions (UNJSPF): Contact by e-mail is no longer possible. Callers between 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday except Thursday. At the Geneva office, Du Pont de Nemours Building, Chemin du Pavillon 2, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, at the New York office, 4th floor, 1 Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza (DHP), Corner of 48th Street and 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 10017. Or write via the “Contact us” link on the Fund’s website: https://www.unjspf.org Or telephone: Geneva: +41 (0) 22 928 88 00 or New York: +1 212 963 6931. See also the list of Toll-Free and local numbers at https://www.unjspf.org/toll-free-numbers/. In the case of non-receipt of the monthly benefit or the death of a beneficiary, visit the website: https://www.unjspf.org/emergency/ for instructions.Remember to always have your Unique ID number handy when contacting UNJSPF.

Resources for retirement: visit the AFSM website, http://www.who.int/formerstaff/issues/retirement/en/

Formalities in case of death of former WHO staff member: visit the AFSM website, http://www.who.int/formerstaff/about/en/

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EDITORIAL BOARD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Keith Wynn, Editor-in-Chief and layout,

Yves Beigbeder, Sue Block Tyrrell,

Laura Ciaffei, David Cohen,

Maria Dweggah, Lindsay Martinez,

Jean-Paul Menu, Dev Ray,

Rosemary Villars.

The translation of all articles is

undertaken by the Editorial Board and

Catherine d’Arcangues, Michèle Evans

and Anne Yamada.

The opinions expressed in this

newsletter are those of the authors and

not necessarily those of the Editorial

Board.

Please send your contributions for

publication in QNT to: Keith Wynn

[email protected]

We very gratefully acknowledge the

invaluable support of the Printing,

Distribution, and Mailing Services.

mailto:[email protected]










http://who.int/formerstaff/en/
























https://www.unjspf.org



















https://www.unjspf.org/toll-free-numbers/





























https://www.unjspf.org/emergency/



























http://www.who.int/formerstaff/issues/retirement/en/






































http://www.who.int/formerstaff/about/en/





































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FAFICS COUNCIL

Highlights of the 48th Session of the Council of the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants (FAFICS)

The 48th FAFICS Council held in Vienna from 15 to 17 July 2019 brought together 56 participants from the four corners of the globe, representing 26 of the 63 associations of UN retirees composing the Federation, an NGO in official relations with the UN. Although AFSM is not an official member of FAFICS, the president of AFSM is a statutory member of AFICS Geneva and it was as a member of the AFICS delegation that I represented AFSM’s president at the Council.

This group spent 2½ days presenting, discussing, deliberating, and nodding and shaking their heads on topics close to their hearts. As to be expected for a group of retirees, the hot topics were the pension fund and the After-Service Health Insurance (ASHI).

The Council learned about the FAFICS delegation’s active involvement in Pension Fund forums, both the Board and various working groups. Over the last year, the two FAFICS representatives on the Governance Working Group (GWG) were very active. Both savvy and highly experienced in Pension Fund matters, they successfully defended FAFICS’ interests. It remains a fully-fledged member of UNJSPF without voting rights with an official delegation of four members and two

alternates. Their efforts effectively stymied the detractors who felt that retirees should not partici-pate in the GWG or the Board. This bodes well for FAFICS’ continuing presence at the Board and in sundry working groups where FAFICS’ overarching objective is to protect retirees’ pension rights.

Much discussion was generated on the way FAFICS delegates to the Pension Board are selected. Although there was general agreement for continuity in representation as well as the need for succession planning and rotation, it was recognised as vital that FAFICS retain its reputation of competent representatives on the Board. FAFICS president reminded the Council that the selection process follows the Rules and Procedures and that representing FAFICS requires an understanding of pension issues and the availability to attend various meetings. No mean feat and definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Following presentations by the Pension Fund senior management (refer to the next article, Pension Matters, for details), it was the retirees’ turn to enlighten the senior management. Delegates had no qualms in voicing the challenges they or their colleagues face back home. Non-computer literate oldies can’t access the Fund’s website in search of

information and not all retirees have internet. Direct phone contact often ends up in a holding pattern. Certificates of Entitlements do not always reach the beneficiary. On this last point, the CEO encouraged retirees to write to the Fund, explaining that the CE has not arrived, sign the letter by hand, and post it to the New York office. Some African colleagues complained about irregular receipt of pension payments which brought to light a bank transfer problem Council deliberations – President Emeritus, has the floor and screen. Photo: Barbara Fontaine


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with the CFA zone. And it would appear that registered mail does not always reach the New York pension office. We learned that there are now toll-free and local numbers available for 62 countries (see the current list at the end of this article) for retirees to contact in search of solutions to the varying pension related problems.

As to ASHI, and the UN health insurance plans, the main issues are unmet liability and cost containment. For the latter, an initiative to force retirees into national schemes has stalled. Concerning the former, the UN at present does not intend to create a liability fund for its health insurance schemes. The main recommendations of the UN resolution on Managing after-service health insurance (A/RES/73/279 B, 15 April 2019), in addition to exploring measures to address ASHI liability, include the consideration of further options for cost containment and improved efficiency and the implementation of an entitlement accrual mechanism after 1 January 2022 for all new staff. Although WHO is part of the

UN-wide Health Insurance Working Group, the UN resolution does not affect WHO since it has its own insurance scheme. Moreover, this Council attendee discovered, much to her comfort, that the WHO Health Insurance is one of the best in the greater UN Family and the only scheme thus far to have put in place a liability fund.

Other news from the Council is that the current President, Treasurer and Secretary were re-elected and the five new Vice-Presidents reflect FAFICS’ global nature, coming as they do from Austria, Bangladesh, Switzerland, Mali and USA. With 19,100 members, FAFICS represents almost 27% of the 70,902 UN system retirees and is growing.

Several associations of UNJSPF beneficiaries are at various stages of the process to become a FAFICS member.

In conclusion, the Council had a lively, productive gathering, despite the gruelling pace.

Barbara Fontaine

ANGOLA 244227280316 Local Number

ARGENTINA 08006661985 Toll-Free

AUSTRALIA 1-800-986-631 Toll-Free

AUSTRIA 0800-100-485 Toll-Free

BANGLADESH 8808001112230 Toll-Free

BELGIUM 0800-58-539 Toll-Free

BENIN 22961509856 Local Number

BOSNIA AND

HERZEGOVINA 38770311081 Local Number

BRAZIL 0800-724-8292 Toll-Free

BULGARIA 080011044 Toll-Free

BURKINA FASO 22625300984 Local Number

CANADA 1-833-817-5824 Toll-Free

CAMEROON (237) 6977-77888 Local Number

CHILE 12300204643 Toll-Free

Toll-Free and Local Numbers. The Pension Fund has announced the launch of an initiative to establish Toll-Free and Local Numbers to directly connect callers to its Call Centre. These numbers are

now available in the following countries from 7am to 7pm (New York Time):

CHINA (86) 10-5697-1367 Local Number

COLOMBIA 018005183130 Toll-Free

COSTA RICA 50625397676 Local Number

CYPRUS 35780080804 Toll-Free

CZECH REPUBLIC 800-022-965 Toll-Free

DENMARK 80-400-313 Toll-Free

ECUADOR 1-800-000992 Toll-Free

EGYPT* 208000009863 Toll-Free

FINLAND 0800-525-080 Toll-Free

FRANCE 0805-98-11-70 Toll-Free

GERMANY 0800-627-9988 Toll-Free

GHANA (233)242426448 Local Number

GREECE 302119906055 Local Number

GUATEMALA 50222337199 Local Number

HUNGARY 06-801-80460 Toll-Free


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INDIA 0008000501571 Toll-Free

INDONESIA 1803-016-0003 Toll-Free

IRELAND (353) 180 083 2767 Toll-Free

ISRAEL (972) 3737-0097 Local Number

ITALY 800-598-995 Toll-Free

JAPAN 0120-536-708 Toll-Free

KENYA 0800221383 Toll-Free

MALAYSIA 0-1800-383512 Toll-Free

MALI 22344960045 Local Number

MEXICO 01-800-040-8536 Toll-Free

MOROCCO 00212-800-096-069 Toll-Free

NETHERLANDS 0800-020-5918 Toll-Free

NEW ZEALAND 0800482314 Toll-Free

NIGERIA (234) 1 912-5031 Local Number

NORWAY 80062605 Toll-Free

PAKISTAN 0080090033072 Toll-Free

PERU 080078482 Toll-Free

PHILIPPINES 632-271-1230 Local Number

POLAND 48800144747 Toll-Free

PORTUGAL (351) 80 060 0117 Toll-Free

RUSSIAN

FEDERATION 8-800-500-0096 Toll-Free

SERBIA 0800-191-106 Toll-Free

SOUTH AFRICA 27800555530 Toll-Free

SOUTH KOREA 82808221403 Toll-Free

SPAIN 800-000-855 Toll-Free

SRI LANKA 0112029059 Toll-Free

SWEDEN 020-120-3145 Toll-Free

SWITZERLAND 0800-672-692 Toll-Free

THAILAND 1800012804 Toll-Free

TUNISIA 21631397750 Local Number

TURKEY (90) 212 375 5961 Local Number

UGANDA 256790978961 Local Number

UNITED KINGDOM 0800-026-3737 Toll-Free

UNITED STATES

OF AMERICA 1-833-668-6931 Toll-Free

Additional Toll-Free Numbers in other locations will be established, and their availability communicated via the web page https://www.unjspf.org/toll-free-numbers/.

Please note that, in certain countries, calls made to Toll-Free Numbers through mobile phones may be subject to local charges.

*Please note that the Egyptian Number is only accessible from Egypt Telecom’s fixed network

PENSION FUND UPDATE

Pension Matters

Over the last few months, the acting CEO1, Ms Dunn Lee, and the Representative of the Secretary General (RSG) overseeing Fund investments, Mr Rajkumar, addressed several stakeholder meetings, including the Staff Pension Committees in Geneva and the FAFICS Council in Vienna. This article covers the essence of their briefings.

The A/CEO’s presentation primarily covered benefits administration which is basically pension entitlements and client services. In recent years, it was the pension entitlements area, namely, the rate of processing first-time entitlements, that

generated great ink flows and much controversy. Today, with improved functionality of the new electronic system IPAS, the acting CEO informs that the processing rate meets the benchmark target of 75% of cases processed in 15 working days. Grant it, there will always be difficult, time-consuming cases, mostly due to retiring staff providing incomplete, or no, information. But on the whole, this part of the Fund’s operations would appear to have regained a sense of normality.

However, the quieting of one controversy has since given way to another. Ms Dunn Lee claims the Geneva office still lags in meeting the benchmark.































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She advocates introducing functional leadership and functional reporting to overcome what she presents as disparate processing rates, with all leadership posts and functions based at HQ/New York. In simple words, this means organizational changes are in the offing with the impending transfers of two Geneva-based management level posts to New York. Therein lies the controversy. The Geneva office services more than 62% of world-wide beneficiaries. It is also the electronic back-up for the UNJSPF systems. The Geneva-based retiree and staff associations, particularly, CCISUA, are alarmed by these impending transfers, perceived as “decapitating” the Geneva office with a likely decrease in service quality. Some question the Secretariat’s statistical methodology on rate processing. These concerns, and others, have been addressed to the A/CEO both orally and in writing. As with all Secretariat proposals, this one will follow the usual path of scrutiny through the Pension Board, the ACABQ and the Fifth Committee to the UN’s General Assembly before becoming a reality. So, keep your eyes on this space for the next chapter of the saga.

Come what may, the operations, both pension entitlement and client services, will continue to be located in the New York and Geneva offices. To strengthen client services, toll-free phone numbers now exist for both offices, (see the table above)and two new client service hubs will be created, one in Nairobi and one in Bangkok.

The other major change on the horizon is the splitting of the CEO’s post into two, one responsible for benefits administration and the other, Pension Board Secretariat.

The UN Pension Fund community is huge and far-flung. At the end of 2018, there were 128,549 participants and 78,716 beneficiaries for a total of 207,000 individuals residing in some 190 countries.

As to the Fund’s investments, Mr Rajkumar, who joined in January 2018 from the World Bank, has delivered a clear message. The UN Pension Fund is financially sound and fully funded. When considering the Fund’s overall value, it is important to bear in mind that investment markets are inherently volatile and that one should take a long-term perspective. No cause for angst if a few

billion disappear overnight as they are likely to re-appear on the books at some near future time. So, despite 2018 being a challenging year for global financial markets, the Fund’s investment value at year end was 60.8 billion USD, down from the 2017 figure of 64.1 USD but up from the 2016 year-end mark of 54.5 billion USD. To put into greater perspective, the Fund’s value has steadily increased from the 1990 year-end mark of 9.1 billion USD to its current value which, by 30 June 2019, had climbed to 67.4 billion USD.

The real rate of return is the most important criterion for long-term solvency for a pension fund. In the last 15 years, the Fund has achieved its long-term objective of a 3.5% real rate of return per annum (net of inflation, as measured by the US Consumer Price Index) in US dollars. To achieve this with regularity, the Office of Investment Management (OIM) deploys a well-diversified and sound investment strategy to meet the criteria of safety, profitability, liquidity and convertibility. Investments are spread amongst 102 countries and regions (non-member states) and 27 currencies. About 50% are in currencies other than the US dollar. The Fund capitalizes on investing in emerging markets which are growing more rapidly than established markets. As to investment types, at the end of 2018, 68.5% of the Fund’s assets were allocated to equities and equity-like assets, and 31.5% to fixed income investments and cash. Currently, 85% of investments are managed in-house.

In 2018, there were 2.7 billion USD paid out in benefits, of which 2.5 billion USD were covered by contributions made by serving staff, leaving the difference, that is 200 million USD, to be covered by investment returns. It is normal for a maturing pension fund, like that of the UN, to have an increasing number of retirees compared to active staff members. This means that benefit payments exceed contributions from active participants. Hence the importance of the Fund’s investments and its ability to generate investment income from the Fund’s assets to cover future benefit payments.

The RSG encourages stakeholders to visit the OIM website at https://oim.unjspf.org to view the financial reports, quarterly and annual (usually available by end-April of the following year).

https://oim.unjspf.org
















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The UN Fund has been around for 70 years. Its healthy position is a tribute to previous good investment management. In that same vein, the current management actively works towards leaving a healthy legacy for future retirees by building capacity and capabilities to successfully

manage the Fund’s assets.

Future articles will cover the Fund’s sustainable investment policy and the outcomes of the 2019 Pension Board.

Barbara Fontaine

SHI

News related to the Global Oversight Committee of the Staff Health Insurance

The Global Oversight Committee (Committee) of the Staff Health Insurance (SHI) met on 17th June 2019 for an intensive one-day meeting. This was the thirteenth meeting of the Committee since its establishment. The role of the Committee is to oversee the SHI, to advise the Director-General on SHI operations and management, finance and investments, audit and control, benefits and best practices, rules and governance.

As usual at the first meeting in the year, the agenda mainly focused on financial matters. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Raul Thomas, new ADG for Business Operations. Mrs. Samantha Bell-Shiers, Head SHI was Executive Secretary of the meeting and was accompanied by various members of her team who made presentations related to their respective areas of work within SHI. The undersigned, as member representing retired staff on the Committee, attended. The alternate member, Hilary Wild, was unable to attend on this occasion.

The Secretariat presented the Annual Report for 2018. Assets of the Fund now stand at almost USD 1 billion. These are required to partly cover the actuarial deficit for after-service health insurance coverage. That liability amounts to USD 2.4 billion which represents a decrease of 15.7% compared to the last evaluation. This decrease is attributed mainly to control of costs, an increase in the discount rates and the DG’s approval of a new rule which requires eligible participants residing in the USA to enrol in Medicare Part B (thus reducing claims for SHI).

The level of financing of the actuarial deficit for after service health coverage was discussed at length. Just to remind our readers, the actuarial deficit represents the excess of claims over contributions received for current and future retired staff over the period covered by the actuarial study. Presently, the target is to cover this actuarial deficit in full by the year 2043. It is for this reason that contributions increase by 4% per year (2% in future years). As actuarial projections depend on many variables which may increase or decrease in value over the years, some feel that a target of say 75% may be more reasonable. However, the Committee feels that more in-depth study of this issue is required and this will be pursued by a financial working group in which retired staff representatives have actively participated in the past and will again do so on this important matter. It is hoped that the group will be in a position to report back to the Committee at its next meeting later in the year.

The Actuaries presented their latest report and also an asset/liability study. The Committee discussed their proposal for further diversification of the investments of the Fund’s assets. The Committee supported their proposals which will be further reviewed by the WHO Advisory Investment Committee.

1 Just before we went to press, we learnt that the UN Secretary-General had appointed Ms. Rosemarie McClean of Canada as Administrator of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF)


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It should be borne in mind that the investment strategy should be appropriate for a long-term fund like SHI but high risk is of course avoided.

The Committee discussed at length USA SHI-related matters. Claims of AMRO/PAHO are processed by an external company. That company has special rates negotiated with a very wide range of healthcare providers. If one chooses a provider outside of the network, the costs can be very high. In order to encourage use of within network providers, a new rule was introduced to limit reimbursement in the USA when out-of-network providers are used. There were however issues with regard to the methodology used to apply the limit. The Committee agreed to a modified methodology which would be more acceptable to participants while achieving the same if not more savings for the SHI. In this connection, the SHI Secretariat has negotiated a wide range of agreements with selected healthcare providers in Switzerland and other countries. As these agreements should result in significant cost savings for the Fund, participants are encouraged to avail themselves of these preferential arrangements whenever possible. Lists of the healthcare providers concerned and details of the agreements can be obtained from the SHI Secretariat and on SHI Online. In addition, SHI informs all participants of such agreements on a regular basis (see the next article).

The Committee reviewed a number of rule changes proposed by the Secretariat. In most cases, the changes were for the purpose of clarity rather than modification of reimbursement entitlements. The proposed rule changes were supported by the Committee and will now be submitted to the Director-General for his concurrence. As usual, the Secretariat will inform participants of any rule changes affecting them in due course.

The Committee discussed a number of other administrative matters related to SHI.

All in all, this was a very positive and productive meeting with active participation of members, advisors and others invited to attend the meeting for specific agenda items.

The next meeting of the Committee will take place in November for two days.

Ann Van Hulle-Colbert

SHI-ONLINE: UPDATE

SHI would like to communicate the following two new features that have been added to SHI-Online

Worldwide Access to Treatment

Access to treatment worldwide is one of SHI’s priorities. We have increased the number of signed agreements to over 380 and the list will continue to expand.

To view the current list, on the online homepage there is a new tab called “Conventions” to be found at the lower right (see the green box on the screenshot below) which will link to the list. The interactive map allows you to zoom in to a country

or region, the list can be sorted by country, city or health care provider.

This new feature has been available for some time and allows you to see the list of health care providers SHI has signed agreements with. These health care providers will accept your SHI card without any upfront payment, and many provide discounts (this information will be made available in the coming months on the site).


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Deletion of claims on-line

The second enhancement to SHI-Online is the possibility for users to cancel or delete their claims after submission, provided that the claim is still in “Received” status and not yet “Processed”.This feature would be useful if you have made an error or wish to modify your submission.

You can find your claims under “History” and

“Online submissions” (see the red box on the screenshot above) and if your claim is still in “Claim Received” status you will find a small red icon of a trash can, clicking on this will delete your claim. If your claim is in “Claim Processed” no action can be taken. SHI Secretariat

NEW MEMBERS

We have pleasure in welcoming the following members into the AFSM family

New Life Members

Emiliarno Garcia-GomezGudrun IngolfsdottirMadhavi Jaccard

Conversion to Life members

Maryse CestreEvelyne Coveney Diana FortuneJean-Marie Okwo Bele Anne Pittion-Rossillon

New Annual Member

James Cheyne

The SHI Secretariat will soon be sending a comprehensive message with regards to SHI Online and access to treatment specifically to all former staff who are SHI participants.


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WHO colleagues reunited

A stated aim of AFSM: helping former staff to stay in touch

Taken on 2nd June 2019 this photo shows Dr Sergio Goriup (left) and Dr Luciano Delfini (right), two distinguished WHO malariologists and very good friends. From the 1960’s they worked for many years, mostly in the field and in Regional Offices.

Following retirement, they lost track of each other. Sergio retired in 1989 to the Geneva area and soon after became a member of AFSM. Luciano retired to Austria and Portugal. He only recently became aware of our Association and

immediately joined as a life member. When he received our Directory, he discovered his long-time friend in it, made contact and both of them were delighted to meet again after such a long interval.

Our Association is proud to have been the catalyst in this reunion.

AFSM AT YOUR SERVICE

Photo: JP Menu

Here you are luv

Don’t you have a plastic bag

It’s inside

HUMOUR, AND… BLACK HUMOUR!

IN LIFE,

YOU GET TO

AN AGE

WHERE THE

COST OF

THE

CANDLES

BEGINS

TO

EXCEED

THE COST

OF THE CAKE

© Philippe Geluck


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NEWS FROM WHO

• At the World Health Assembly in May, Member States agreed to adopt the eleventh revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) to come into effect on 1 January 2022.

• On 29 May, a “First Stone Ceremony” took place on the construction site of the new WHO headquarters building. A time capsule was placed in the ground, containing key documents, by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, “to commemorate the foundation of a new building and a new era of health for all, uniting every WHO office and inspiring us in our collective mission: to promote health, keep the world safe, serve the vulnerable”.

• On 11 June, Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic and Dr Tedros met at WHO headquarters to sign a Declaration of Intent to establish the WHO Academy that will revolutionize lifelong learning in health.

The Academy aims to reach millions of people with innovative learning via a state-of-the-art learning experience platform at a campus in Lyon, France, and embedded in the six WHO regions.

• Regarding Ebola, on 17 July the Director-General declared the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. In mid-August, the co-sponsors of the Ebola therapeutics trial in the Democratic Republic of

the Congo announced that two of the four drugs being tested are more effective and henceforth only these two drugs will be used to treat future patients.

• On 26 July, WHO launched a new report on the global tobacco epidemic. Progress is being made in the fight against tobacco, but increased action is needed to help people quit deadly products.

• On 22 August, WHO called for further assessment of microplastics in the environment and their potential impacts on human health, following the release of an analysis of research related to microplastics in drinking water. WHO underlined the importance of achieving a reduction in plastic pollution to benefit the environment and reduce human exposure.

• On 22-23 August, WHO held a Global Consultation on Assistive Technology to gauge global demand and supply, bottlenecks to access, and ways to improve availability of quality-assured, affordable assistive products for everyone who needs them. Such products include hearing aids, wheelchairs, communication aids, spectacles, artificial limbs, pill organizers, memory aids and other essential items that improve the quality of life.

• On 12 September, the European Commission and WHO co-hosted a Global Vaccination Summit in Brussels, Belgium, with the goal of propelling global action against vaccine preventable diseases and against the spread of vaccine misinformation.

Highlights of news from WHO

Collaboration between France and WHO to realize the vision of the

WHO Academy. Photo: WHO

Ebola vaccination begins in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the

Congo. Photo: WHO


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• 17 September is World Patient Safety Day and the slogan this year was “No one should be harmed in health care. And yet ….” 134 million adverse events occur each year due to unsafe care in hospitals in low- and middle-income countries, contributing to 2.6 million deaths annually.

• On Sunday 22 September, WHO and partners held a “Walk the Talk” event in Central Park, New York, USA, to celebrate health on the eve of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly and the High-level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World.

• Dates and places of the WHO Regional Committee meetings this year are as follows:

o 69th session of the Regional Committee for Africa, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, 19–23 August

o 71st session of the Regional Committee for the Americas, Washington DC, USA, 30 September–4 October

o 66th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran, 14–17 October

o 69th session of the Regional Committee for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark, 16–19 September

o 72nd session of the Regional Committee for South-East Asia, New Delhi, India, 2–6 September

o 70th session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines, 7–11 October.

Further information and documentation can be found on the WHO website – www.who.int

Sue Block Tyrrell

OUR HEALTH

The beneficial and harmful effects of blue light

Long

wave-

lengths

Short

wave-

lengths

Infrared

radiation

Ultraviolet

radiation

Turquoise

Blue Light

Blue-

Violet

Visible

light

Illustration: ©Doctissimo.fr

Blue light, what is it? Why are we talking about it so much these days?

We spend a lot of time in front of all kinds of screens – TV, computer, tablet, smartphone etc. – and this activity carries some risks for our health.

It is known that light which is visible to humans falls in a wavelength spectrum from about 380 nanometres (nm) (violet) to about 800 nm (red). The shorter (ultraviolet) and longer (infrared) wavelengths are invisible to the human eye.

Illumination where the dominant wavelengths are between 380 nm to 450 nm, will always appear blue.

In fine weather the sky is a source of blue light; but the term “blue light” which we are reviewing here is most commonly applied to artificial lighting.

Cornea

Pupil

Iris

Crystalline lens

Optic nerve

Retina

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Lighting

The earliest sources of lighting, candles, gas lights, electric lamps, were generally incandescent sources, and all of them had an “orangey” appearance in relation to daylight. A blue light could only be obtained by placing an optical filter in front of the light source, resulting in a great reduction in brightness.

The fluorescent tube can provide a light that is close to the colour of daylight. The light-emitting diode (LED) is the most recent of lighting devices, and these are used for illumination, warning signs, and for decorative purposes.

LEDs used for illumination emit a colour known as a “metamer” when compared to the colours of daylight or an incandescent lamp. This means that the light has the same visual appearance but is made up of different parts of the spectrum.

Screens

Used primarily to present an image rather than provide illumination, television, computer and smartphone screens have the same effects on the eye as lighting. The act of spending several hours a day in front of these screens has cumulative effects due to the additional exposure to blue light.

Chemical effect

Radiation actinism (the ability to cause chemical reactions) increases as the wavelength decreases. Ultraviolet, and to a lesser extent violet and blue, are more actinic than green and red radiations. These short wavelengths are necessary for biological reactions such as photosynthesis. (Plant photosynthesis absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releases oxygen).

Beneficial effects of blue light

The use of blue light, or even better, a mixture of blue and red light is being considered to treat acne, and to sanitize wounds. Light at a wavelength of 400 nm, just at the boundary between violet and ultraviolet, slows the development of bacteria on the skin and decreases the risk of damage to cells compared to using purely ultraviolet.

Exposure of the skin to a blue light (phototherapy) is used to treat jaundice in infants. This causes bilirubin, which is what produces the yellow pigment, to be converted into an isomer that the infant is able to eliminate.

Blue light, such as daylight which has a high content of short wavelengths, contributes to the regulation of the circadian rhythm. Recent studies link this function to receptors in the retinal ganglion cells. The photosensitive pigment is melanopsin, the greatest sensitivity of which is at a wavelength of 480 nm, corresponding to a blue-green colour.

This wavelength of light is used to treat depression, and sleep disorders, in a treatment known as “light therapy”.

Harmful effects of blue light

Conversely, night-time exposure to a light with a strong blue component, such as that of daylight, can disrupt the circadian rhythm, with significant health consequences. The increasing use of computer screens or mobile phones may also constitute a risk. A study has shown that this disturbance is more of a concern in young people, which could be explained by the yellowing with age of the clear crystalline lens, reducing the amount of blue light that reaches the retina.

Ophthalmic risks

The portion of the visible spectrum between 380 nm and 500 nm has important functions in colour vision and the reflex contraction of the pupil. But it can also have adverse effects on the retina, increasing the risk of AMD (Age-Related Macular Degeneration - see QNT 63).

The harmful effects of a relatively short exposure to intense blue radiation are proven, and the standards that govern lighting fixtures take this into account. Concerning long-term exposures at relatively low levels, research has shown that the composition of radiation closest to that of sunlight is the most likely to induce lesions. The process of long-term degradation of the retina remains poorly understood. Lipofuscin (a brown cellular pigment consisting of molecular debris, that appears in the cells in the process of ageing or degeneration) is particularly implicated; it absorbs wavelengths


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around 450 nm, producing reactive oxygen derivatives, which cause cell death.

Further studies appear necessary to evaluate the ophthalmic risk of long-term (as measured in years) exposure to low levels of blue light. Permissible limits of prolonged exposure at lower doses are not included in present standards. Researchers are recommending that efforts be made to develop LEDs with an emission peak, if possible, between 470 nm and 490 nm to avoid

peaks coinciding with the maximum absorption of lipofuscin.

Professionals using LED sources, and those practising therapies involving blue or bluish light sources should be considered at-risk. Children under one year of age, whose young eyes allow significantly more blue, violet and ultraviolet radiation to the retina, should be the subject of special research. Indirect lighting is recommended in all cases to avoid glare.

Conclusion

The effects of blue light on humans remain controversial. It is certain, however, that blue light plays a role in regulating the circadian rhythm. There is also a risk that it affects the retina by increasing the accretion of lipofuscin, thus contributing to AMD.

It is strongly recommended to install colour-filter software on screen devices. The effectiveness of colour-filter spectacles to be worn when working at a computer screen has yet to be demonstrated.

In people already affected by AMD, researchers in France at Inserm, working with the Institut de la Vision, have developed spectacles that reflect the blue light component away from the wearer. This has much less effect on the user’s vision than the yellow-tinted spectacles previously recommended.

Finally, it is highly recommended that those working at a screen for long periods should stop every hour and rest their eyes.

Dr David Cohen

Sources:

National Agency for Food Safety, Environment and Labour, Effects on Human Health and the Environment (Wildlife) of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), 2019

The dangers of blue light: new knowledge and new approaches to good eye health, 2011-2015

Photobiological safety of lamps and apparatus using lamps, EN 62471-1; "Application of EN 62471 to light sources and luminaires for blue light hazard assessment"

Sébastien Point, "Synthesis: Blue Light and Health", Yearbook Health and Environment, May 28, 2018

The Vision Council, "Digital Eye Fatigue in the USA: The State of Play", Viewpoints, 2015,

Paul Woodgate and Luke Anthony Jardine, "Neonatal jaundice: phototherapy", BMJ Clinical Evidence, vol. 2015,

Jelena Barbaric, Rachel Abbott, Pawel Posadzki and Mate Car, Light Therapy for Acne, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,

"Antibacterial Activity of Blue Light against Nosocomial Wound Pathogens Growing Planktonically and as Mature Biofilms", Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2016

And many sites on the Internet


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A REUNION OF WHO STAFF RECRUITED IN 1969OF 1969 WHO RECRUITS IN

Fifty years on

In December last year, three of us (Isobel Garwood, Wendy Di Silvestro and myself) were enjoying a little get together when the subject of our fifty-years' anniversary the following year was raised. Could we organize a reunion of those we were still in touch with? At that time WHO organized several recruitment drives per year for English-speaking secretaries from the UK. As we were recruited in different groups, we started to make a list of those one or the other of us was still in touch with or of those who remained until retirement and may or may not have also been recruited in 1969. Not an easy task as many recruits returned home at the end of their two-year contracts, others stayed on for a while, went away and returned. Some of us stayed the course to retirement.

Over the next few months, we contacted as many friends and former colleagues as we could. Finally, six participants were prepared to travel from the UK for the weekend to join up with eight of us living locally.

A date for the reunion was fixed for the weekend 27/28 July with a meeting on the Saturday evening for dinner in town and a lakeside lunch on Sunday. After a period of hot and sunny weather, Friday 26 July dawned bright and clear. Isobel and Elaine arrived on time mid-afternoon from Liverpool. Wendy and I went to meet them and enjoyed a celebratory drink at the airport. Storm clouds were gathering by late afternoon and a quick look at the flight arrivals revealed many incoming flights being

diverted or cancelled. Yvette and Angela travelling from London finally arrived at midnight following delayed or cancelled flights. Celia, travelling from Birmingham, disappeared in the direction of Nice. Penny's flight from Bristol was cancelled and after sitting in the airport for several hours while families tried desperately to get a seat on planes that were already full, abandoned all hope of getting to Geneva and reluctantly returned home.

Despite this inauspicious start, seven of us met for dinner in Geneva on the Saturday night as planned. Celia arrived in time for the dessert having spent the night in Nice airport on a camp bed, surrounded by snoring strangers and the whole day travelling by coach to Geneva!

Sunday lunch was organised at the Buvette de la Plage in Tannay for the obligatory filets de perches at which we were thirteen, a few more "locals" having joined the group. We spent several hours going down memory lane and looking at numerous photos that participants had dug out for the occasion. Despite the traumas of cancelled, delayed and diverted flights flying through one of Geneva's mega-storms, everyone enjoyed themselves hugely and vowed to have a repeat reunion but perhaps in about two to three years!

Our apologies to anyone we may have inadvertently missed.

Rosemary Dufour

Back row standing: Isobel Garwood,

Celia Hatfield, Jean Giannasi, Yvette

Douglas, Marcia Toma, Bunty Muller,

Angela Harwood, Wendy

Di Silvestro, Sue Block Tyrrell,

Rosemary Dufour

Standing in front to the right: Elaine

Hirst

Seated: Ann Pollinger and Barbara

Gibson

Not in the photo, Penny Ratcliffe,

who tried but sadly didn't make it

due to a cancelled flight.


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RETURN TO THE AMAZON AFTER 50 YEARS

When sharing of period photos becomes a 50th anniversary commemoration

In early 1967, as a young physician I was assigned to a two-year appointment in French Guiana, at the administrative frontier post of Maripasoula (166 inhabitants) situated on the Maroni river, deep in the interior of the country in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Accessible only by small plane (once a week in the dry season, less frequently in the rainy season) or by canoe, a three-day trip from the coast.

I was the only doctor for the whole of the Upper Maroni Basin and its river system: 30 000 km2 of forest, about the size of Belgium but with only 2000 inhabitants, almost all of them spread among hamlets dotted along the river and its tributaries, apart from some ageing gold diggers in the forest. Shortly after my arrival my fiancée, a nurse, joined me and we were married in Maripasoula.

We were accountable for the health of many diverse communities: in Maripasoula itself there were Creoles, upstream the Wayana Indians and downstream a community of “noirs marrons”, the Bonis, descendants of slaves on the Surinamese coast, who rebelled and escaped into the forest during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. (The word “marrons” probably comes from “cimarron” of Spanish origin meaning to take refuge in an inaccessible place). Neither the Wayanas nor the Bonis spoke French, but we learned enough to communicate medically and socially.

The administrative authorities were represented by a gendarme-administrator, a parish priest, a meteorological officer and the doctor. Few physicians volunteered for such an assignment and when we arrived, there had been none for many years.

The living conditions were rudimentary but, whether in our small hospital, or making our medical rounds along the river, we spent our tour of duty experiencing incredible cultural richness, fascinated by the integration of the Wayana and Boni communities to an extremely hostile environment that they had mastered to perfection.

The health problems were extremely diverse and sometimes we practised alongside Wayana shamans. We discovered, among other things, a high transmission of malaria – allegedly eradicated by DDT campaigns based on WHO recommendations – a high endemicity of tuberculosis, cases of leprosy, and the transmission of sylvatic (or jungle) yellow fever virus. These problems opened my eyes to the importance of public health, and the director of the Pasteur Institute of Guyana with whom we collaborated, advised me to “take a look at WHO”, which is exactly what I did when we returned. I joined WHO in 1972.

In 1969 Maripasoula became a municipality in its own right. In the 50 years since we left, the population of the territory we had been covering increased from 2,000 to 28,000. Everyone now speaks French and a Boni has since become a PhD and a university professor. Traditional building methods have all been replaced by modern constructions. (See the Boni village on the cover. Sadly, the carved and painted wood facades are no longer undertaken). Most modern comforts are available, however at the expense of traditional activities and arts which have almost disappeared. Much could be said about current socio-economic problems but this is not the purpose of this article. We must nevertheless mention the clandestine mechanical gold-sluicing which is ravaging the forest and polluting the rivers with mercury.

For decades, we thought that our great adventure was a thing of the past. However, we had taken and collected many photos during our time in Maripasoula, images that over the intervening years have become an archive of anthropology. A few years ago we had the inspiration to send copies to the Town Hall of Maripasoula. Many of the present inhabitants discovered, with great pleasure and emotion, the images of their grandparents and parents.

The Maripasoula Town Hall celebrated its 50th

anniversary this year, and we were officially invited


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to visit. A selection of our photos and films was exhibited and screened in Maripasoula and Wayana villages. We were able to embrace the families of many of our old acquaintances, and even met the now 51-year-old woman we had delivered as a baby in 1968. French Guianese television broadcast a report that brought us many further contacts.

If there is a moral to this story, it is that it may be interesting to take photos for one’s own pleasure, however it is even more rewarding to share them, especially many years later! Authors of ephemeral images on Facebook, Snapchat or YouTube, give this some thought.

Jean-Paul Menu

LEONARD DA VINCI

Celebrating the 500th anniversary of the death of Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci – born: April 15, 1452, in a part of Vinci, Tuscany, Italy and died: May 2, 1519, Château du Clos Lucé, Amboise, France – is arguably the most important individual in the history of Italian art. He can be considered as “THE genius”.

Painter, sculptor, inventor, engineer, anatomist, scientist: Leonardo represents the perfect example of “Renaissance man”. With his genius and his curiosity, he represents something universal, common to all human beings: the desire of mankind to go beyond their limits.

Leonardo da Vinci is celebrated with exhibitions all over Europe, mainly in Italy and in France, the two countries where he spent many years of his life. For brevity we can mention only a small number of these exhibitions.

In Florence, Italy, at Galleria degli Uffizi, there was an exhibition of Codex Leicester by Leonardo da Vinci. This one devoted to L'Acqua Microscopio della Natura (Water: The microscope of nature).

The Museo di Galileo also in Florence is organizing in May 2020 the exhibition Leonardo e il moto perpetuo (Leonardo and perpetual motion) in collaboration with the Birkbeck College, University of London.

Still in Italy, Milan will hold the greatest number of exhibitions. From 2 May 2019 to 2 January 2020 at the Castello Sforzesco, it will be possible with the help of technology, to see Milan as it was at the time of Leonardo. The Codex Atlanticus and Leonardo’s studies on Flying Machines are being shown in the Veneranda Biblioteca Ambrosiana from October 2019 to January 2020. At the Palazzo Reale, two exhibitions will take place. Other exhibitions are being organized in Rome. In Turin, an exhibition including the self portrait of Leonardo.

In Venice, Le Gallerie dell’Accademia exhibit the drawing of Uomo vitruviano (Vitruvian Man, the proportions of the human body according to Vitruvius).

Leonardo Da Vinci’s self portrait, 1515

© Biblioteca reale, Turin, Italy


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In France, the Comité de pilotage de la Vallée de la Loire, organized “Viva Leonardo da Vinci! 500 years of renaissance in the Loire Valley” – an exhibition which toured eleven countries from September 2018 to January 2019, and commenced at two places where Leonardo had lived, the Châteaux d’Amboise et du Clos Lucé.

Leonardo together with King Francis 1st designed a project of the ideal city which became the Château de Chambord, the symbol of French Renaissance.

The main event will take place in Paris at the Louvre Museum from 24 October 2019 to 24 February 2020 where the focus will be the painting Salvator mundi (The Saviour of the world), purchased by the Ministry of Culture of the United Arab Emirates for 450 million USD.

In the United Kingdom, where the Royal Collection holds more than 500 of Leonardo’s drawings, many exhibitions have been planned, titled “A life in a drawing”. They provide an idea of the genius of Leonardo with works from architecture to anatomy. Some of the exhibitions took place in the Spring. From 24 May to 13 October 2019, 200 drawings are on display at The Queen’s Gallery of Buckingham Palace. From London, 80 drawings will then move to Edinburgh, from 22 November 2019 to 15 March 2020.

The global success of Leonardo can be explained by the fact that after five centuries, he still appears to be very close to us with his perceptions in so many scientific fields, anticipating discoveries that now are considered normal like aeroplanes, bicycles, submarines and more.

Laura Ciaffei

AFSM CRUISE 2020

Cruise on the Douro from Porto in Portugal towards Spain6 to 13 May 2020, 8 days, 7 nights

ProgrammeDay 1: Flight from Geneva to Porto. Embarkation 17.00, excursion Porto by night. Days 2–7: Cruising on the Douro: Porto, with guided visit of the town and fado evening. Porto to Regua, excursion to Guimarães, dancing in the evening. Regua to Vega de Teron, visit to Vila Real, home of Mateus, flamenco evening. Barca d'Alva to Salamanca, excursion to Salamanca and its famous cathedral, various eveningactivities. Barca d'Alva to Ferradosa and Pinhao, excursion to the Porto wine cellars, gala evening. Pinhao to Porto, excursion to Lamego, folklore evening Day 8: Porto, disembark at 09.00 and bus tour of Aveiro, known as the "Venice of Portugal", return flight to

Geneva.

Superb cruise in Portugal (acclaimed by our cruisers), appreciated for its exceptional landscape and harmonious patrimony with a “five-anchor” (5-star) brand-new de luxe ship (built in 2019), the CroisiEurope MS Amalia Rodrigues, with 66 cabins. The popularity of this cruise and the high demand justify the prices, which are all inclusive: flight Geneva–Porto and return, cruise (with cabin, full

board, including drinks at table and at the bar, and all classic excursions), airport transfer Porto to ship, bus excursion to Aveiro on the last day and return to the airport.

Price per person Double cabin, 13,30 m2, upper deck 2,100 €Individual cabin, 13,30 m2, main deck 3'035 € Individual cabin, 12 m2, middle deck 2'475 € Individual cabin, 13,30 m2, middle deck 3'195 € Individual cabin, 13,30 m2, upper deck 3'370 €

Registration by email to [email protected] or by post – Charles Hager, Rte de Chêne 64c, 1208 Geneva.







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REFLECTIONS ON A RECENT BOOK

The World Health Organization: A History

Marcos Cueto, Theodore M. Brown and Elizabeth Fee

This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of global health and the important role played by WHO. The authors’ sweeping analysis of WHO’s more than 70-year history reveals how WHO’s ambivalent and shifting embrace of the social-medical and technocratic perspectives helped shape the organization internally as well as influenced its ability to deal with dramatically changing external realities.

Brock Chisholm, WHO’s first Director-General, was a strong advocate of the social medicine approach that had been developed by the League of Nations Health Organization in the 1930s. However, friction between him and US foreign-policy-makers, who were preoccupied with the Cold War, greatly hampered his ability to develop a programme that reflected his vision for WHO.

Marcelino Candau, a Brazilian malariologist, was elected to succeed Chisholm who opted to step down in 1953 after having served only one term as Director-General. It was under Candau’s leadership that a global campaign to eradicate malaria was launched. Although believers in the possibility of eradicating malaria were supportive, the campaign effectively ended in 1969 when attention shifted to assisting countries in the development of their basic health services.

Halfdan Mahler, who took over from Candau as WHO Director-General in 1973, had been responsible for WHO’s tuberculosis programme. His experience in India had convinced him that tuberculosis control would only succeed if it was an integral part of the general health services. It was under his leadership that the Division of Strengthening of Health Services was created in 1973 with Kenneth W. Newell as its director, whose publication Health by the People, published in 1974, showed he was a strong believer in community participation, the use of community health workers, and the involvement of other sectors in health work. Newell’s work attracted the attention of the Soviet Union, which then lobbied successfully to hold an international conference on primary health care (PHC) in Alma-Ata in September 1978. Although Newell was not an admirer of Soviet socialism, the Declaration of Alma-Ata fully embraced his views.

Chapter 7 is entitled “the Vicissitudes of Primary Health Care”. This important chapter describes how the neo-liberal policies of the United States and the United Kingdom contributed to a “different political

384 pages

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1108483575 – 90 USD

Paperback ISBN: 978-1108728843 – 35 USD

E-book ISBN: 978-1108692878 – 26 USD

Published by Cambridge University Press (April 11, 2019)

Global Health Histories Series. Series editor, Sanjoy Bhattacharya,

University of York


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climate” one that questioned the technical and economic feasibility of primary health care. Selective primary health care took central stage at this point, as witness UNICEF endorsing a set of specific, low-cost interventions: growth monitoring to overcome subnormal growth because of inadequate nutrition, oral hydration techniques for diarrhoeal diseases, breastfeeding, and immunization. Subsequently, some agencies added Food supplementation, Female literacy, and Family planning. At this point what exactly was meant by PHC became even more problematic than before. The arrival of Hiroshi Nakajima, who succeeded Mahler as Director-General in 1988, further undermined the prospects of PHC as WHO “re-medicalized, trimmed primary health care, and lost much of its worldwide credibility”.

Following chapters deal with WHO’s response to the HIV/AIDs pandemic; an embattled Director-General and the Persistence of WHO; the Competitive World of Global Health; and the World

Health Organization in the Second Decade of the Twenty-First Century.

The authors conclude with a series of questions concerning the future role of WHO: How can its leaders and staff advocate for democratic decisions as well as community participation in global health in the face of modern trends? How can the agency confront the recent losses of positive aspects of globalization such as the care of immigrants, transnational cooperation, and the availability of financial resources for health? How can it promote solidarity and collective action in an increasingly socially fractured and politically divided world? How can WHO respond rapidly to epidemic outbreaks and at the same time sustain preventive efforts and robust institution-building processes? Serious questions that former WHO staff will no doubt reflect on.

Socrates Litsios

ASTRONOMY

The sky for October–December 2019

The big astronomical event this season is the Transit of Mercury on 11 November. These transits occur when Mercury crosses the face of the Sun and is seen as a black dot against its disc. The last one was in 2016, but after this year’s event the next one will be in 2032.

Of course, you cannot just look up and see it happen. The Sun’s disc is literally blindingly bright, and Mercury is quite a small planet. Even if you have solar glasses left over from watching an eclipse of the Sun, which will allow you to view it safely, Mercury is too small to be seen with the naked eye. So, there are two methods. One is to use filters made of a material called Baader Astro-Solar over the front lenses of binoculars or a telescope. Do a web search for this, which is available in A4 sheets. Or use the binoculars or telescope to project an image of the Sun onto white paper or card held about 30 cm behind the eyepiece.

Some part of the transit will be visible from Europe, Africa and the Americas, but none of it will be visible from most of Asia, Australasia and the Pacific. Exact times and visibility vary depending on where you live, and will be available on the web, but get your viewing system sorted out well beforehand!

Find out more about astronomy at the Society for Popular Astronomy’s website, www.popastro.com and click on Get Started, where we have a step-by step guide to get you stargazing!

Article kindly provided by the British Society for Popular Astronomy

http://www.popastro.com/














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Obituary of Rosemary Newby (QNT 116, page 26)

Many thanks to all former colleagues who produce the AFSM Quarterly News.

I have just a small correction to make concerning the obituary for Rosemary Newby, in which it was mentioned that her last post was that of secretary to Dr Jerne.

I was reassigned to Personnel in May 1977, at which time Rosemary was Administrative Assistant to the Director of Personnel and General Services, Robert Munteanu. Rosemary retired from that post in 1982 and was replaced by Elizabeth Macdonald. I replaced Elizabeth in the Office of Chief, Personnel (Herb Crockett).

I have fond memories of Rosemary who was a lovely person, kind, sweet-natured and always ready to help colleagues.

Rosemary Dufour

Obituary of Faruk Partow (QNT 116, page 26)

Reference is made to the obituary of Dr Farouk Partow.

It states that Dr Partow was appointed ADG in 1983 and Chairman of the Programme Committee until his retirement in 1988.

This information seems strange to me because I was appointed ADG and Chairman of this Committee in 1981, and I retained this presidency until 31.12.1986

Jacques Hamon

Response from the author of the obituary

We thank Dr Hamon for his letter, and take this opportunity to clarify the statement in the published version of the obituary,

“…the then WHO DG, appointed him as an Assistant Director-General, after having been DPM of EMRO, and he became the Chairman of the HQ Programme Committee until his retirement in 1988..”

It is accepted that it is not clear from this statement at what point Dr Partow became Chairman.

For clarity this phrase should read,

“…the then WHO DG, appointed him as an Assistant Director-General, after having been DPM of EMRO, and following the retirement of the then incumbent Dr Hamon, ADG, he became the Chairman of the HQ Programme Committee until his retirement in 1988..”

Sami Shubber

READERS’ LETTERS


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Lisa’s School

This year is the 10th anniversary of a vision that has now flourished into a valued project.

However, to start at the beginning - in 2002 Lisa Veron-Brunner was a WHO staff member with the Stop TB Programme in Headquarters. She wanted to experience helping people in a developing country and in August 2004 Lisa was transferred to work for Stop TB in the WHO Africa Regional Office in Harare, Zimbabwe. You may recall the tragic story of our WHO colleague; Lisa was murdered in Harare in 2005.

10 years ago, in 2009, Liz and Terry Long, friends of Lisa’s parents Pat and Georges Veron, went to Africa on safari and took the opportunity to visit a remote village in Northern Kenya. In a semi-desert environment, the village, Archer’s Post in the district of Samburu, is extremely poor and the people subsist from herding a few goats and cattle. A few tourists visit the Samburu National Park but Archer’s Post is well off the beaten track. The Longs had a vision and decided, with the help of Brian Freeman, the owner of the safari company, to embark on a project to build a school with the hope of being able to give young children a better start in life, to promote a community spirit in the village and, when funds allow, to help some pupils into further education.

The Longs asked if they could name the school “Lisa’s School” to keep alive the memory of Lisa who really loved children and enjoyed working in Africa. Lisa would be very pleased to have a school named after her and that, in her memory, lots of children are having a better future.

Through the sponsorship of friends and colleagues, the school was built and it opened on 1 March 2012. Presently, approximately 60 children aged 3–5 years attend the school and there are three teachers. It was quickly realized that many of the children were suffering from malnutrition – a cook was appointed and, with only a wood-burning stove, she manages to provide breakfast porridge and a nutritious meal at lunchtime – ougali (cornmeal) with vegetables and either beans or rice. From time to time, WHO staff measure the children and report which children are malnourished. The project also takes care of any

serious health issues and provides vitamins to supplement the diet.

Funds are constantly needed for the on-going running costs and several staff members and retired colleagues have helped to raise money. A stall at the WHO Solidarity Fair in HQ in December helps raise awareness and the proceeds go to the school project.

From a small project of just building a school it has grown and the whole community is benefiting from it. Everyone working to ensure the project runs well is a volunteer and no administrative costs are incurred.

My husband, Gianni, and I became involved in fund-raising to build the school and help with on-going costs as we are friends of Lisa’s parents and I also knew Lisa from her work with the WHO Stop TB Programme. Lisa radiated kindness and generosity. In a small garden (next to the old TB office where Lisa worked in Harare) there is a plaque in her memory and there is also a tree planted as a memorial to Lisa in the grounds of WHO HQ in Geneva.

If you would like more information about Lisa’s school project, please don’t hesitate to contact me [email protected] or look on the website for up-to-date information – www.lisasschool.org.

Lynda Pasini

Lisa Veron-Brunner, on the right in this photo.

Photos of Lisa’s School are to be found on the inside back cover.




http://www.lisasschool.org/










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NEWS FROM FORMER WHO STAFF MEMBERS’ GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD

QNT 117

News from around the world

AFSM-PAHO/AMRO: The latest issue of the Newsletter leads with an Editorial by Enrique Fefer and Hernán Rosenberg on the theme of Communication, and how they are aiming for their Association website to become the preferred source of information for the members.

There is a touching and charming comment from our colleague Antonio Pio, now retired to Argentina and who is also a member of AFSM Geneva. Following a duplicated payment to the PAHO AFSM, for which he was reimbursed, he quoted the Colombian writer, Nobel Prize winner, Gabriel García Márquez:, “Remembering is easy for those who have a memory, forgetting is difficult for those who have a heart”. Well said Antonio.

A Staff Health Insurance and Pension Update by Carol Collado provides the essential information to PAHO members that our own Quarterly News tries to impart to our members.

An extremely interesting and informative article on Recipes for a Healthy Brain, by Martha Peláez and Gloria Coe would be well worth logging on to the PAHO AFSM Bulletin website to read. With sections on 10 ways to love your brain; Combining lifestyle behaviours; Physical exercise; Healthy diet; Challenging your brain, etc. Concluding with a “recipe” for a healthy brain.

Techno Tips on Ageing, Technology and Health by Sumedha Mona Khanna is another article worth reading as it guides the reader through the latest developments without the usual techno-babble.

This article also ties in nicely with the reprinted Quarterly News article by Maria Dweggah “Scams and Schemes”.

The Newsletters can be accessed online in English at https://www.afsmpaho.com/newsletters and Spanish at https://www.afsmpaho.com/newsletters-spanishKeith Wynn

WHO Retirees’ Representative in Scandinavia: Former WHO staff from EURO enjoyed a summer lunch on 29 August.

On one of the last days of summer, the sun shone brightly on twenty-three former WHO staff, who met once again for lunch at Restaurant Rib House in the town of Hillerød.

Some of you may remember: Angela Alderslade; Patricia Belafontaine Agnew; Rosemary Bohr; Mary Stewart Burgher; the under-signed, Jill Conway-Fell; Lisa Copple; Jette Gersdorff Van Deurs; Annette

Enevoldsen; Elisabeth Hald; Birthe Havn; Marianne Kjeldgaard; Rita Larsen; Christine Lund; Jenny Madsen; Sharon Miller; Mona Mollerup; Kira Mortensen; Agnès Rasmussen; Frances Sinclair; Annette Struckmann; Frank Theakston; Robert Tjoa and Frances Yoshida.

https://www.afsmpaho.com/newsletters































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The view from the restaurant across the lake to King Christian IV’s magnificent castle of glorious and intricate architecture is memorable; the castle is the site of the National History Museum.

There are many exhibitions throughout the year, sometimes photographic, at other times portrait paintings, but on this occasion there was a splendid display of Chinese antique art, albeit modern copies.

It was a very pleasant day enjoyed by friends laughing and chatting for a couple of hours. We look forward to getting together again to celebrate the Christmas holidays. Our Christmas lunch has been planned for 29 November at Restaurant Amadeus, Store Kongensgade 62, close to Kongens Nytorv (Royal Square).

Participants were provided in advance by mail with: my article ‘Discovering Cancer’ in AFSM’s April Newsletter, Dr David Cohen’s article, ‘Breast Cancer in Older Women’ in AFSM’s ‘Newsletter’ of July 2019; and a document provided by the tax authorities concerning non-taxation of UN pensions for former WHO staff. Participants were provided with AFSM’s subscription leaflet on the day of the lunch.In order to identify who’s who at lunch, see page 29, but only in the web version.Jill Conway-Fell

AFSM-Manila: The latest communication from Romy Murillo contained a brief report of the 66th Session of the UN Pension Board in Nairobi, Kenya, which ended on 26 July 2019. As this information will be covered extensively in the Quarterly News we are not repeating it here.

AFSM-SEAR: The latest edition of Aesculapian (Vol. XXI, No.2) has been published. Leading with a timely reminder to complete and return the Certificate of Entitlement, and coverage of the 72nd World Health Assembly, during which several leading figures from the Region were honoured.

Amidst increasing cases of measles in the South-East region, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director underlined that vaccines work and save lives. World Blood Donor Day was observed on the 14 June. The SEA Region is accelerating actions to reduce tobacco use, 10 of the regions 11 Member States are parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Coverage of decisions taken by the UN General Assembly on the 2018 Pension Board report, and of the 66th session of the Pension Board follow. During a personal visit to NY the president of AFSM-SEAR met with UNJSPF (and also UNFCU), and reported the discussions to members in an annex. The discussions are of interest to our members, and with the approval of Ashok Mitra, this Annex is available on the AFSM-Geneva website, at https://www.who.int/formerstaff/publications/SummaryDiscussionPresidentSEAROwithUNJSPF_UNFCU.pdf?ua=1

The old WHO SEARO building is currently being demolished, and a new three-tower, green complex will be built in its place.

After the list of upcoming National Days, and members’ birthday greetings there is a well-subscribed Members’ Forum, and advance notice of a planned get-together for members, to take place later this year.

The continued support of the Administration is gratefully acknowledged.Ashok Mitra

There are no reports from our colleagues in EMRO or AFRO on this occasion.

https://www.who.int/formerstaff/publications/SummaryDiscussionPresidentSEAROwithUNJSPF_UNFCU.pdf?ua=1

https://www.who.int/formerstaff/publications/SummaryDiscussionPresidentSEAROwithUNJSPF_UNFCU.pdf?ua=1


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IN MEMORIAM

Recent deaths1 of former WHO staff members as reported to AFSM

QNT 117

1 The present notification of deaths was gratefully received from UNJSPF and covers Q2 2019. We have endeavoured to ensure that deaths already published have not been repeated in this list, however we apologize in advance if there are omissions or repeat entries. The editorial policy is to publish, once only, the names on the list of death notices we receive, and this regardless of whether an obituary has already been published; appears in the current issue; or will appear in a future issue.

Aisu Thomas 16.10.2018

Bennett Francis J 05.05.2019

Berehoudougou Abdoulaye 28.05.2019

Bonetti Fabienne C M M 19.04.2019

Courcier Marie Magdelein 15.03.2019

Danganan Alfredo M 02.05.2019

Dias Alverino 30.05.2019

Domingo Eleonor F 30.04.2019

Fry David George 15.03.2019

Giri Kanti Kumari 25.03.2019

Gomes Anthony Louis 03.05.2019

Graizely Daniel 18.03.2019

Hafez Ghada 06.03.2019

Hilsenrad Margit 24.04.2019

Hirsch Jeronima M 03.03.2019

Honigman Moyses 29.05.2019

Iyengar Ravi 06.05.2019

Kolar Jan 02.05.2019

Narayanan Tara 19.03.2019

Newby Rosemary 20.03.2019

Parker Cecilia Isabel 21.04.2019

Ramarothole Matseliso Rose 27.05.2019

Reeve Peter 19.04.2019

Shafa Ehsanollah 20.03.2019

Souza Paulimar Jose 13.04.2019

Sullivan Judith 13.05.2019

Tawfik Mohammed 26.03.2019

Tinaan Ernesto G 06.06.2019

Weitzel Rolf 04.06.2019

Wilberforce Cerat Ann 10.05.2019

Wilson Arnold William 12.05.2019

Zullo Elide 17.03.2019

SUBMISSION OF OBITUARIES

Editorial policy on the submission of obituaries. As you know the Association publishes the obituaries of former WHO staff members in the Quarterly News. The Editorial Board reviews the obituaries received with a view to suitability for publication. Obituaries should not exceed 300 words and be submitted along with a good quality photo of the subject of the obituary. The date and country of death are required, and the date of birth if known.

The Editorial Board


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73.4

Lisa’s School Project in Archer’s Post, Samburu, a drought-stricken area in Northern Kenya. The charming school uniforms are generously provided by supporters in the UK – however, the uniforms don't last long, especially those of the boys! See Readers’ Letters on page 23. Photos: Terry Long


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The redevelopment of the WHO site. Construction work progresses. Staff are due to occupy this new building in 2020. Top, viewed from the 8th floor of the main building. Below, viewed from the temporary bridge linking to the L and M buildings.


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Starting on the left-hand side of the table and working away from the camera and back down the right-hand side towards the camera,

Jill Conway-Fell, Annette Struckmann, Kira Mortensen (hidden), vacant seat, Jette Gersdorf Van Deurs, Rosemary Bohr, Mary-Stewart Burgher.

Opposite Mary-Stewart is Frances Yoshida (hidden), Jenny Madsen, Christine Lund, Marianne Kjeldgaard, Birte Havn, Annette Enevoldsen, Mona Mollerup.

Sharon Miller had to leave before these photos were taken.

Starting on the left-hand side of the table and working away from the camera and back down the right-hand side towards the camera,

Elisabeth Hald, vacant seat, Pat Belafontaine Agnew, Angela Alderslade, Lisa Copple (hidden), Agnès Rasmussen.

Opposite Agnès is a vacant seat, Rita Larsen, Frank Theakston, Frances Sinclair, vacant seat, Robert Tjoa.

Former WHO staff from EURO enjoyed a summer lunch on 29 August

ormer staff and helping them t supporting f o stay in ... · afsm quarterly news october 2019 2 qnt...

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