AFRO-NETS> Supercourse Newsletter, January 20, 2003

[Ron LaPorte <super1+@pitt.edu>]

Supercourse Newsletter, January 20, 2003
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http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/

Global Prevention Day:

In the past few weeks we have been thinking about how to stimulate 
prevention world wide. Wouldn't it be a buzz for the Supercourse Fac-
ulty to start a new holiday: Global Prevention Day (GPD). The concept 
of this is that at every University involved with disease prevention 
there be 4-5 presentations. One on the Supercourse (of course) and 
the other 4 on the science of prevention. We then scoop up all the 
lectures and put them into the Supercourse. We will capture global 
prevention in countries and prevention across the world in one fell 
swoop. The lectures then would be available to the world, as the 
world has contributed them. How do you think we can set up GPD?

Targeted Supercourses:

There has been remarkable progress across the world in developing the 
targeted Supercourses.

Eugene Shubnikov <eshub@mail.nsk.ru>: Many of you know Eugene, he is 
Russian and lives in Siberia. He has been organizing the Former So-
viet Union Supercourse. The FSU Supercourse has about 200 partici-
pants in all 15 FSU countries. It is most likely the largest network 
of people in prevention in the FSU. The working languages are Russian 
and English, with a newsletter sent every few weeks. The network is 
wonderful in that there are health profiles on the web for all coun-
tries. There are 43 Russian Language lectures and 25 English lectures 
from FSU scientists. In 2002 the activity of FSU network was reported 
at World Congress of Epidemiology and Grand Opening of the Library of 
Alexandria. For the year 2003 we plan to update Health Profiles and 
write an article about FSU activity in one of FSU scientific journal 
with the link to PowerPoint presentation with the same topic. Eugene 
will be distributing over 300 CDs throughout the FSU. Look at this 
phenomenal speed of development. By 2015 time series regression pre-
dicts that everyone in Russia will have joined.

In January 2001 - 1 lecture and 30 participants of the network
January 2002 - 11 lectures and 105 participants of the network
January 2003 - 83 lectures and 250 participants of the network

Soni Dodani <drdodani@msn.com>: from Pakistan has started a nation-
wide telepreventive medicine program. A few weeks ago Soni and Saman, 
Ejaz and Shabina visited 4 states in Pakistan and met with the Direc-
tor General, Ministries of Heath, faculty and students. It was quite 
a Supercourse odyssey! The CDs are to be spread to many of the Uni-
versities. It is likely that 200-300 CDs will be distributed. Paki-
stan is taking off very quickly. They will be advertising the Super-
course web site on the TV and radio. Also, there was considerable in-
terest in having a PPD Pakistani Prevention Day in the medical 
schools throughout Pakistan. 

Abed Husseini <abed66@hotmail.com>: is a Palestinian who started the 
Islamic Supercourse (www.pitt.edu/~super1). This too is evolving very 
rapidly. There are 24 lectures by Muslim contributors. He also is 
working with this network to have over 200 CDs distributed. 

Rania Saad <rania_saad2002@yahoo.com>: from Cairo is developing an 
Egyptian/Arab Supercourse program. She has recruited 61 Arab partici-
pants, 41 of which are from Egypt. They have also collected 21 Super-
course lectures. She has had 2 national Supercourse orientation lec-
tures, the second of which was at a WHO meeting.

It is really exciting to see all the work that these 4 have developed 
in an amazingly short period of time. Please contact Eugene, Soni, 
Abed and Rania, if you would like to join in each of these efforts.

Future Supercourses: There are several most interesting Supercourses 
being considered. There is the possibility of Supercourses for the 
following areas, Tropical Medicine, Diabetes, Environmental Health 
and Women's health. In addition there is the potential for developing 
Supercourses in the following countries: Tanzania, Israel, and India. 
Several other researchers in at least 10 other countries have made 
enquires about building a Supercourse. As with the Parent Super-
course, all subject and county Supercourses are open to everyone.

Today is a holiday in Pittsburgh. It is cold, -10C. As I look out my 
window at home I see about 40 turkeys scratching through the snow to 
find food, and about 10 deer. It is the Ron and Jan's Zoo. Eugene 
Shubnikov, when he stayed with us for 4 months said that in Siberia, 
the Turkeys would make Christmas every day!! 

We are moving at a very fast clip. Thanks so much. Please think and 
comment on the global prevention day.

Ron, Faina, Mita, Eugene, EunRyoung, Akira, Julia, Tom Turkey, Soni, 
Abed, Rania, Wendy
mailto:super1+@pitt.edu

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