Regional Meetings

Complementing IANPHI’s annual meeting is a series of regional events providing added opportunities for linking and partnering with NPHI colleagues for mutual assistance and collective learning. These gatherings are already yielding benefits to public health at the national, regional, and global levels.

In 2006, IANPHI collaborated with Fiocruz to sponsor a meeting of NPHIs from Portuguese-speaking countries. The gathering identified NPHI priorities and yielded a dynamic partnership between IANPHI and Fiocruz to jointly develop a projects in Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique. These collaborative South-South efforts have provided a unique IANPHI model for alliances in other regions.

Building on this success, IANPHI partnered again with Fiocruz in 2007 to host a meeting of NPHI directors from South and Central America. The event yielded country assessments and a plan for advancing collaboratively.

NPHIs of the European Union meet yearly to share experiences, discuss common issues, and plan collaborative initiatives.

In April 2008, IANPHI held the first regional meeting in Africa, targeting NPHI directors from English-speaking African countries. Hosted by South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases in Johannesburg, the workshop offered instruction and coaching in strategic leadership and also provided opportunities for informal interaction and networking among the participants. IANPHI aims to make leadership development workshops in Africa an annual event.

Regional gatherings are also a feature of IANPHI’s annual meetings, with time provided for NPHI directors from the same geographic region to meet informally, provide activity updates, and discuss common challenges and solutions. For more about specific regional events, see News and Events.