Eighteenth Conference, 2009

Health and the Environment: Global Partners for Global Solutions

APRIL 15 & 16, 2009,
UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

on the theme:

POLITICAL INFLUENCE ON HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT POLICIES

 
Organized by World Information Transfer, Inc.; Co-sponsorsВ include: Government of Ukraine, Government of Poland, UN-DESA Division for Sustainable Development, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEE); Supported by the Permanent Missions to the UN of Belarus and Mexico; In Collaboration with: WHO, NGLS, DESA NGO Section, Stakeholder Forum

Speckers abstracts:
Dr. Lilian Corra, Dr. Mildred Dresselhaus, В Dr. Ruth Etzel, Dr. Hiram Larew, Ms. Leila Conners, Mr. Bertil Lindblad, Mr. Werner Obermeyer, Dr. Scott C. Ratzan, Dr. Andrew Sowder, Mr. Richard Whiteford, Ms. Jessica Williamson.

Conference Program

WEDNESDAY, April 15, 10am to 6PM:
CHORNOBYL UPDATE

Part I: Chernobyl Nuclear Accident: the Past
10:00В – 11:00 am

Opening Remarks
Daniel Igor Branovan, MD
Christine K. Durbak, MD
Welcoming Remarks
Consul General of Ukraine, Mykola Kyrychenko
Alexander Rumyantsev “Chernobyl, the real story.”
Alexander Kalantirsky “Chernobyl through the eyes of the liquidators.”

Part II: Chernobyl Nuclear Accident: the Present
11:00 amВ – 12:00pm

Elena Malysheva “Lingering effects of Chernobyl: Results of an Internet survey of Russian population.”
Anatoly Romanchishen “The challenge of measuring radiation exposure after Chernobyl: Increased thyroid cancer rates among the “unexposed” population in St. Petersburg.”
Vladimir Parshin “Large scale Ultrasound screening for thyroid cancer among exposed populations in Russia.”

Part III: Advances in Diagnosis of Thyroid Cancer
12:00В – 12:15 pm

Raj Tiwari “Understanding thyroid cancer on the molecular scale.”

Part IV: Developing Cost-effective Methods for Treatment of Thyroid Cancer
12:15 – 1:00 pm

Michael Tuttle “Developing a cost-effective methodology for post-operative treatment of the thyroid cancer patient.”
Michael Pitman “Management of surgical complications after thyroid surgery: the cost of treating recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis.”
Daniel Igor Branovan “Chernobyl nuclear accident: From Kiev and Minsk to Brooklyn and Boston.”

Panel Discussion
Facilitators:
Dr. Stimson Schantz, Dr. Dmitry Shiglik

Lunch
1:00 – 3:00 pm
Project Chernobyl, the effort to treat the community at-risk

Featured Speaker:
U.S. Congressman Jerrold Nadler

Closing Remarks
Daniel Igor Branovan, MD
Christine K. Durbak, MD
Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, H.E. Yuriy Sergeyev

THURSDAY MORNINGВ – April 16th, 10 AM to 1 PM:

Energy Policies and Human Health

Moderator: H.E. Mr. Valeriy Kuchinsky
Former Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the U.N.
Rapporteur:В Lin Yang
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Conference Chair and Founder, WIT
Dr. Christine Durbak K.
H.E. Mr. Yuriy Sergeyev
Permanent Representative of the Ukraine to the U.N.

KEYNOTE STATEMENT:
H.E. Mr. Volodymyr Shandra,
Minister of Emergencies and Chornobyl Issues of Ukraine
Mrs. Irena Zubcevic, Senior Sustainable Development Officer,
UN-DESA, DSD
Mr. Werner Obermeyer, WHO
Political Influence on Health Policies
Dr. Andrew Sowder, CHP
No Free Lunch: The Challenge Of Nuclear Waste
Electric Power Research Institute
Dr. Mildred Dresselhaus,
Professor, Dept. of Electrical Engineering,
Opportunities and Challenges for Global EnergyВ in the 21st Century
Department of Physics, MIT
Mr. Richard Whiteford,
Impact of Politics on Climate Change Policy
Certified Presenter of Al Gore’s The Climate Project
Ms. Jessica Williamson, ZapRoot – Moderator
Panel Discussion: Communication with Youth

Panel:
James Elsen VP SustaineLane
Devon Johnson Earth Conservation Corps
Alec Loorz Kids vs Climate Change
Discussion and Questions

LUNCHEON – Delegates Dining Room, 1-3 PM (By Invitation Only)

Speaker:
Ms. Laila Conners, President, Treemedia

Host:
Ronald DeSilva, Executive Vice-Chair, WIT

THURSDAY AFTERNOON – 3 to 6 PM:
Children’s Health Policies

Moderator: Ms. Tania Valerie Raguz,
Mission of Croatia to the UN, Vice-Chair,
UN Commission on Sustainable Development
Dr. Noel Brown, Friends of the UN, former Director, UNEP
Perspectives on Political Influence on Health and Environmental Policies
Mr. Bertil Lindblad, UNAIDS
Protection, Care and Support for Children Living in a World with AIDS: The Policy Imperative
Dr. Hiram Larew
Agricultural Advisor, OES/ENV, US Department of State
Notes on the U.S. Government’s Participation
in the UN Commission on Sustainable Development
Dr. Lilian Corra
ISDE International Secretariat
Chemical Threats to Children’s Health: the Essential
Role of the Health Sector in Partnerships
Dr. Scott C. Ratzan, VP Global Health, Government Affairs & Policy,В Johnson & Johnson
Global Health Diplomacy: Advancing Health Literacy for Children
Dr. Ruth Etzel, George Washington University
Pediatric Environmental Health Leadership Institute
Discussion and Questions

Closing Remarks:
H.E. Mr. Yuriy Sergeyev, Permanent Representative of the Ukraine to the U.N
Dr. Christine Durbak, Chair and Founder, WIT