An International network of DSS sites involved in demographic and health research in developing countries      

April 2008

From the Executive Director

Dr.Osman Sankoh
 

Dear INDEPTH family,

                                                                                                 

At the end of April, my big challenge would have been how to ‘pick and choose’ from all that was happening here at INDEPTH and write about what I thought would be of interest to you.

 

Fortunately, my colleagues whispered in my ear that they had already sent you our latest news bulletin which contains the following news items:

 

 

  1. INDEPTH goes online with AGM Registration and Abstract Submission

  2. INDEPTH Prize for Extraordinary Research in Population and Health

  3. INDEPTH Fellows Programme

  4. ART-Rollout Workshop

  5. Demographic and Epidemiological Transitions

  6. Our Data Managers Meet!

  7. Workshop on Cost of Illness

  8. Fertility Monograph in High Gear!

  9. 2nd Edition of Mortality Monograph

  10. Minimum datasets

  11. Visitors to INDEPTH

  12. INDEPTH at the University of Southampton, UK

  13. INDEPTH at Measure DHS at Macro International in Maryland, USA

  14. INDEPTH at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington, USA

  15. INDEPTH Adult Health and Aging Working Group meets in Umea, Sweden

  16. INDEPTH Education Interest Group meets in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

 

I shall wait a while if you want to review those topics again. I’m waiting… Done?

OK. So that I don’t bore you with the same information, I have decided to focus only on the Annual General and Scientific Meeting.

 

If you didn’t already know that our 8th AGM would be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 22-26 September 2008, and that it would coincide with INDEPTH’s 10th anniversary, then  I would have had cause to worry, and would have asked my team at the Secretariat why we had failed so miserably.

 

The good news is that online registration for the AGM is still open at http://www.indepth-network.org/events/8agm/8agm_1stcall.htm. In fact the deadline for the submission of abstracts has been extended to 30 May.

 

The other exciting news is that everyone who wants to attend this 10th anniversary of INDEPTH may register online. In fact, this is what we expect.

 

This year, the Secretariat is encouraging full papers to be submitted beforehand. And we have clarified that the full papers submitted will be published as WORKING PAPERS and circulated within INDEPTH. INDEPTH would like to publish these papers as special issues of international journals because doing so would strengthen our visibility.. If this is not possible or there are specific reasons to submit them elsewhere for publication, INDEPTH expects the authors to sign an MOU that papers submitted elsewhere will indicate/acknowledge that they were first presented at an AGM funded by INDEPTH. For authors whose participation was funded by INDEPTH, the organisation assumes it has a first option to publish the paper in an international journal. INDEPTH would also encourage scientists who have important new information which has already been submitted for publication or is destined for a specific journal to submit it for the AGM as well. If their abstract is accepted before the paper is accepted for publication, such authors are expected to sign an MOU that their paper will indicate/acknowledge that it was first presented at an AGM funded by INDEPTH.

 

That was a long one, but it is always a good idea to explain yourself well to prevent potential problems. Don’t you agree?

 

Did you know that the AGM is the annual general meeting of the MEMBERS of the INDEPTH Network where scientific discourse takes place and the following business  conducted?

 

1. Receipt of the Report of the Board of Trustees;

2. Receipt of the Report of the Executive Director;

3. Receipt and consideration of the audited accounts of INDEPTH for the preceding year;

4. Holding of elections to fill vacancies on the Board of Trustees;

5. Consideration of any matter affecting the interest of INDEPTH;

6. Transaction of any other business necessary.

 

If you are not quite sure who our members are, please be informed  before your travel to Tanzania that INDEPTH has 3 categories of Members:

 

1.       Ordinary Members/Full Members

These are Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) sites that participate in cross site activities and are duly certified by the Board of Trustees and have paid membership subscriptions where applicable.

 

2.       Associate Members

 These are interested professional, research and donor institutions that have been admitted into membership of the Network.  Currently the external constituencies and donors of INDEPTH are the Associate Members.  Associate Members do not pay membership subscriptions.

 

3.       Honorary Members

These are either Ordinary or Associate Members who have rendered signal service to INDEPTH in recognition of which the AGM by resolution authorises the Board to admit them to Honorary Membership of INDEPTH. Honorary Members do not pay membership subscriptions.

 

The other good thing is that:

1.       All 3 categories of Members may participate in the AGM.

2.       They may all receive all correspondence and literature related to the AGM.

3.       They may all contribute to the discussions and debates at the AGM.

 

So please join us in Tanzania!

 

While you are at the AGM, please note that:

  1. Only Ordinary or Full Members, i.e., Health and Demographic Surveillance System Sites (HDSSs) have the vote at the AGM.

  2. Each Ordinary or Full Member or HDSS has only one vote.

  3. The vote of an Ordinary or Full Member may be cast by the Site Leader or anybody nominated by the Site Leader.

  4. Associate and Honorary Members do not have votes at the AGM.

  5. Members of the Board of Trustees do not have votes at the AGM BUT the chair of the Board has a casting vote in the event of a tie.

  6. Votes at the AGM shall be by secret ballot unless Members decide otherwise.

  7. A simple majority of votes cast shall decide the matter on which the vote was taken.

I didn’t mean to give a lecture on our AGM, but it turned out to be quite exciting to write about it.  I do apologise if you found it boring.  I shall stop here and ask you to check the special AGM page on our website for more information.

 

Please check out this column again at the end of May. Until then, work hard on your abstracts and papers.

 

 

BETTER HEALTH INFORMATION FOR BETTER HEALTH POLICY

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                     March 2008 message from the Executive Diretcor

                     February 2008 message from the Executive Diretcor

                     January 2008 message from the Executive Diretcor