Public Health

CAMPAIGNS: A way to bring aboutu some change. It is not one single action, but a combination of a number of actions, reports and events put together in a sequenced plan.
IPSF and PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGNS
IPSF is the leading international advocacy organization for pharmacy students, promoting improved public health through the provision of information, education, networking and a range of publications and professional initiatives. Supporting our members in the preparation and implementation of campaigns is one way in which IPSF fulfills this objective. As pharmacy students and pharmacists, we are in the position to inform the public and change misconceptions surrounding our profession and any health related topics.
Be sure to inform the contact person for your association and IPSF about the campaigning that you do. The best way to share your success is by filling out the IPSF activity report form.
Public Health
Public Health is of global relevance; hence, IPSF strives to engage member associations in initiatives that positively influence health and health knowledge within their communities. The Federation plays an active role in promoting and implementing Public Health activities and our work is greatly aided by our collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).
There are six primary topics that IPSF have focused our attention on. These major campaigns are as follows:
HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign
Tobacco Alert Campaign
Tuberculosis Awareness Campaign
Healthy Living and Diabetes Campaign
Anti-Counterfeit Drug Campaign
Humanitarian Campaign
HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign
As one of IPSF’s longest running campaigns, the content of the HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign is constantly evolving to meet the needs of all member countries and their communities.
From the initial campaign strategy of increasing disease awareness and promoting disease prevention, the focus is now on educating both healthcare workers and the public against discrimination and stigma associated with the disease. The UNESCO HIV/AIDS and Human Rights – Youth in Action materials have been a useful resource. Promoting universal access to anti-retroviral treatment is a new direction being explored.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link OR visit our database at aids.ipsf.org
Tobacco Alert Campaign
This ongoing campaign aims to educate the public on the risks of smoking and the deadly health consequences of tobacco use. Based on the WHO Code of Practice on Tobacco Control for Health Professional Organisations, IPSF developed a Code of Practice on Tobacco Control to encourage member associations to take on more active roles in promoting a tobacco-free world and in creating a model healthy lifestyle as healthcare students. The Tobacco Alert Campaign has grown to be one of the most popular initiatives of the Federation. Many campaigns aimed at a younger audience (e.g. high school students) have additionally educated IPSF members on how to effectively communicate public health messages to different target audiences and to use initiative to develop effective and informative presentations.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link OR visit our database at tobacco.ipsf.org
Tuberculosis Campaign
In May 2004, IPSF became first professional organisation representing pharmacists or pharmacy students to be admitted to the WHO Stop TB Partnership. A joint statement between IPSF and the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) titled Partnerships – the Key to Improving Health Outcomes for Tuberculosis/HIV Patients was also released. Subsequently, the Partnership launched the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015: Actions for Life - Towards a World Free of Tuberculosis. These efforts have given IPSF many opportunities to participate in discussion groups and forums related to the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB).
TB is a disease relevant to many countries worldwide and members are encouraged and supported in partnering other pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical bodies in their country to jointly promote the Global Plan and World TB Day through raising awareness as a multi-disciplinary team.
More specifically, pharmacy students around the world can be educated by the work of their peers. The TB web forum for pharmacists and pharmacy students, www.pharmacistsfighttb.org, is jointly maintained by IPSF and CPA. IPSF, CPA and the Indian Pharmaceutical Association ran the TB Fact Card Project which led to community pharmacists in Mumbai, India taking an active role in the prevention and treatment of TB through patient education and medication counselling.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link OR visit our database at tuberculosis.ipsf.org
Health Living and Diabetes Campaign
The Healthy Living and Diabetes Campaign, launched in August 2005, is one of IPSF’s newest campaigns. It aims to raise awareness of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention and care of diabetes and to encourage pro-active rather than reactive health promotion. The objectives also include training and motivating pharmacy students to move towards multi-disciplinary collaboration in planning events and campaigns while bringing awareness to a globally significant issue. Healthy Living and Diabetes will be one of the Federation’s main focuses in the coming years, with a large educational component to increase awareness amongst both healthcare professionals and the public in the prevention and care of this chronic disease.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link OR visit our database at diabetes.ipsf.org
Anti-Counterfeit Drugs Campaign (ACDC)
The Anti-Counterfeit Drugs Campaign, launched in August 2007, is one of the newest IPSF campaign. This campaign serves as a milestone as it is the first resource campaign on counterfeit medicines geared towards health care students. The main objective of this project is to increase the general awareness among health care students about the risks associated with counterfeit and substandard medicines.
Counterfeit and substandard medicines are a serious and growing public health concern. A counterfeit medicine is deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source. Forging can apply to both branded and generic products and counterfeit medicines may include products with the correct ingredients or with the wrong ingredients, which can be toxic, without active ingredients, with insufficient active ingredients or with fake packaging. However, the appearance of a counterfeit medicine usually mimics that of the original one.
Pharmacists, physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals play an important role in educating the public about the risks and dangers of counterfeit and substandard medicines. This campaign aims to increase awareness among health care students and empower them with information about the threats of counterfeit and substandard medicines to public health. By targeting health care students, it is expected that as future healthcare professionals, they will continually combat counterfeit drugs throughout their career
Learn more about this campaign at the following link or visit our database at counterfeit.ipsf.org
Humanitarian
Some IPSF member organizations have already organized a few humanitarian activities, such as Vampire Cup (Blood Donation Day), Collecting of toys and books for children, Clothes’ Collecting, Christmas Bazaar etc. By supporting local activities IPSF would like to encourage all member countries to continue with their work. By exchanging ideas, creating materials for humanitarian activities, and helping each other, we can manage to organize at least one local humanitarian activity per year in every member country. This is the goal we would like to achieve this year.
By organising a Humanitarian Campaign, member countries will become involved in IPSF Public Health Reward System.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link or visit our database at humanitarian.ipsf.org
World Health Day
In addition to the official Public Health Campaigns, IPSF actively promotes World Health Day on 7 April each year, raising awareness of a chosen theme among both pharmacy students and pharmacists, as part of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team. In 2006, the theme was Working Together for Health.
The IPSF Public Health Portfolio is constantly evolving with the development of new and existing activities to enable us to promote public health topics of relevance to our members worldwide, handing them opportunities to further their own education and that of others, as well as to expand their involvement in the public health arena.
Contact Us
For more information about IPSF public health, please contact our Chairperson of Public Health, Sharon Leung, at publichealth@ipsf.org

For over fifty years, IPSF has strived to actively engage our members in initiatives that positively influence health and health knowledge within their communities. By focusing on globally relevant issues and offering resources and materials to our Members, IPSF aims to provide various opportunities for students and recent graduates to expand their involvement in the public health arena..

IPSF and PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGNS

IPSF is the leading international advocacy organization for pharmacy students, promoting improved public health through the provision of information, education, networking and a range of publications and professional initiatives. Supporting our members in the preparation and implementation of campaigns is one way in which IPSF fulfills this objective. As pharmacy students and pharmacists, we are in the position to inform the public and change misconceptions surrounding our profession and any health related topics.

Be sure to inform the contact person for your association and IPSF about the campaigning that you do. The best way to share your success is by filling out the IPSF activity report form.

For general assistance and further guidance on how to run a public health campaigns, please reivew the following campaign booklet for details.

Public Health

Public Health is of global relevance; hence, IPSF strives to engage member associations in initiatives that positively influence health and health knowledge within their communities. The Federation plays an active role in promoting and implementing Public Health activities and our work is greatly aided by our collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).There are six primary topics that IPSF have focused our attention on.
The major campaigns are as follows:

 

 

 

HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign

As one of IPSF’s longest running campaigns, the content of the HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign is constantly evolving to meet the needs of all member countries and their communities.
From the initial campaign strategy of increasing disease awareness and promoting disease prevention, the focus is now on educating both healthcare workers and the public against discrimination and stigma associated with the disease. The UNESCO HIV/AIDS and Human Rights – Youth in Action materials have been a useful resource. Promoting universal access to anti-retroviral treatment is a new direction being explored.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link OR visit our database at aids.ipsf.org.

Tobacco Alert Campaign

This ongoing campaign aims to educate the public on the risks of smoking and the deadly health consequences of tobacco use. Based on the WHO Code of Practice on Tobacco Control for Health Professional Organisations, IPSF developed a Code of Practice on Tobacco Control to encourage member associations to take on more active roles in promoting a tobacco-free world and in creating a model healthy lifestyle as healthcare students. The Tobacco Alert Campaign has grown to be one of the most popular initiatives of the Federation. Many campaigns aimed at a younger audience (e.g. high school students) have additionally educated IPSF members on how to effectively communicate public health messages to different target audiences and to use initiative to develop effective and informative presentations.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link OR visit our database at tobacco.ipsf.org.

 

Tuberculosis Campaign

In May 2004, IPSF became first professional organisation representing pharmacists or pharmacy students to be admitted to the WHO Stop TB Partnership. A joint statement between IPSF and the Commonwealth Pharmaceutical Association (CPA) titled Partnerships – the Key to Improving Health Outcomes for Tuberculosis/HIV Patients was also released. Subsequently, the Partnership launched the Global Plan to Stop TB 2006-2015: Actions for Life - Towards a World Free of Tuberculosis. These efforts have given IPSF many opportunities to participate in discussion groups and forums related to the treatment and prevention of tuberculosis (TB).
TB is a disease relevant to many countries worldwide and members are encouraged and supported in partnering other pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical bodies in their country to jointly promote the Global Plan and World TB Day through raising awareness as a multi-disciplinary team.
More specifically, pharmacy students around the world can be educated by the work of their peers. The TB web forum for pharmacists and pharmacy students, www.pharmacistsfighttb.org, is jointly maintained by IPSF and CPA. IPSF, CPA and the Indian Pharmaceutical Association ran the TB Fact Card Project which led to community pharmacists in Mumbai, India taking an active role in the prevention and treatment of TB through patient education and medication counselling.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link OR visit our database at tuberculosis.ipsf.org.

Health Living and Diabetes Campaign

The Healthy Living and Diabetes Campaign, launched in August 2005, is one of IPSF’s newest campaigns. It aims to raise awareness of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention and care of diabetes and to encourage pro-active rather than reactive health promotion. The objectives also include training and motivating pharmacy students to move towards multi-disciplinary collaboration in planning events and campaigns while bringing awareness to a globally significant issue. Healthy Living and Diabetes will be one of the Federation’s main focuses in the coming years, with a large educational component to increase awareness amongst both healthcare professionals and the public in the prevention and care of this chronic disease.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link OR visit our database at diabetes.ipsf.org.

Anti-Counterfeit Drugs Campaign (ACDC)

The Anti-Counterfeit Drugs Campaign, launched in August 2007, is one of the newest IPSF campaigns. This campaign serves as a milestone as it is the first resource campaign on counterfeit medicines geared towards health care students. The main objective of this project is to increase the general awareness among health care students about the risks associated with counterfeit and substandard medicines.
Counterfeit and substandard medicines are a serious and growing public health concern. A counterfeit medicine is deliberately and fraudulently mislabelled with respect to identity and/or source. Forging can apply to both branded and generic products and counterfeit medicines may include products with the correct ingredients or with the wrong ingredients, which can be toxic, without active ingredients, with insufficient active ingredients or with fake packaging. However, the appearance of a counterfeit medicine usually mimics that of the original one.
Pharmacists, physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals play an important role in educating the public about the risks and dangers of counterfeit and substandard medicines. This campaign aims to increase awareness among health care students and empower them with information about the threats of counterfeit and substandard medicines to public health. By targeting health care students, it is expected that as future healthcare professionals, they will continually combat counterfeit drugs throughout their career.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link or visit our database at counterfeit.ipsf.org.

Humanitarian

Some IPSF member organizations have already organized a few humanitarian activities, such as Vampire Cup (Blood Donation Day), toy and book collections for children, collecting clothes, Christmas Bazaar etc. By supporting local activities IPSF would like to encourage all member countries to continue with their work. By exchanging ideas, creating materials for humanitarian activities, and helping each other, we can manage to organize at least one local humanitarian activity per year in every member country. This is the goal we would like to achieve this year.
By organising a Humanitarian Campaign, member countries will become involved in IPSF Public Health Reward System.
Learn more about this campaign at the following link or visit our database at humanitarian.ipsf.org.

 

World Health Day

In addition to the official Public Health Campaigns, IPSF actively promotes World Health Day on 7 April each year, raising awareness of a chosen theme among both pharmacy students and pharmacists, as part of the multi-disciplinary healthcare team. In 2006, the theme was Working Together for Health.
The IPSF Public Health Portfolio is constantly evolving with the development of new and existing activities to enable us to promote public health topics of relevance to our members worldwide, handing them opportunities to further their own education and that of others, as well as to expand their involvement in the public health arena.

Contact Us

For more information about IPSF public health, please contact our Chairperson of Public Health, at publichealth@ipsf.org.