Stop zikaArretons ZIKAFermiamo zikahalt zikaallj, zika遏制寨卡Detener ZikaParar Zikaberhenti zikasispann Zika

Distinguished guests,

It is an honour to welcome you to these three days of conferences and debates dedicated to the spreading of virus Zika. The always accelerating and violent impact of Zika obliges the international community to intervene at the soonest. While Brazil has reached over one million cases in 2015, the virus is consolidating its presence in the rest of Latin America, with the first confirmed case in Argentina just a couple of weeks ago. The response of the WHO has been immediate: the statute of emergency has been rapidly declared. However, there is now a need for a coordination amongst the WHO, its partners and governments all over the world in the fighting of the virus. I hope that this series of meetings and conferences will be a productive occasion for the WHO and its partners to raise awareness and produce solutions to stop the Zika epidemics.

Yours faithfully,

Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General

OPENING LETTER

WHO WE ARE The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority on interna-tional health within the United Nations’ system. We began when our Constitution came into force on 7 April 1948 and are now more than 7000 people working in 150 country offices, in 6 regional offices and at our headquarters in Geneva. As the world’s leading or-ganization in ensuring global health, WHO brings governments together to tackle global health problems and improve people’s well being.

Leadership & Partnership

RESEARCH & Support

WHO provides leadership on matters crucial to health and engages in partner-ships where joint action is needed. It pro-motes the norms and standards that it sets for international healthcare. It assesses health trends and articulates ethical and evidence-based policy options.

WHO shapes the research agenda and stimulates the generation, translation and dissemination of valuable knowledge. It provides technical support that catalyzes change to the countries it works with, and builds sustainable institutional capacity.

On February 1, WHO declared Zika as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), designed to respond to public health crises of global reach under the International Health Regulations. Signed by 196 countries, this agreement states that each country strives to “detect, assess and report public health events”. WHO has also launched a global Strategic Response Framework and Joint Operations Plan to guide the international response to the spread of Zika virus infection and the neonatal malformations and neurological conditions associated with it.

Our response to

the Zika crisis

Considered the most potential upcoming global public health emergency, Zika is rising in prominence especially in the Americas and Africa, with the World Bank announcing $150 million to fight the outbreak; and yet people are not gaining knowledge of it on par with its rapid spread across the planet. Experts estimate that within 12 months, Zika could infect 3 to 4 million people.

The Zika is a disease caused by a virus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, with no available vaccine currently known to treat it. Only one of five people infected with the virus develop symptoms, which are average ones including fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes lasting 2-7 days.

With large outbreaks in Brazil in 2015, health authorities have been suspecting a link between the Zika virus and babies born with the condition of microcephaly. Countries in the South Americas have even advised women to delay pregnancy. On top of that, recently there have been linkages between the virus and paralysis syndrome.

To this date, Zika has been spread to 39 countries. The WHO has warned that Zika is likely to be spread across the Americas, and the hazard of the virus being carried by travellers is considered high.

“Zika Is This Year’s Scary Virus” - National Geographic

The Conference takes place in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires due to its relative closeness to the most affected regions by the Zika crisis. In this country the participants will be more influenced and they will feel more touched by the importance of the urge of prevention and need to stop the spread of the disease.

The sessions, lectures and other events of the Conference are going to take place in the magnificent setting of the Alvear Palace Hotel. The main goal of the Conference is on the one hand the negotiation of political, economic and health policies to stop the disease and on the other hand the Conference is an event that raises awareness of the public and calls for a global donation for the further research. The lecturers and participants are going to be hosted in the hotel. Moreover, both private and public sessions and lectures are organized in the hotel’s conference rooms. The Charity Gala that is organized in the spirit of generosity and endowment will be hosted in the grandiose ballrooms of Alvear Palace Hotel.

Event Setting

“Possible links with neurological complications and birth malformations have rapidly changed the risk profile for Zika from a mild threat to one of very serious proportions”. - Margaret Chan

Mauricio Macri is a former civil engineer, who won the first ballotage of the Argentinian history and is the current President of Argentina. As his country faces difficulties to overcome the spread of the virus, President Mauricio Macri will participate to the conference and open the various discussion that this event offers. His presence is the opportunity to obtain concrete and insightful information on the current crisis that his homeland is facing as well the policies available to contain and end the virus Zika. As the head of State of Argentina, the discussion will open with the opportunities and challenges that law makers face in resolving this global threat that is the virus Zika.

As the Director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan will close the ceremony and conference. Following her travel in Brazil to observe the impact of the WHO-led measures for the Vika virus and her meeting with the Brazilian Minister of Health Marcelo Castro, Margaret Chan will offer the public the tools to properly apprehend the issues at stakes. As she recently acknowledged, “Possible links with neurological complications and birth malformations have rapidly changed the risk profile for Zika from a mild threat to one of very serious proportions”. The WHO thus placed the Zika virus as a global emergency, in the same category as Ebola.

Mauricio Macri Margaret Chan

List of Speakers

Pope of the Roman Catholic Empire, Pope Francis will honour the conference with his presence. He recently argued in favour of the use of protection to avoid the increasing spread of the virus. Given the gravity of the situation, he asserted that contraception would be favorable in comparison with the abortion of a foetus infected with the virus. The presence in the conference of this very honorable guest will foster a rich and enlightening debate on religion and the Zika virus. The theme of the discussion which features Pope Francis is “Encouragement of believers: Contraception is acceptable to stop the Zika virus?”

As the Minister of Health of Brazil, Marcelo Castro witnessed the growth and dangers of the Zika virus in his homeland. He recently acknowledged that the mosquito Aedes aegypti - which conveys the Zika virus - was winning the “war” the health authorities waged against it. His knowledge of the difficulties to control the virus will give concrete insights on how policy makers can act to solve this crisis.

The theme of the discussion is “Tracking the Spread of the Virus, Possible Solutions to Stop the Virus”

Pope Francis Marcelo Castro

List of Speakers

As the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Dr. Anthony Fauci is deeply involved in the Zika crisis. While the American government is currently attempting to design a potential vaccine, Dr. Fauci argued that it “is not going to be overnight”. His expertise of the virus - notably concerning HIV - will foster a productive and insightful discussion on the virus, the potential cures and its spread.

The theme of the discussion is “The increasing menace of Zika worldwide.”

List of Speakers

Thomas R. Frieden Dr. Anthony Fauci

Former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Thomas R. Frieden was appointed by the American President Barack Obama in 2009 as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As Thomas R. Frieden recently admitted, the virus is still very much unknown and it is needed to further researches on the virus and its spread. The CDC released comprehensive recommendations to prevent the sexual transmission of the virus.

The theme of the discussion led by Thomas R. Frieden is “Funds for Research and Prevention.”

List of Speakers

David Quammen is an American nature and science writer, which recently published an article in National Geographic named “Why Zika Is This Year’s Scary Virus”. He recently argued that “as we continue to disrupt those areas and kill those areas, we will expose ourselves to more viruses like Zika”. His participation to the conference will allow the discussion to develop upon the danger of the virus worldwide but also the threats of the emergence of new viruses.

The theme of the discussion is “What goes around comes around: Correlation between the environment and the spread of Zika.”

Emma Watson is a British actress, model and activist. She began her career cinema at the age 11 in the Harry Potter film series, which gained her international prominence. She is now a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, working for women’s role promotion, especially famous for the “Heforshe” campaign. She very recently decided to take a break from cinema for a year to concentrate on her fight for gender equality and her personal development.

Emma will be speaking on the topic of Zika-related pregnancy risks and men’s role during the crisis.

Emma Watson

List of Speakers

David Quammen

Day 0: Thursday 25th February

Registration of lecturers and participants

Snack bar opens

Welcome speech of Mauricio MacriWelcome drinks in the Garden of the Hotel

Dinner in the Hotel’s Dining hall

Day 1: Friday 26th February

Opening Ceremony and Presentation of the Issue at Stake

Lunch in the Dining Hall of the Hotel

Session 1: The Spread of Zika Across South and Central America Discussion lead by Marcelo Castro, Brazilian Health Minister Theme: Tracking the Spread of the Virus, Possible Solutions to Stop the Virus

Session 2: The Global MenaceDiscussion lead by Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, CDC Director Theme: Funds for Research and Prevention

Conference Schedule

12:00

18:00

19:00

20:00

10:00

12:30

14:00

17:00

Day 2: Saturday 27th February

Morning Participants and Guests are encouraged to discover the city of Buenos Aires

Lunch in the Dining Hall of the Hotel

First Public Lecture Dr. Anthony Fauci: The increasing menace of Zika worldwide

Second Public Lecture David Quammen: What goes around comes around: Correlation between the environment and the spread of Zika

Third Public Lecture Pope Francis: Encouragement of believers: Contraception is accept-able to stop the Zika virus

Start of Charity Gala

Day 3: Sunday 28th February

Concluding ThoughtsClosing Ceremony lead by Margaret Chan

Guests depart

Conference Schedule

12:00

13:30

15:30

17:30

21:00

10:00

12:00

Charity Gala

The Charity Gala Dinner is open to the public. It will take place in the Versailles ballroom of the Alvear Palace Hotel. Different kind of tickets are available to enjoy a theme dinner with culinary specialties in tribute to the areas in the world affected by the Zika Virus. After a screening of Sean Penn’s latest documentary on the crisis, all guests will have the chance to enjoy the incredible Tango show danced by the best tango dancers of the World, who won the Tango World Championship in 2015: the Argentinians Clarisa Aragon and Jonathan Saavedra. Three other special guests will be performing during the night: Emma Watson, Shakira and Octave One, who are one of the best techno DJs in the world and who will be mixing with the Philarmonic Orchestra of Buenos Aires.

Opening Thoughts by Mauricio Macri

Documentary Screening: “Zika, a Viral Global Issue”

Traditional African Starters

Emma Watson: the pregnancy delay and the men’s role

Traditional South Asian primi piatti

Tango show – Clarisa Aragon and Jonathan Saavedra

Traditional South American desert

Shakira Concert

Octave One and the Buenos Aires Philharmonic

20:00

20:30

21:00

21:45

22:00

22:30

22:45

23:00

23:30

GalaSchedule

Tariffs for the charity gala (per person) :

Bronze Table: 200 $Silver Table: 250 $Gold Table: 350 $

Platinum Table: 500 $

The location of the tables are determined by the exclusivity of the offers. Guests at platinum tables will have the privileged opportunity to converse with the perform-ing artists.

RVSP by Dec. 31, 2015 at cecile.treboit@who.intl

Documentary Screening:“Zika, a Viral Global Issue”

Along with the WHO, Sean Penn embarked on an adventure to discover the effects and threats of the virus Zika. After his involvement in the aftermath of the 2010 Haitian earthquake, Penn returned enlightened on the role individuals have to ensure global health and security. Following his recent travels in Central and South America, Sean Penn decided to return once more behind the camera to report on the Zika crisis. The WHO is thus proud to present his exclusive documentary on the origins, spread and consequences of the virus : “Zika, a Viral Global Issue”. It is the proper opportunity to start the conference and thought-provoking debates on how to solve this urgent and dreadful issue.

Other Highlights

Philarmonic Orchestra of Buenos Aires

Founded in 1946, the Buenos Aires Philharmonic is considered one of the most prestigious orches-tras in its nation and Latin America, and has received several honours in 60 years of history. It usually performs in the renowned Teatro Colón. It’s current music director is Maestro Enrique Diemecke.

Octave One is an American Techno band of brothers, made up of Lenny and Lawrence Burden with revolving mem-bers of Lynell, Lorne, and Lance Burden. They are at the origins of the second wave of Detroit Techno music and are well-known worldwide.

Shakira is a Colombian singer and songwriter of international renown. She is involved in phil-anthropic activities focusing on universal education and early childhood development. In 2011, President Obama appointed Shakira to the President¹s Advi-sory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. She is also one of the UNICEF’s Goodwill ambassadors.

Clarisa Aragon and Jona-than Saavedra are a young Argentinian dance couple who won the Tango World Champi-onship in 2015 in Buenos Aires, defeating 40 other couples. They became the best Tango dancers of the world and are proud to perform a extraordi-nary show for our event.

Our Partners

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the larg-est private foundation of the world. The foundation strives to promote international health and reduce extreme poverty. It is one of the foundations to finance the creation of the “Global Fund”, which aims to prevent and treat HIV, tuberculosis and malaria. As the Zika crisis highlights the dangers of the virus, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation wishes to fund new researches to find possible treatments.

Doctors without Borders is a humanitarian non-governmental organization and Nobel Prize lau-reate. It strives to promote and ensure medical aid and stability to the most fragile regions of the world. In 2015, over 30,000 doctor and medical specialists in 70 countries worked for defend these values. With an an-nual budget of $610 million, Doctors without Borders is a leading sponsor of the conference.

Our Partners

Samaritan’s Purse - International Relief is a Chris-tian humanitarian organization, which strived to promote global well-being over 100 countries. Specialized in public health and medical aid, this organization seek to offer help and expertise in solving the Zika crisis. Having gained experiences in relief missions such as the Kosovo conflict, El Salvador earthquakes and Iraq, the Samaritan’s Purse offers its logistical knowledge in order to properly respond to those infected and in need.

Oi is the largest telecommunication company in Brazil. As one of the major companies in Brazil, Oi strived to offer resources to properly solve the dramatic spread of Zika virus that its country is facing. Determined to play an active role in this crisis, Oi has become the key promoter of the conference.

Pfizer Inc. is one of the leading company in the pharma-ceutical industry. As a fervent advocate of international health safety and well-being, Pfizer provided in 2012, along with the Gates Foundation, affordable access to con-traception to three million women over the world. Facing the Zika crisis, Pfizer wishes to provide all means necessary to enhance the researches on vaccines against the virus and promote new policies to constrain and end the Zika crisis.

PremiumPartners

Follow the latest update about the Zika crisis on WHO’s social media

@WHO

http://www.facebook.com/WHO

@worldhealthorganization

Media

Contact: Oliver JonesWorld Health Organization, Regional Office for the AmericasAv. Presidente Kennedy, 7778Duque de Caxias CEP 25040-004Rio de Janiero, Brazil

Tel. (+33) 07 83 78 88 77E-mail: oliver.jones@who.intl

-For Immediate Release-

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION TO HOST LECTURE SERIES ON ZIKA

BUENOS AIRES - The World Health Organisation, in collaboration with

several leading global health organisations, will host a two-day lecture series to raise

awareness for the Zika crisis and to raise funds for medical research to combat the

virus.

The lecture series features several key figures in global health, politics and

popular culture in hopes to inform the public, raise awareness about the virus affect-

ing Brazil and French Polynesia and create a forum for health professionals to col-

laborate.

Dr Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious

Diseases, said that the lecture series would raise awareness about the current issue

and start a conversation on a global scale.

“This conference will be a strong spark to ignite a much-needed discussion

about the current situation regarding the Zika crisis, and a fantastic opportunity to

get informed, inspired and involved,” Fauci said. “I am honored and excited to be a

speaker at the event, and to be a part of this globally oriented conversation.”

The World Health Organisation’s Director General, Margaret Chan, recently

classified the Zika virus as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern af-

ter a series of Zika-related microcephaly cases in French Polynesia and Brazil. Chan

said that the lack of vaccines and cures for the Zika virus was a factor at play in rais-

ing the status of the virus. Several countries have identified a strong link between the

mosquito-borne Zika virus and microcephaly; a birth defect where victims are born

with abnormally small heads.

“The lack of vaccines and the absence of population immunity in Brazil and

French Polynesia are definitely causes for concern,” Chan said. “This conference will

provide on opportunity to connect brilliant minds and help health professionals, as

well as the general public, to become aware and informed about the current situa-

tion.”

The two-day event will conclude with a charity gala at 20:00 in the Alvear Pal-

ace. The gala, which aims to raise funds to support vaccine research to cure the Zika

virus, features a special dinner, tango dancing with world tango champions, guest

speaker Emma Watson and an evening performance by Shakira, Octave One and the

Buenos Aires Philharmonic Orchestra.

Tickets will be on sale between Friday, December 25, and Thursday, December

31, from €200 - €500. The performance by Shakira, Octave One and the Buenos Aires

Philharmonic Orchestra will be televised on news networks around the world.

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