Populations and health services can be dramatically affected by disasters. The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 emphasizes the importance for developing prevention plans to protect people. They pay particular attention to people with disabilities who are more vulnerable to disasters and usually excluded from disaster risk management policies. Health facilities should remain accessible and functional in disasters, including enabling people with disabilities to move freely in proper infrastructures. Therefore PAHO developed INGRID-H, a methodology to enhance the level of inclusion of people with disabilities in health disaster risk management, particularly in hospital preparedness and response to emergencies and disasters.

Publication also available in Spanish. 

There is less than two months left until the deadline of abstracts for the 43rd World Hospital Congress. The Scientific Committee welcomes abstracts on best practices, innovations, projects, programs and researches from around the world that cover health resilience, investment and innovation.
Authors of accepted abstracts will get special discounted Congress registration fees, will be considered for publication in the IHF Journal and presentation in an IHF Webinar or compete in the Best Poster Award. For more information on the theme and sub-themes, submission process and other guidelines click below. Don’t delay - submit your abstract now and join us in Muscat, Oman in November!

This year we organized seven webinars with industry professionals who provided their insights, best practices and experiences on a variety of topics: 
1. Enhancing hospital safety using the Patient Safety Culture Improvement Tool
2. Implementation of Value Driven Outcomes program to identify high variability in clinical outcomes and costs
3. Secure hospitals in insecure Environments?
4. A better model to predict in-hospital mortality
5. Improving healthcare every day through accreditation
6. Innovation strategies for hospitals: Getting the right innovations in and spreading your own world-wide
7. Supporting innovation at the Geneva University Hospitals

If you missed attending any of these and are interested to learn more, you can catch up anytime by watching the recordings available on the IHF website. Stay tuned as we are planning to hold more webinars in 2019!

Two important changes were made to the Code of Practice of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations. First, a ban on gifts and promotional aids (for prescription medicines) have been introduced. Second, the ethical foundation of IFPMA, "Ethos", has been developed. 
The ban on gifts and promotional aids is aligned with current European and US guidance. The Code lists two categories of promotional items subject to prohibtion: items used by healthcare professionals in their offices and informational or educational items (new category). 

The purpose of the Special Interest Groups is to provide members with a forum for exchanges where they can collaborate on various projects. The UH SIG seeks to explain disruptive innovation in university hospitals and the impact of innovation on their missions. The HM SIG tries to elaborate a handbook of Managerial Practices from the Global Competency Directory on individual core competencies for Healthcare Managers, and it partners with ISQUa to establish a framework that links managerial practices to accreditation criteria for healthcare facilities. The IO SIG will focus on private sector investment in health care services and collect the best practices in a document. The GPO SIG will work on "Value-based procurement" in collaboration with RESAH. 

More information on the SIGs' working plan in the document below.
Find contact details and global information on SIGs here.  

The 43rd IHF World Hospital Congress opened its call for paper presentations and posters earlier this month, inviting leaders and professionals from hospitals and healthcare delivery organizations to submit their abstracts for an opportunity to showcase their work at the next congress being held in Muscat, Oman on 7-9 November 2019.

FHF represents almost all the French public healthcare sector. It promotes public hospitals and social care public institutions through a major annual event, the Paris Healthcare Week, through trainings for healthcare professionals and through campaigns. Also, healthcare professionals can rely on FHF resources to get advice on issues they face in their daily work. Finally, FHF partners with public authorities to elaborate proposals and assist the implementation of reforms in the hospital sector. 

​​​​​​​More information on FHF and the French healthcare system in the full bulletin below.

In France, the central government is responsible for the national strategy and the financing of health care facilities. Population health and health care are delegated to regional health agencies which represent the government. Statutory Health Insurance provides health coverage for all residents. Hospitals are funded by statutory health insurance (80%), volontary insurance and direct patient payment. Special funds are allocated to public and non-profit hospitals to cover research and teaching, and the provision of emergency services, organ harvesting and organ transplantation. About 65% of hospital care are public. Other health services facilities include services for mentally ill people, public care services and ambulatory centers.

The French Hospital Federation represents the majority of public healthcare facilities in France. It also plays a role in elaborating and implementing reforms in the hospital sector. Some of its proposals are consistent with the reforms proposed by the current French President aiming at overhauling the French health system. However, these ameliorations do not tackle the financial difficulties hospital is now facing. Another challenge globally encountered is to ensure that the largest number of citizens benefits from healthcare improvements. In this context, IHF is expected to place greater emphasis on patient-centered care in the sharing of global good practices among members, to be closer to its members to better understand their needs and enhance peer collaboration, and to be able to deliver a good insight into world health. In addition, IHF is asked for being a knowledge exchange hub where members from all the world share best practices and experiences. To this end IHF should expand and diversify its membership. 

Detailed interviews of Cédric Arcos (left photo) and Alexis Thomas (right photo) are reported in the full bulletin below. 

The Brazilian Hospital Federation has been representing the hospital sector for more than 50 years. It participates in the decision making process for the sector and also works together with other actors such as national agencies (ANS and ANVISA) and the Ministry of Health. It supports better working conditions and service quality provided by health services providers. 
FBH acts as a voice for its members, improves the efficiency of health services and promote knowledge sharing through events and publications.

Find more information on its achievement, the Qualification Program, its current priorities and its supportive role to hospitals and their leaders in the full bulletin below.