SOPHA Program

Welcome to the SOPHA Program

The Strengthening of Public Health Associations (SOPHA) Program is the flagship global health initiative of the Canadian Public Health Association (CPHA), reflecting its values and principles internationally. SOPHA provides financial and technical support to strengthen developing country public health associations (PHAs) to lead and advocate for health, and promote and support broad public participation in health issues and actions. Since 1985, SOPHA has supported PHAs in 28 countries.

Click on the following links to learn more about the SOPHA Program:

SOPHA Partners present at the Canadian Conference on International Health (CCIH) in Ottawa

In October 2009, five representatives of partner Public Health Associations travelled to Ottawa from their respective countries of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Uganda to attend and participate in the 16th annual Canadian Conference on International Health (CCIH); the theme of which was Health Equity: Our Global Responsibility.

Three of the partners presented their activities in a well attended session on “Public Health Associations and the Social Determinants of health in Eastern and Southern Africa”, which featured the following presentations from delegates:

Edio Paulino (Mozambique): The Zimpeto community Health Promotion Experience;
Violet Chituzu Sichinga (Malawi): The Masasa Water and Sanitation Project;
Dr. D.K. Sekimpi (Uganda): Community Development using Immunization as an entry Point; and
Violette Pedneault, SOPHA Program Director: The Strengthening of Public Health Associations Program.

The CCIH Conference provided delegates with an opportunity to share experiences, visit other organizations in Canada and learn about international public health experiences.

From left to right: Yvette Saya (Congo-Brazzaville), Deo Sekimpi (Uganda), Brenda Ogembo (Ottawa University, PhD student), James Chauvin (CPHA), Violette Pedneault (SOPHA), Edio Paulino (Mozambique), Violet Sichinga (Malawi), Margarita Guevara (Nicaragua), Tatiana Ulloa (York University, translator).

The SOPHA Program at the World Congress on Public Health in Istanbul, Turkey

CPHA supported the participation of over five delegates representing its partner public health associations in Cameroon, Congo (Brazzaville), Haiti, Nicaragua and Mozambique to the 12th World Congress on Public Health (Istanbul: April 27–May 1, 2009), organized by the World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) and hosted by the Turkish Public Health Association.

The SOPHA delegates were all actively implicated in a variety of sessions as participants, presenters, moderators and session organizers. Sessions in which these partner PHAs were involved and their activities highlighted included:

Oral session on governance as a critical element for PHA success (Quebec and Nicaragua;
Oral session on the influence that Public Health Associations have on public health policy (Canada, Serbia and Mozambique);
Oral session on the use of information technologies to enhance public health capacity building (Canada, Cameroon and ECSAPHA);
Oral session on regional cooperation of PHAs in Africa (Cameroon and ECSAPHA);
Poster presentation on building community leadership to resolve local health problems in the Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).

Many of the session presentations, keynote speaker notes and a copy of the Istanbul public health declaration can be found on the WFPHA website: www.wfpha.org

SOPHA and CIII-2 CPHA program delegates at the Congress

Delegates from the CPHA SOPHA and CIII-2 Programs at the 12th World Congress on Public Health in Istanbul, Turkey.
From left to right: Mr. J-J. Akamba (Cameroon); Dr. J.R. Antoine (Haiti); Mr. M. Alles (CPHA-SOPHA); Dr. N. Zamora (Nicaragua); Ms. V. Pedneault (CPHA-SOPHA); Ms. Yvette Saya (Congo-Brazzaville); Back left: Mr. Gaby Jabbour; Dr. D.K. Sekimpi (Uganda); Furthest right: Ms. Donna Moralejo (CPHA-CIII consultant and SOPHA Review and Evaluation Committee member).

Nicaragua Public Health Association elects a new Board of Directors

On May 23, 2009, the Asociación nicaragüense de salud publica (ANSAP) held its general assembly and elections for a new Board of Directors for the period 2009-2011. Congratulations to all new and re-elected Board members who took office on June 20th, 2009.

ANSAP’s new Board of Directors (Left to Right): Freddy Solís (Vice-president); Víctor Méndez Dússan (Comptroller); Adilia Gadea Pérez (Treasurer); Naxalia Zamora (Secretary); Margarita Navarro (President); Carlos Senz (Member-at-large); and Argentina Parajón Alejos (Member-at-large).

CPHA acknowledges with gratitude the financial support for the SOPHA Program from the Government of Canada provided through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).