Lyn Hanmer retires, but not really!

Lyn Hanmer, the co-head of the WHO-FIC Collaborating Centre for the Africa Region, recently had her informal farewell party. Lyn is retiring after 25 years’ service at the South African Medical Research Council. She will luckily not be lost for WHO-FIC, as she will continue to be involved on a part-time contract basis until 2020..  

Two-Day Training Workshop - Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System

The Health Classification Unit in the School of Clinical Medicine is pleased to advise that it has arranged for the Oslo based WHO ATC/DDD training workshop to be presented in Johannesburg on 19 & 20 February 2019 and in Cape Town on 21 & 22 February 2019.

The workshop is run by the WHO annually in Oslo, with two additions to cater for the South Africa health sector.

See the attachment for more information.

Application can be made online by clicking: https://goo.gl/forms/3d1zcwi8LBxZ3Kik1

UPCOMING ICF FACILITATORS COURSE

You are invited to a course for trainers on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). This course will be presented by ICanFunction Health in collaboration with the Dutch and African Collaborating Centres of the WHO Family of International Classifications (WHO-FIC).

This course was developed to meet the increasing need for information and education on ICF, especially its application in practice, education and research. The training is aimed at a broad audience with special attention to the care sector.

Face-to-face contact days:

• 1 & 2 November 2018: 09h00 – 17:00 in Pretoria, South Africa (The course starts one week before the first face-to-face meeting with a preparatory assignment)

Zoom video conferencing days:

• 25 January 2019: 09h00 – 16h00
• 5 March 2019: 09h00 – 16h00

See the attachment for more information.

Click here to register by 21 September 2018.: https://goo.gl/forms/uhmH0CI6mSBgk2Zp1

Launch of ICD-11

The World Health Organization (WHO) released its new International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) on 18 June 2018.
 
The ICD is the foundation for identifying health trends and statistics worldwide, and contains around 55 000 unique codes for injuries, diseases and causes of death. It provides a common language that allows health professionals to share health information across the globe.

Click here to read more about the launch.

meetings held

Meetings of the ICHI development group and the ICHI Task Force were held in Conegliano, Italy, on 6 and 7 September 2018.

ICANFUNCTION MHEALTH APPLICATION (MICF)

Dr Stefanus Snyman, project manager of the Collaborating Centre, serves as the facilitator of the International mICF Partnership, a project of the Functioning and Disability Reference Group of WHO-FIC developing the ICanFunction mHealth Solution. There was global consensus to proceed in developing the ICanFunction mHealth Solution (mICF). mICF will enable a person to direct, own and share functional and contextual information – based on ICF – to facilitate a person-centred bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach to service provision and act as catalyst for shared decision-making, common goal setting and the continuity of care.

ICF 2017 LAUNCHED IN STELLENBOSCH

The ICF 2017 was launched at the Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University (South Africa) during the midyear meeting of the Functioning and Disability Reference Group on 28 June 2017.

The long-awaited update was received with great enthusiasm by the delegates.

“This is a new season for ICF” said Prof Matilde Leonardi, co-chair of the FDRG. “ICF isn’t a child anymore, it is now an adolescent believing it can take over the world!”

ICFEDUCTION.ORG DEVELOPED IN AFRICA

The newly developed ICFeducation.org website was launched at the WHO-FIC Annual Meeting in Mexico City in October 2017. Funded by the South African Medical Research Council and developed by the Centre for Community Technologies at Nelson Mandela University, this web-based portal offer educational materials in a user-friendly, accessible way. The users of the site have informed ongoing development of the site, which includes new features such as the forums, the database of ICF advisors and educators and the news section.

To find and share ICF-related resources, or to register as or find a ICF advisor/educator, go to www.ICFeducation.org.

ICF-RELATED ACTIVITIES IN AFRICA

Colleagues in universities and other organisations continue to undertake education, research and service activities using ICF.

The interest in ICF is reflected in the strong local participation in a meeting of the Functioning and Disability Reference Group of WHO-FIC in June 2017, held in Stellenbosch, South Africa. The enthusiasm was further demonstrated through the Second International Symposium: ICF Education which attracted 154 participants, with locally-based therapists, other clinical personnel and researchers in the overwhelming majority

The Symposium was co-hosted by the SAMRC, the Western Cape provincial Department of Health, Stellenbosch University and the University of Cape Town.