A prominent Canadian presence at the 11th World Health Congress in Rio de Janeiro
Canada fielded a high-level delegation at the 11th World Health Congress held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from August 21 to 25, 2006. The delegation was headed by the Parliamentary Secretary for Health, Steven Fletcher, representing Health Minister Tony Clement.
At the opening ceremony Mr. Fletcher, joined by the Canadian Ambassador to Brazil, Guillermo E. Rishchynski, met and conversed with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and First Lady Marisa Leticia.
Picture Source: Office of the President, Republic of Brazil
During the congress, Mr. Fletcher attended a ministerial round table, a panel on bioethics, globalization and human rights, and participated in bilateral meetings with several Brazilian and international representatives working in the public health field.
Mr. Fletcher also met with two NGO representatives, Dr. Tania Rodrigues, President of Associação Niteroiense dos Deficientes Físicos (ANDEF), an NGO that runs social projects for the physically challenged, and Mr. Axel Grael of Projecto Grael (The Grael Project), an NGO that develops social inclusion projects. They discussed with Mr. Fletcher the work they are jointly conducting to implement a new project to teach and promote adapted sailing, followed by a briefing on work done in the state of Rio de Janeiro to benefit the physically challenged.
Mr. Fletcher was guest of honour at a reception hosted jointly by the Canadian Embassy in Brazil, the Canadian Public Health Agency and the International Development and Research Centre. More than a hundred people attended this event, among them Brazilians, Canadians and guests from other countries.
In his remarks, Mr. Fletcher, who was born in Rio de Janeiro, made a special point of noting how pleased he was to be back in the country where he had spent the first few years of his life.
At the reception, Ambassador Rishchynski underlined Canada's fruitful and longstanding partnership with Brazil, including in the in health field. Dr. Butler-Jones, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer, spoke of Canada's commitment to public health issues in Canada and on the international stage.
Links: (in Portuguese)
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