The magazine of the Association of Former WHO …AFSM Quarterly News October 2018 1 The magazine of the Association of Former WHO Staff Members (AFSM) QNT 113 ormer staff and helping

AFSM Quarterly News October 2018

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The magazine of the Association of Former WHO Staff Members (AFSM)

QNT 113

Supporting former staff and helping them to stay in touch and informed

Cruise on the Gironde, 15–20 May 2018, aboard the Cyrano de Bergerac pictured here moored at Libourne. See Bunty Muller’s account of this trip on page 4. Photo: Bunty Muller.


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Cruise on the Gironde, 15–20 May 2018, see story on page 4 and more photos in the French version. Photos: Bunty Muller.

The Great Bell, Archway Éloi, Bordeaux

Statue of Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Mayor of Bordeaux 1947–1995, Bordeaux

Wine cellar at the Château Lamothe-Bergeron, Pauillac

The Gala Dinner


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CONTENTS EDITORIAL

IMPORTANT CONTACTS

In this issue, a fascinating report of the Cruise 2018, maybe not as good as actually being on board, but Bunty Muller gets very close. A tale of Teaching in Niger and a new Our Health. Sadly, there is also a very full In memoriam section. For well over a year AFSM had not received a list of deaths from any source, but in July we were suddenly presented with six quarterly death reports from UNJSPF all in one go.

There is an ever-increasing amount of information to carry in the Quarterly News, and this has an impact on costs and the consumption of resources. Your Executive Committee has been obliged to consider ways to reduce both the expenditure and the environmental impact. The decision has been taken, not without regret, that the Association should no longer print a bilingual magazine but should print two separate language editions, English and French. At a stroke this will reduce costs and consumption of resources by 50%. See page 28.

In order to know which language you wish to receive in the future we are enclosing a questionnaire with this issue. Please complete it or risk not receiving the language of your choice.

At the same time, we are inviting our readers to complete a survey to tell us their views on the types of articles published. Please do help us produce the magazine you wish to receive.

Keith Wynn

Cruise on the Gironde 2018A glimpse into teaching in NigerBook reviewsOur Health: Back painReaders’ Letters10th SHI Global Oversight CommitteeNew members47th FAFICS Council, RomeNews from WHOThe sky in October–December 2018Treasures and Emperors ExhibitionNews from around the worldIn memoriamResults of the elections to the

Executive Committee 2018–2020WHO fitness centreSubmission of obituaries AFSM telephone message serviceChanges to Quarterly News in 2019

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AFSM: Office 4141, WHO, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Tel.: +41(0) 22 791 3192 or E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Website: http://who.int/formerstaff/en/ The AFSM office is covered on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 12:00. Alternatively, please leave a message and someone will call you back.

Health Insurance (SHI): Tel.: +41(0) 22 791 18 18; in case of absence please leave a message, someone will call you back, or send an e-mail to: [email protected]

Pensions (UNJSPF): Contact by e-mail is no longer possible. Callers between 09.00 and 17.00 Monday to Friday except Thursday. At the Geneva office, Du Pont de Nemours Building, Chemin du Pavillon 2, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, at the New York office, 37th floor, 1 Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza (DHP), Corner of 48th Street and 2nd Avenue, New York, NY 1001. Or write via the “Contact us” link on the Fund’s website: https://www.unjspf.org Or telephone: Geneva: +41 (0) 22 928 88 00 or New York: +1 212 963 6931. In the case of non-receipt of the monthly benefit or the death of a beneficiary, visit the website: https://www.unjspf.org/emergency/ for instructions.Remember to always have your Unique ID number handy when contacting UNJSPF.

Resources for retirement: visit the AFSM website, http://www.who.int/formerstaff/issues/retirement/en/

Formalities in case of death of former WHO staff member: visit the AFSM website, http://www.who.int/formerstaff/about/en/

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EDITORIAL BOARD

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Keith Wynn, Editor-in-Chief and layout, Yves Beigbeder, Sue Block Tyrrell, Laura Ciaffei, David Cohen, Maria Dweggah, Lindsay Martinez, Jean-Paul Menu, Dev Ray, Rosemary Villars.

The translation of all articles is undertaken by the Editorial Board and Catherine d’Arcangues and Michèle Evans

The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Editorial Board.

Please send your contributions for publication in QNT to: Keith Wynn [email protected]

We very gratefully acknowledge the invaluable support of the Printing, Distribution and Mailing Services.

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This year the AFSM organized a 6-day cruise on the Gironde. Our group of 24 flew from Geneva to Bordeaux on 15 May from where we went by coach to our boat, the Cyrano de Bergerac. We received a friendly welcome from the crew and were shown to our cabins, which were bright and comfortable with large picture windows.

Pauillac

The next day, after a very good buffet breakfast, we set sail for Pauillac. During the morning there was an oenological conference concerning wines in the Bordeaux region with some wine tasting, followed by an introduction to the staff and a welcome cocktail.

The afternoon excursion in Pauillac was entitled “Discovering the Medoc region”. Our guide explained that Pauillac includes 3 of the 5 premier crus châteaux of Bordeaux: Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild and Château Mouton Rothschild. The wines of Pauillac are often considered the quintessence of Bordeaux wines, in spite of the commune only consisting of 3,000 acres (12 km²) of vineyards in the Haut-Medoc between the villages of Saint-Julien to the south and Saint-Estèphe to the north.

We passed through many vineyards to our first stop, the Château Lamothe-Bergeron, where we had a guided tour of the cellars of the Château, which included a cleverly prepared film of the wine process, with a large wine vat as the backdrop, followed by some wine tasting in the grounds of this beautiful Château.

Our guide explained that the major reason for the success of wine-making in the Bordeaux region is the excellent environment for growing vines. The geological foundation of the region is limestone, giving a soil structure that is heavy in calcium. The Gironde estuary dominates the region together with its tributaries, the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, and therefore irrigates the land and provides an oceanic climate. She also told us that many estates in Bordeaux do have châteaux on

their domaines, however it is customary for any wine-producing estate, no matter how humble, to prefix its wine label with "Château".

Bourg and Blaye

On 17 May we cruised to Bourg during the morning and were then taken by coach to Blaye, which is situated on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, and has been a port since ancient times. The town has a citadel designed in the 17th century by the famous military architect Vauban, as a true walled city, to protect Bordeaux from sea invasions. The imposing Blaye Citadel stands on a rocky promontory, which contains the ruins of a medieval castle, and majestically overlooks the Gironde estuary. Nearby, Fort Paté, on an island in the river, and Fort Médoc on its left bank, also of the 17th century, completed Vauban's defences of the water approaches of Bordeaux. Together they form the Fortifications of the Vauban group classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. On our return the coach drove along the Corniche Road alongside the estuary, where the area is renowned for having a micro-climate and we saw various exotic trees and flowers in the gardens.

After lunch we cruised around the Gironde estuary. This navigable estuary is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just downstream of the centre of Bordeaux. It is approximately 75 km long and between 3 to 12 km wide and covers about 635 km2 (245 sq. miles) and is the largest estuary in Western Europe. The Gironde is subject to very strong tidal currents and great care is needed when navigating the estuary at any time. It is composed of 80% salt water and 20% fresh water. Royan is the biggest town on the right bank. Towards the north there is a floating platform where the Airbus A380 wings and fuselage sections, which are manufactured in the UK and Germany, are transferred from sea-going ferries to barges, which take them through Bordeaux to a dock at Langon and then by oversize road convoy to Toulouse. Dotted along the banks

Cruise on the Gironde, 15–20 May 2018

CRUISE 2018


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of the Gironde Estuary are countless wooden fishing huts which have been built on stilts and are called “carrelets”. These are all privately owned.

Libourne and St Emilion

The following day, 18 May, we cruised from Bourg to Libourne, which is situated on the Dordogne river. We visited the town on foot during the morning. After lunch we left for an excursion to Saint Emilion, which is one of the principal red wine areas of Bordeaux along with the Medoc, Graves and Pomerol. We visited the Château Fombrauge and had a guided tour of the wine cellars, and then some wine tasting. In the grounds of the Château there are two olive trees, which are 2000 years old, and had been transported from Portugal to the Château. Our tour continued to the old town of Saint Emilion, and its famous Monolithic church, in the heart of the town which is an underground religious building of gigantic proportions (38 metres long and 12 metres high) carved out of limestone in the early 12th century, painted in the 14th, devastated in the 16th, battered in the 18th during the Revolution and restored in the 20th. It is the largest of its kind in Europe. It also has a 68-meter-high bell tower.

In the evening we had an excellent Gala Dinner on board.

Dordogne and Garonne

On our last full day aboard, 19 May, we cruised along the Dordogne and Garonne to arrive at Bordeaux during the morning. Our afternoon excursion was a visit to this beautiful city, built on a bend of the river Garonne. It is divided into two parts: the right bank to the east and left bank in the west. Historically the left bank is more developed because when flowing outside the

bend, the water makes a furrow of the required depth to allow the passing of merchant ships, which used to offload on this side of the river. However today, the right bank is developing, including new urban projects. Trade in the city has flourished as has tourism and the city has a rich cultural heritage dating back to antiquity. UNESCO declared Bordeaux a World Heritage Site in 1998 thanks to the city's wealth of architectural treasures. More than 350 buildings are classified as historical monuments. There is a population of approximately 450,000, which is expected to increase, as the fast train from Paris to Bordeaux takes only two hours.

Early on 20 May we said our goodbyes to the crew and left the Cyrano de Bergerac to join our coach, which took us to Arcachon, where we were free to spend a few hours exploring the area. This is a very popular and elegant seaside resort on the Atlantic coast, about 60 km from Bordeaux. The

bay covers an area of 150 km² at high tide and 40 km² at low tide. It has a long sandy beach and a mild climate, and the town has many attractive small shops, as well as being renowned for oyster farming.

On leaving Arcachon, we went to visit Europe's largest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat,

nearly 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) long, 500 metres (1,600 feet) wide, reaching 110 metres (360 feet) in height, and moving inland at rate of 5 metres (16 feet) a year. The dune is a famous tourist destination with more than one million visitors per year.

We then returned to Bordeaux airport to get our return flight to Geneva, after a splendid holiday.

Bunty Muller


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A GLIMPSE INTO TEACHING IN NIGER

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AFSM Committee-member Maria Dweggah, among her numerous projects and interests, also teaches English, Organizational Behaviour, Change Management and Human Resources Management to young adults, previously in Kabul and currently in Niamey. We asked her to recount her experiences and Maria suggested that she shares with our readers some excerpts from her correspondence to friends while on mission. So, this is not a report, it is Maria’s idle jottings from Niger, often written after a hard day teaching sometimes reluctant young people.

Young people are young people all over the world

“Well, I am sure you are all wondering if I am OK... Yes, I am. I will be starting my 4th week tomorrow AND six more left but who is counting??? So, we now have CNN and BBC World, at my request and we also have a well-functioning Wi-Fi system at home and school. School? well, the 85-student class has been split in two, but it is still too many. The other two classes, international relations and business have 35 and 42 respectively. I do give an English beginner's course at 8:15 to 9:00 on a volunteer basis... That one is my favourite... there are about 15 to 20 students and it is manageable.

“So, right now, there is also a teacher from Canada and one from France. They both teach in the Masters programme. Whereas I like African dishes, which are not that hard to make and also use local and fresh produce, they prefer European, so kind of problematic for the cook who tries to please them but I think he won't last. Yesterday we had a parent meeting. About 100 parents attended. I believe there are about 179 students at the moment. We raised a number of issues, three being, tardiness, sleeping in classrooms and

mobile telephones in class. This is where students here are no different than those in Europe or US, well, students who come from middle / upper middle classes that is. Everyone has a mobile...

During class they will try to take a peek as if I am blind and cannot see them bending over. So, I slowly go to their desk and ask them a question.... expectantly, they look up surprised as if they have seen an alien.... Some sleep in class, supposedly due to their staying up late texting, Facebooking, Tweeting, Whatsapping, whatever.... It is a real problem and the parents raised this issue with us to see if we had a solution.

“These are not kids – they are from 18 to 25 years old. Last week one professor took the business and international relations classes on a one-day field trip around Niamey to see the positive aspects and what could be improved, and to incite the students to become involved and implicated in their futures and in Niger's development in general. He gave a one-hour class in the sun... we are talking 43°C plus. When they returned they had stories to tell but they were also tired as if they had worked in the fields all day. And I taught them a new saying.... TOO BAD!! Now, I said, you know how others in the country live and work.


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“During breaks they use the classrooms to fool around as the rooms have AC... I walked in and they had a video on, a song that was used in the movie Fifty Shades of Grey... Could not believe it when some of them said they had seen the movie!!! and I believe have seen the second one or are waiting for it.

Welcome to the 21st century Maria, and the new generation. We have debates on pluses or minuses of today's pop and rap music. And yes, marijuana at work really makes you smarter.... Oh really, why don't you write about it so we can understand your logic.

“Oh yes, I learned that I can use my computer to recharge my phone...!!! Most projects/assign-ments are done in a group of 7 or 8, which most love as only one actually works while the other 6 or 7 do nothing. So, in my international class, they were so noisy in composing their groups that I said, OK, everyone, I want individual essays. (Now I regret that as I will have to read and correct

and grade!!!). But, the topics they chose (they wanted me to choose and I said no, you choose) are interesting – cyber-bullying, prostitution, drugs and alcohol, begging, corruption, education in civility, terrorism, illiteracy. So, it will be interesting to read... In one class they are doing a play on AIDS.

“I do not know what good I am doing. I prefer teaching Human Resources Management and Organizational Behaviour but I try to insert some of the principles into the English classes. Some are interested and some are not. On Friday we had a debate as to why girls are not allowed to go out unaccompanied. That was a heated discussion but the girls defend themselves. They make up about 65 to 70 per cent of the classes.

“So, things are fine... just frustration on my part that maybe I am just not doing enough... As for security, well, you just never know do you? So, you kind of put it out of your mind and move on.”

Maria Dweggah

BOOK REVIEWS

A Tale of Two Passions: Alexandria and WHO

Sonia Thomas Miskjian devoted 43 years of service to WHO (1966–2009), the early years based in EMRO, but latterly also widely-travelled as Administrative Assistant to Dr Gezairy, former Regional Director.

Following her retirement, and with no previous experience as an author, Sonia Miskjian wrote her first book “A Tale of Two Passions: Alexandria and WHO”, a wide-ranging and very readable work that invokes countless stories of Egypt, WHO and EMRO and much more, and over many decades.

This book is a fascinating blend of an autobiography/a family history/an Armenian history/a view of social changes in Egypt/a memoir of WHO. She recounts stories of so many names and personalities from WHO and EMRO that it will be a trip down memory lane for most former-WHO-staff readers.

Following publication of that work, Sonia was inspired by a passing comment made by a complete stranger: ‘Il faut planter des graines de bonté’, and on the strength of that observation Sonia has published a second book, “Planting Seeds of Goodness”. Copies of these books may be obtained at modest cost by writing to Sonia Thomas Miskjian at [email protected]

Keith Wynn







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De Caen à Baghdad – Fragments de vies d’une famille normande 1841–2007Catherine Lavaud

EAN – 9791026215592 (Available only in French)Paperback: 17.90€E-book: 5.99€Visit the website, https://catherinelavaud.wixsite.com/86280/ to order from Amazon, FNAC etc.

The life of Cécile Hubert, a Nurse with WHO from 1953 to 1981

This book was sent to us by the author. Catherine Lavaud has researched the life of her family and in particular of her aunt, Cécile Hubert, the one family member we are interested in. The cover photo depicts Cécile Hubert (centre), enjoying a social evening in Baghdad in 1954.

The fascination of this book stems from the fact that the author knew nothing of the details of Cécile's career during her lifetime. She worked from the very fragmented archives left by her aunt after her death: notebooks, UN Laissez-passer, some notes from the WHO years and above all a large number of personal letters, with some references to her WHO work but

with an abundance of details on her social life and her romances.

Cécile was born in 1921. During the battle of Caen (June–August 1944) with the Red Cross she tended wounded British servicemen and helped conceal them from capture. After the war she first worked at the Institut Pasteur in Paris and then, from 1949 to 1952, with UNICEF in Morocco.

In 1953, she left for Libya as a Nurse with WHO following a briefing with a Miss Meyer (Grace Meyer). A friend already working for WHO in Iran advises her: you will need perfect English, in the beginning accept any assignment while making clear your preferences. Do not impose too many terms, because “money”. She recommends that Cécile opens an account in Geneva to deposit her monthly salary of USD 300.

Throughout her career at WHO she was involved in BCG vaccination, first in TB-control projects and later in the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).

From Libya she was transferred to Baghdad, and then Pakistan where she worked with Maurice Piot and Elisabeth Barton.

From 1958 to 1981 Cécile undertook multiple assignments: Libya, Sudan, Madagascar (where she complains about the “organizational vacuity” of WHO). Rwanda, Guinea, Upper Volta (Burkina Faso from 1984), Mali, Equatorial Guinea, Congo Brazzaville among others. The author contacted WHO to obtain the exact details of Cécile’s assignments but without much success. Finally, she pieced it together herself by comparing the private correspondence with the rubber stamps in the Laissez-passer!

In Cécile’s correspondence we find names that will be familiar to (very) old AFRO staff: Stavros Malafatopoulos, Jean-Jacques Paviot, René Collas, Elisabeth Barton, Louis Roy, Celalettin Algan, Tomasi ...In 1981 Cécile retired to France and resumed her family life. She died in 2007.

Despite the imprecise nature of the sources, this book gives insight into the life of a "WHO foot-soldier", having spent 32 years in the field (three with UNICEF and 29 with WHO). Very moving.For more information, contact Ms Catherine Lavaud, e-mail: [email protected]

JP Menu

https://catherinelavaud.wixsite.com/86280/







































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OUR HEALTH

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“My back hurts”

This very common complaint relates to pain affecting various parts of the spine: cervical, dorsal, lumbar, and which can radiate as far as the legs (sciatica).

Back pain affects about 80% of the world’s population at some time during the lifespan. Remaining seated all day in front of a computer favours back pain, which has become a real epidemic. Apart from sedentary office work, other occupations potentially harmful for the back include hairdressing, dentistry, removals and construction work.

Back pain is one of the most common reasons for making a medical appointment.

The structure of the back is complex: muscles, ligaments, tendons, discs and bones work together to support the body and allow movement. Problems with any of these components can cause pain. The cause sometimes remains unclear.

Symptoms

The main symptom is pain in one segment of the back, sometimes extending along the buttocks and down the legs, and even to other parts of the body, depending on the nerves affected. The pain often disappears without treatment.

However, you should be concerned and consult a doctor if the pain persists, if it is accompanied by weight loss, fever, or inflammation, if rest brings no relief, and if the pain radiates to the knees and lower in the legs.

Diagnosis

To identify the cause of the pain, examinations such as radiography, scans, MRIs, or electromyography may be necessary.

Causes

In older people, strength and muscle mass decrease gradually, and inevitably, with age.Between 70 and 80 years of age, the loss of strength and muscle mass can reach 50%. For this reason back pain is more common in elderly people. There are various possible causes of back pain including:

• lifestyle: poor posture during professional life, in front of a computer, in the garden, or on the couch, carrying heavy loads, wearing of high heeled shoes, long periods of

standing or sitting; all mechanical stress on the bone structure leads to compression or pinching of vertebrae resulting in more or less long-term pain;

• intervertebral disc when broken or damaged causes increasing pressure on nerves, and slippage of the disc into the spinal canal (herniated disc) resulting in sciatica, an acute intense pain spreading though the buttocks and down the back of the leg;

• arthritis can be responsible for pain in the joints of the hips, lower back and other places;

• spinal stenosis: narrowing of the spinal canal;• abnormal curvature of the spine: kyphosis or

scoliosis;• sports: if practiced excessively, especially after

45 years of age;• osteoporosis: bones become fragile and

porous, increasing the risk of compression fractures;

• long periods of driving without pauses;

• mattress: too hard or too soft;• stress, or any condition that

leads to a drop in muscle tonus, may cause vertebral compression: posture is poor, curvature of the spine becomes worse, and vertebrae are poorly supported; a state of depression can also be the source of vertebral pain;

Other causes: some medical conditions can lead to back pain:

• cancer affecting the spine: the tumour can press against a nerve, resulting in back pain;


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SIMPLE PHYSICAL EXERCISES TO PREVENT BACK PAIN

Put your knees on your chest.Repeat 3 times,

maintaining this position for 3 seconds

Raise your head while lying face down and breathe deeply.

Repeat 3 times, during a period of 30 seconds

Lie on your back. Raise your hips by pressing on your heels. Hold this

position for 2 seconds and then relax. Repeat 3 times

These exercises should be repeated 3 times

• infection of the spine: fever, accompanied by sensitivity and heat in an area of the back caused by the infection;

• disorders of the kidneys: kidney stones or infection of the kidneys can cause back pain;

• shingles: can cause back pain depending on the nerves affected.

Risk factors

The following factors are associated with increased risk of developing lower back pain:

• sedentary lifestyle• poor physical condition• advanced age• obesity and excess weight• tobacco and alcohol favour osteoporosis• sleep disorders: people with sleep disorders

are more likely to suffer back pain.• Lower back pain tends to be more common

in women than men, perhaps due to hormonal factors.

Prevention

The prevention of back pain in seniors involves a review of the lifestyle with advice on its improvement if needed, including developing awareness of correct posture, changing any

negative habits, and learning and practicing daily exercises to maintain a straight back. Among the sports that are suitable for older people, swimming is highly recommended.

Treatment

Apart from cases caused by infection or tumour, the treatments usually prescribed are analgesic and anti-inflammatory medication, and possibly thermal cures. Self medication should be avoided, including with most products sold over the counter; however, paracetamol may be taken in doses not exceeding a total of 2 grams per day.

The services of physiotherapists, chiropractitioners, or osteopaths can be helpful.

Surgery may be necessary, especially in the event of a herniated disc.

In conclusion, the crucial importance of prevention needs to be stressed, a healthy lifestyle, appropriate exercise and, as always, an optimistic approach to life.

David Cohen

Sources: Creapharma.ch: mal de dos; Mayo Clinic: Back pain

Purely as an example, these are three simple exercises to help prevent back pain:. Photo: Fotolia.com, Creapharma.ch


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SHI: GLOBAL OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

READERS’ LETTERS

A boy, a tree, a memoryThe article in the July issue (QNT 112) about the enormous changes being made to the WHO campus has prompted me to write. It was on the day of the Walk the Talk, celebrating the 70th Anniversary of WHO, as I was walking through the campus and saw the immense construction site, that surprise quickly turned to sadness. I am sure that some of you will remember Louise Hamel. Louise, the lovely Quebecer, who passed away a few years ago in her beloved Saint Lucia. But it's not Louise I want to write about, but her son Julien.Julien was just fourteen, good looking and full of life and dreams, when he died on 1st July, a little over twenty years ago. Julien was allergic, oh not simple hay fever, but real allergies, deadly allergies. Louise had nearly lost him many times, she had saved his life on several occasions, and together they were winning the battle, Julien had suffered – and do I mean suffered – several desensitization procedures and had begun to be able to digest yoghurt! A small victory! At last, Louise was happy to be able to cook slightly more elaborate dishes for them. But sadly, Julien died of Quincke’s disease whilst celebrating Canada Day at the Canadian Ambassador’s Residence in Geneva.The Canadian Ambassador at the time was so moved that he donated a tree in memory of Julien. This tree was planted in the WHO gardens not far from Building X. On the date of Julien’s birth, the 1st May, and whenever I could I would wish him a happy birthday from beneath the branches of his tree. I can no longer do this because due to the construction of the new WHO building, his tree has now disappeared. Louise authorized the removal of all of Julien’s organs and this donation allowed eight recipients to survive.So today, I just wanted us to remember this wonderful mother and her brave young son.

Marisol Salmón Yori

The tenth meeting of the Global Oversight Committee of the WHO Staff Health Insurance (SHI) took place in Geneva from 11 to 12 June 2018. I represented retired staff at the meeting. I received in advance valuable input on the various agenda items (especially on financial matters) from Hilary Wild (alternate member) who was unable to attend. The meeting focused on finance and actuarial matters, governance and administration, access to treatment and SHI recognition, audit matters, medical adviser related matters, IT projects, SHI rule amendments and status of the USA claims administrator contract.

Financial results for the year 2017 were good as the fund balance showed an increase of 15.3% over the previous year. On the other hand, updated actuarial figures revealed an increase in the projected long-term liability for after-service health insurance.

In view of the long-term liabilities facing the health insurance, readers are aware that contributions increase by 4% a year. In addition, the Committee discussed several possible measures for cost containment which the Secretariat had proposed. Some were aimed mainly at containing costs in the

Information on the recent meeting of the Global Oversight Committee of the Staff Health Insurance


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USA where the cost of healthcare is generally much higher than elsewhere. In particular, the Committee focused on placing further limits on treatment in the USA for persons who reside outside of the USA and who seek medical care there. It also focused its attention on the limits on reimbursement of out-of-network treatment received in the USA.

The Committee also reviewed other proposals which had been put forward by a Finance Working Group (in which both retired staff representatives had participated). In particular, the Group had recommended a revision of the 100% funding target of the long-term actuarial liability. The Committee did not take a decision to change the target as more information from the actuary is required to justify any change.

The Committee furthermore discussed the problems posed by the significant variation in cost of health care depending on where one resides. The idea of having a new country-tier contribution was put forward but there was no consensus in adopting such a proposal.

Amongst the options put forward by the Secretariat was to change the entitlement for accommodation in hospitals and clinics in Switzerland to semi-private instead of the current private room entitlement. I for one could not support this change as it would remove a long-standing entitlement and more information on the real cost saving of such a measure is required. One must bear in mind that there is currently a daily limit on the cost of accommodation. In my

opinion, this tool should be used to limit reimbursement rather than changing the standard of accommodation for just one country.

Other measures were also discussed but require further in-depth review by the Finance Working Group.

The Committee discussed at length ways of improving access to treatment in some areas of the world where recognition of the WHO SHI poses problems. The Secretariat will continue its endeavours to improve the situation through various means.

The Secretariat informed the meeting that the Administration was moving towards a more paperless environment in the interest of cost containment. Printing and despatch of documents are expensive and there is a general drive within the Organization to reduce such costs. Following our request, it was agreed that essential documents like SHI rules will continue to be printed for those who do not have an email address. However, other documents such as the SHI newsletters, Information Leaflets etc. will be produced electronically. It is therefore extremely important to ensure that SHI has your up-to-date email address.

There will be two further meetings of the Committee this year to discuss specific topics via video/tele conference. The next regular meeting of the Committee will be held in June 2019.

Ann Van Hulle-Colbert

NEW MEMBERS

We have pleasure in welcoming the following members into the AFSM family

New Life MembersElizabeth Callow WirthLaurie IngelsNadia Hilal McDonaldIan O'NeillRoel Wuite

Conversion to Life memberLinda BaldryAlain & Dorrit Berthier Pierre DonnatBarbara Gibson Jean-Claude LatasteSivakumaran Murugasampillay

New Annual MembersJoan Elizabeth GriffithHaik Nikogosian Roberta Ritson


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FAFICS COUNCIL

Highlights of the 47th Session of the Council of the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants (FAFICS)

Rome, 20–25 July 2018

As in past years, I attended the session of the Council which this year was hosted by the Former FAO and Other UN Staff Association (FFOA) in the Headquarters of FAO in Rome. I was a member of the AAFI-AFICS Geneva delegation. Although our Association is not a member of FAFICS, the President of AFSM is statutorily a member of the AAFI-AFICS Committee.For the record, FAFICS is comprised of 63 country

associations of former UN staff, with a total membership of 18 509 members. 41 associations were represented in person or by proxy.

Among the many agenda items, the session was dominated by three major topics: after-service health insurance, pensions, and elections of the FAFICS Bureau.

After-service health insurance

FAFICS is represented in the Working Group (WG) on After-Service Health Insurance (ASHI) of the High-Level Finance and Budget Network of the UN. In 2015, this WG was mandated by the UN to explore options to increase efficiency and contain costs, with emphasis on health insurance of retirees. The WG is due to submit its final report to the UN General Assembly at the end of 2018 through the usual channels. Among its proposals,

two are of particular interest. The option of using national health insurance schemes for UN retirees has been definitively dropped after having been explored in depth, since it would not bring any savings to the UN. Another option was to increase the duration of service from the usual 10 years to 15 years for a retiree to be eligible for ASHI. The WG rejected this proposal. However, it proposed that participants who take early retirement pay a larger part - or the totality – of the insurance

premium. Please note that this proposal does not concern our WHO SHI but only UN retirees and that it may be changed before submission to the UN General Assembly later this year. Health insurances are not under the purview of a common body but are the creation of each organization. Thus, WHO health insurance provisions can only be changed with the agreement of the DG.

Pensions

This is always an essential component of the Council agenda but this year it was especially important.

The Council takes place immediately before – and at the same place as – the annual session of the Pension Board which was held this year from 26 July to 3 August.

FAFICS officially represents us retirees at the Board and the Council had to decide what would be the positions to be defended by its representatives at the Board.

The debates were dominated by a discussion on a report of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), mandated by the UN General Assembly, on the governance structure of the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund. This report had been distributed in draft form earlier this year to the


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Staff Pension Committees of the UN and Specialized Agencies and was tabled for discussion at the Pension Board. While being confidential and only sent to the President of FAFICS, the participants at the Council were given large extracts which formed the basis for the discussion.

Among the draft recommendations, two are of interest to us. The first one proposes an increase in the number of representatives (staff and administration) at the Board from the UN Organization and a corresponding decrease in the participation of Specialized Agencies. This recommendation is based on the number of participants from each group. Of course, this is not a good proposal for WHO and smaller Agencies are likely to be even more affected.

The report also questions the representation of retirees. It claims that too many seats are given to those representatives even when considering that they have no voting rights and that FAFICS does not democratically represent the retirees. There are over 72 500 retirees while FAFICS total membership is only 18 509. Therefore, the OIOS draft report requests that representatives of retirees be chosen by a general election of all beneficiaries. This is a critically important issue for FAFICS whose main raison-d’être is to defend our interests at the Pension Board and its various subgroups.

One could wonder why the report is so critical of the role of FAFICS. To many of us, it appears to originate from the time of the introduction of the Integrated Pension Administration System (IPAS) in 2015. For several years this system caused inordinate delays (up to several months) in paying the pension of new retirees and, worst of all, of “survivors”, i.e. the widows and widowers of retirees. While several staff and retiree associations (and your AFSM as well) expressed great concerns about this situation, the CEO of the Fund always denied the importance of the problem. Against all evidence, the then President of FAFICS, always took sides with the CEO, and defended him against the “unfounded attacks” of the staff associations which were affecting the morale of the staff. For more insights into the origin of the OIOS report, readers may wish to refer to Dev Ray’s

article on pensions in Quarterly News 112 (July 2018 issue, page 17).

This rigid attitude of the then FAFICS President, added to other disputes she was having with staff representatives concerning serious accusations of mismanagement by the CEO, created great tensions and violent attacks between those representatives and FAFICS.

It was clear that the OIOS draft report had taken into account the staff representatives’ views in proposing a general election for retiree representatives at the Pension Board.

On 26 July, the Council issued a note “Pension Fund Alert: Retiree Rights in danger” protesting against the recommendation of the OIOS report calling for a general election of retiree representatives to the Pension Board. This note was emailed to beneficiaries by UNJSPF on behalf of FAFICS early August.

Will FAFICS continue to represent retirees or will our representatives be subject to a general election? From what we heard unofficially the Pension Board was not in favour of general elections and wanted to maintain the FAFICS role in representing retirees. The Pension Board’s views will be submitted to the UN General Assembly together with the OIOS report in December 2018.

The responsible officers for the Fund, namely the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (DCEO), Mr Paul Dooley and Mr Sudhir Rajkumar, Representative of the Secretary General of the UN for investments (RSG), gave an update on the Fund. The CEO is on extended sick leave and the date of his return is unknown. Mr Dooley, was due to retire in August 2018 and has been extended until end 2018.


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On the management side, 64% of the initial separation benefits were settled within 15 working days. This is still below the target of 75%. 80% are settled within a month.

In the past, retirees and particularly survivors, have bitterly complained that their telephone calls or emails to the New York office were not answered. A figure of only 2% answered was quoted. Mr Dooley assured us that now 95% are answered and 100% of death-related calls are immediately answered through a special line. Based on our experience, the response rate from the Pension Office in Geneva has been much better.

The procedure for the issuance and return of the Certificates of Entitlement is cumbersome and a working group has been set up to consider better alternatives.

Mr Dooley referred to several improvements made last year regarding the relationship of the Fund with its “clients” but acknowledged that more needs to be done. He listed his targets.

Even if not all problems have been solved, I believe that Mr Dooley has taken into account our criticisms over the past year and has made a serious effort to solve them.

On the investment side, Mr Rajkumar gave a detailed presentation. At the end of 2017, the Fund assets amounted to USD 64.14 billion with

a return on investments of 16.5%. That was an exceptional year. The Fund is financially sound and showed a negligible actuarial deficit of 0.05% in 2017.

Due to the growth in the number of retirees, the participants’ contributions are no longer enough to fund the pensions. A small part of the return on investments is currently needed and it will be vital for the Fund to maintain a real rate of return of 3.5 %.

All vacant posts have been filled. The investments are made “prudently and optimally”.

Although I am no expert in investments, the impression given is that Mr Rajkumar has a much clearer vision than his predecessor and he communicates well on his goals.

To conclude, a few words on the elections of the FAFICS Bureau.

An earlier attempt by the outgoing President (whose maximum 4-year term of office was expiring in 2018) to change the rules to abolish a term limit for the President and the Vice-Presidents, had failed. A new President – Mr Mario Breschi, FFOA, was unanimously elected as the only candidate. The outgoing President’s candidature for a Vice-Presidency was not successful and she has become a Special Adviser.

Jean-Paul Menu

NEWS FROM WHO

• The eradication of smallpox has been included in the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register as one of the treasures that record our history from 1700 BC to the present day. The register was established in 1992 to document, preserve, protect and make accessible to all, the heritage of the world.

• Some readers may wonder whether the visitor service at WHO/HQ still exists – well it does and the WHO Briefing Centre welcomes some 3500+ visitors per year. It is coordinated by the Partnerships and Non-State Actors (PNA) department: for the

development of programmes catering to the interests and requests of each group of visitors, PNA draws on the stories and expertise of staff throughout HQ.

• A new, completely electronic, version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) was released in June – www.who.int/classifications/icd/en. The ICD is the bedrock for health statistics which form the basis for almost every decision made in health care today: understanding what makes people sick and what eventually kills them is at the core of mapping disease trends and epidemics, deciding how to programme

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health services, allocate health care spending, and invest in R&D. The ICD provides a common vocabulary for recording, reporting and monitoring health problems around the world.

• WHO has been strengthening the capacity of countries’ public health services to deal with large influxes of migrants. Greece is one such country and in June a new WHO Country Office in Greece was inaugurated: this is the 149th WHO country office worldwide, and the 30th in the European Region.

• A new WHO brochure Working for better health for everyone, everywhere is available at www.who.int/about-us/what-we-do/who-brochure. Through the link, other language versions can be found by clicking on the appropriate language at the top of the screen.

• An analysis report on action on antimicrobial resistance at country level was launched in July – www.who.int/antimicrobial-resistance/global-action-plan/database/en. 100 countries have already developed

national action plans and at least 50 more have plans under development.

• August-October is the time for meetings of the Regional Committees:o 68th session of the Regional Committee

for Africa: 27–31 August, Dakaro 70th session of the Regional Committee

for the Americas: 23–27 September, Washington DC

o 65th session of the Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean: 15–18 October, Khartoum

o 68th session of the Regional Committee for Europe: 17–20 September, Rome

o 71st session of the Regional Committee for South-East Asia: 3–7 September, New Delhi

o 69th session of the Regional Committee for the Western Pacific: 8–12 October, Manila

Further information and documentation can be found on the WHO website – www.who.int

Sue Block Tyrrell

ASTRONOMY

Probably most people’s favourite planets – apart from Earth of course – are Saturn and Mars. They are still visible in the evening sky, after displaying themselves for the past few months.

Saturn is now getting quite close to the Sun in our sky, but is still shining away over in the west after sunset during October and November. Its rings are easy to spot in quite a small telescope, and even binoculars give an elongated image which makes you think you can see them, though if you are honest with yourself, could you really say that you could discern a ring if you did not already know what it looked like?

Mars is unmistakable as a bright red star-like object in the south in a fairly barren part of the sky, though now much farther away and fainter than it was in July and August. Its colour contrasts well with the hint of yellow in Saturn. Earlier this year, Mars changed colour from its usual fiery orange to a less angry hue, though still remaining strongly coloured. The reason was a major dust storm in its atmosphere, whose effects were enough to show up with the naked eye from nearly 60 million km away. Through a telescope Mars now seems less than half the diameter it was in July, but you might still pick up a dark marking or two.

Keep an eye on the Society for Popular Astronomy’s website, www.popastro.com, for news about what is up in the sky.

Article kindly provided by the British Society for Popular Astronomy

The sky for October – December 2018

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TREASURES AND EMPERORS

During the holidays, it sometimes happens that you forget the purpose of the trip and discover something unusual in the area you are visiting. That's what happened to me during my last trip. We discovered Aquileia and its Roman past. Located north of Venice, in Roman times it was the last bastion of the empire before the eastern territories. Next to the cathedral the pillar carrying the Roman wolf, brought by the legionaries, is its glorious symbol. To promote this exhibition, at the entrance to the town, posters displayed the faces of these ancient conquered peoples, much larger than real-life, so that they seemed, briefly, to speak to us from long ago.

The exhibition (March 10–June 3, 2018)1 entitled "Treasures and Emperors – Splendour of Roman Serbia" was organized by the Aquileia Foundation and the National Museum of Serbia in collaboration with the Superintendent of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape of the Museums of the Friuli region Venezia Giulia (FVG), in collaboration with the Municipality of Aquileia and the National Association of Aquileia. The present-day Serbia was once part of the Roman Empire, close to the Danube, a water highway along which goods, soldiers, culture and even religious influences travelled. At that time the Danube represented a

frontier between large groups of barbarian tribes, constituting a boundary par excellence, in Latin, limes. A border that was not however impermeable to the exchanges and influences that came from the territories located on the other side of the river: first of all, those brought by the Daci, living in

what is now Romania, against which the emperor Trajan fought two bloody wars.

During these wars, Trajan used the extraordinary technical skills of the architect Apollodorus of Damascus, who had built the immense complex of the Trajan forum in Rome, to span the Danube with a very daring bridge. The territory of Serbia had experienced remarkable growth during the third and fourth centuries, thanks to the favours of the many emperors (17 or possibly 18!), who were born there, from Hostilianus to Constance III, via Constantine the Great, originally from Naissus (Niš). A place that saw the construction of imposing imperial villas, such as that of Felix Romuliana-Gamzigrad, or the luxurious executive-style urban neighbourhoods, which in the case of Sirmium-Sremska Mitrovica might even have included the presence of a circus.

The aim of the Palazzo Meizlik exhibition in Aquileia was to illustrate this wealth, the real monuments of the empire, witnesses of the imperial ideology that characterizes many cities and villas, as well as the slow takeover of power of the barbarians, and at the same time as the birth of Christianity. The focus of the exhibition was on relations with Aquileia and the Danubian centres. Exceptional pieces from the National Museum of Belgrade and other Serbian museums (Belgrade City Museum, Vojvodina Museum, Novi Sad, National Museum of Pozarevac, Sremska Mitrovica Museum, National Museum of Niš, Museum of Krajina, Negotin, Zajecar National Museum), represented the highlights of this exhibition. They were assembled and exhibited at Aquileia during the temporary closure of the National Museum of Serbia at Belgrade.

Laura Ciaffei1 Due to lack of space this article was carried over from QNT 112. The exhibition is now over.

Treasures and Emperors – Splendour of Roman SerbiaA temporary exhibition held in Aquileia, Italy

Felix Romuliana's Galerio head

Bronze head of Emperor Constantine


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NEWS FROM FORMER WHO STAFF MEMBERS’ GROUPS AROUND THE WORLD

QNT 113

News from around the World

AFSM-PAHO/AMRO: The June 2018 newsletter of The Association of Former PAHO/AMRO Staff Members contains much of interest to our readers and can be accessed online in English at https://www.afsmpaho.com/newsletters and in Spanish at https://www.afsmpaho.com/newsletters-spanish

Aside from useful information on SHI and pension matters, this issue includes the first of a two-part series on Understanding Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, Part I: The Basics and Caregiving. Starting with a clear tabular explanation of the five most common forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease being the most common cause, the article goes on to cover diagnosis, treatment and caregiving. Part 2 to be published in the next issue will deal with prevention.

On a brighter note there is a book review of Sir George Alleyne’s autobiography, “The Grooming of a Chancellor”. He entered the field of international health through PAHO, of which he became Director – the first Caribbean national to do so. The book can be purchased from Amazon.

The newsletter also reprints our AFSM article by Lindsay Martinez on Elder Abuse (QNT 111) and continues with News from the Colombia Chapter, and the regular “Where are they now?” feature.

Keith Wynn

AFSM-AFRO: AFRO – Retired but not Tired. The realization by Kalula Kalambay and others of this former-staff Association is continuing apace. A web-based newsletter (updated July 2018) has been prepared, and published in French and English, and can be accessed athttps://mailchi.mp/3c20f4f9af36/afro_retired_but_not_tired_update-year_iv_2018-2804485

Commencing with the confident assertion “We will get there one day” and a call for acceleration of effort, the tone is optimistic, and the Association is actively courting retirees, congratulating and wishing a warm welcome to the recent retirees from WHO AFRO, Dr Allaranga WR DRC, Dr Alemu WR Nigeria, Dr Chatora WR South Africa, Dr Da Silva Rosa WR Equatorial Guinea, Dr Dovlo, HSS / AFRO Director (Manager), Dr Manzila WR Sao Tome and Principe, Dr Nshirimana Déo WR Senegal, Dr Pana WR Niger and Dr Roungou Jean Baptiste WR Cameroon.

It is hoped that a structured framework will allow them to share, and above all to create, the favourable conditions in order “to give back to humanity what we have received on this earth”. This lovely quote comes from member Dr. Basile Adjou Moumouni, who celebrates his 96th birthday this year.

Furthermore, our former AFRO colleagues are prolific authors, and Kalula provides short reviews of some of their publications,

• La Plénitude. Un hommage de Dr Adjou Moumouni au Prof. D'almeida. (2017)• Les coqs chantent de travers. Adjou Moumouni (2015)• Basking in God's favour: An Academic’s Autobiography. Eyitayo Lambo (2014)

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• Dans le fleuve de ma mémoire: Itinéraire d'un médecin d'Afrique. Emmanuel Eben-Moussi (2017)• Public Health in Africa. Dorothy Adebukunola Ogunmekan (2018)

News, and culture and art articles follow, including a touching poem by Kalula himself, Hymn to the African Migration Crisis and to finish there is a fond tribute to Professor Monekosso by Professor Emmanuel Eben-Moussi.

Keith Wynn

WHO Retirees’ Representative in Scandinavia: a trip for former WHO staff in Denmark. A tour was organized to a photographic exhibition at Frederiksborg Castle, followed by lunch. On a lovely June day, 16 former WHO staff members met at Frederiksborg Castle in North Zealand. King Christian IV was the architect who demolished the hunting lodge built by his father, King Frederik II in 1560, re-erecting his

own dream of a castle in 1600. It is probably one of the most magnificent renaissance buildings of its time. It is now the nation’s National History Museum containing furniture, silver and paintings of historic interest.

The castle houses a permanent photographic exhibition of the Danish royal family, nobility, Prime Ministers and others in the public eye. Now and then, there are other photographic exhibitions, recently one by the Australian artist, Ralph Heiman, who painted Crown Princess Mary soon after her engagement to

H.R.H Crown Prince Frederik. The present exhibition includes some well-known actors’ faces, such as Dame Judi Dench and Ben Kingsley, although our primary interest was to see portraits of H.M Queen Elizabeth II, H.R.H Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark) and the Crown Prince.

The portraits and their surrounds were impressive, especially the one of H.M. Queen Elizabeth, whose gown for the Golden Jubilee was magnificent. The picture was portrayed reflected in glass on either side, emphasizing the size of the room in which she stood with dozens of lamps and artefacts reflected.

We then proceeded to an exhibition showing the first fifty years of the life of Crown Prince Frederik. There were television excerpts where we could see him as a new-born all the way up to his wedding to Crown Princess Mary from Australia. There were some moving moments.

Our stomachs told us it was time to move on to the nearby restaurant at the edge of the lake where we had a wonderful view of the castle from one of the terraces.

Participants wrote telling me how much they had enjoyed the exhibitions, having lunch in such special surroundings and spending a day in good company.

Many thanks for a lovely day to; Jette Gersdorf Van Deurs, Wendy Enersen, June Von Essen, Gabriella Frederiksen, Marianne Kjærgaard, Rita Larsen, Kira Mortensen, Alice Gran Olsen (President, European Region Staff Association) prior to myself Jill Conway-Fell), Claudia Lanos, Hanne Mathiessen, Agnès Rasmussen, Christianne Sørensen, Gurli Vestergaard, Carol Warming, Frances Yoshida.

Jill Conway-Fell


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AFSM-Manila: A pension success. Good news for those Philippine-based pensioners receiving their benefits under the dual-track system from the UNJSPF. With the representation and intervention of AFICS-Philippines, we have pursued the matter with the Fund as to why there was no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in April 2018 for this category of pensioners, in spite of the 2017 average inflation rate published by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on the government website. Fortunately, it was approved and announced by the Fund that there will be a 2.90% COLA which was paid in the July payroll with retroactive amounts for the preceding April to June 2018. Those on the US dollar-track system received their 2.20% COLA beginning April 2018 without delay.

Romy Murillo

AFSM-Eastern Mediterranean: in QNT 112 mentioned the relocation of the Regional Office from Alexandria to Cairo and that not all WHO staff were able to move. Twelve of the WHO staff who chose

not to relocate were fortunate to be offered positions at the magnificent Bibliotheca Alexandrina, next to the Mediterranean Sea, and within walking distance of the former WHO Building. It should be noted that using their experience gained through WHO, the conscientious and devoted work of these colleagues has been greatly appreciated in their new posts.

We are proud that our professional colleague, Ms. Olfat Gafour, who upon early retirement from

WHO, also joined the Library as Publications Officer, a similar position to her previous WHO post, was working directly with the former Library Director, Dr. Ismail Sarag el-din. Following her official retirement from the Library, Olfat Gafour is now serving as the Publications Advisor, together with the Founding Director Emeritus.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, a beautiful complex, was officially inaugurated on 16 October 2002 where arts, history, philosophy and sciences come together on the shores of the Mediterranean. A touristic cultural attraction, well worth visiting, it is home to thousands of precious books in many languages, historic documents and films. For those unable to visit in person you can find Bibliotheca Alexandrina at https://www.bibalex.org/en/default

Sonia Miskjian

AFSM-SEAR: in mid-May the WHO SEAR office was temporarily moved from its own building in Indraprastha Estate to two private buildings; Parasvnath Building and Metropolitan Hotel in Gole Market area, New Delhi. The two buildings are almost back-to-back. The main telephone number is +91-11-43040200. The move is scheduled to last for about four years, in the meantime the WHO building in Indraprastha Estate will be demolished and in its place multi-story building/buildings will be constructed. Further details are not yet available.

Our AFSM-SEARO Association is now located on the third floor of Parasvnath building at workplace R-312-B with telephone extension 91-11-43040650.

We are now actively pursuing the publication of our latest quarterly newsletter, Aesculapian, and preparing an updated address list. The continued support of the Administration is gratefully acknowledged.

We are also very appreciative of the initiative of AFSM to interact with our AFSM-SEAR Association.

R. L. Rai

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IN MEMORIAM

Recent deaths1 of former WHO staff members as reported to AFSM

QNT 113

1 After more than a year of not receiving any official notification of deaths from any source, in July AFSM gratefully received a list of death notices from UNJSPF covering the past 18 months. We have endeavoured to ensure that deaths already published have not been repeated in this list, however we apologize in advance if there are omissions or repeat entries. The editorial policy is to publish, once only, the names on the list of death notices we receive, and this regardless of whether an obituary has already been published; appears in the current issue; or will appear in a future issue.

Agnihotri Narain Sarup 26.09.2017Aguilar Orlando R 01.11.2017Akiwumi Zainab Jeneba 15.07.2017Al Rashidi Nagat Ali Basyouni 28.12.2017Ali Saiyed Younus 12.01.2017Amat Alberto E 02.11.2016Amegadze Yawo Ganyo 21.04.2018Arango Olga 30.05.2016Arbez-Carme Gerard L 12.05.2018Arceivala Sorab Jal 12.11.2017Asmamaw Belay Kassa 23.02.2018Bailey Ida Jean 17.02.2018Bailey Martha 14.06.2018Bakoula Pierre 25.02.2018Bakri Gamal El-din 19.02.2018Balbuena Valdez Emigdio 12.11.2017Baldry David AT 14.01.2017Basu Rabindra N 11.03.2017Beausoleil Edwin George UnknownBellenger-Dodat Bernard 04.01.2017Bénard Simone 15.06.2018 Bermejo R 08.01.2018Bertholet Pierre-Andre 26.05.2018Bewinde Amidou Anatol 09.10.2017Bhandari Ramesh Chander 07.06.2017Bhola Ram . 05.05.2018Bokhari Azra 17.01.2018Borner Magdalene M 09.05.2018Bruch Hans A 20.05.2017Cahill Ellen 26.01.2018Caldato Giannino 25.12.2017Campodonico Argentina Unknown

Carefoot N 11.03.2017Carlsson-Hopperger Ewa 20.09.2017Castro Nerida 12.09.2017Cavalli Micheline 26.06.2018Collas Rene 04.03.2017Constantin Marie A A 24.05.2018Cornejo-Devillanueva Martha Eleana 23.11.2017Culvera Roberto A Jr 14.05.2017Da Silva Janete Sarmento 09.02.2018Dagostino Aldo J 04.03.2018Darmsteter Jean-Paul 02.06.2018Daspres Robert C 27.10.2017Davies Robert 09.11.2017De la Vega Elmo 11.04.2018De Leon Filemon G 30.04.2018Dicancro M 08.04.2015Dobrescu Alexandru G 13.04.2017Docal Sergio R 18.10.2017Drayton Harold A 11.03.2018Ecuvillon Anne Marie 08.01.2017Eisler Elisabeth 25.07.2017El Baroudi Hassan M 04.10.2017Emerson Elisabeth 30.11.2017Farah Antoinette G 03.03.2018Farhi Ezra Elie 21.01.2018Farid Irene 19.12.2017Farina Jeanne 20.11.2017Felonia Manuel B 21.05.2018Ferry Bernadette 10.04.2018Garcia Garcia Margarita 04.01.2018Garcia J 04.01.2017Gera Om Parkash 13.11.2017


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Girard Susanne M-M 23.05.2018Gonzalez-Pacheco Mario 01.11.2017Gottofrey Louis Noel 07.04.2017Goudal Monique 20.11.2017Gremaud Jean-Pierre 08.05.2017Hagley Knox 19.08.2017Hala Palindi 20.06.2015Harrington Wayne H 26.04.2017Harris Betty 09.01.2018Harshbarger Jake 23.02.2018Helander Einar A S 25.01.2018Heneberg Djordje 08.01.2017Higham Philip 26.05.2018Hoch S Z 31.10.2017Horninge Otto E 19.03.2018Howard-Jones Marie-Louise 13.04.2017Huguet Vincent 21.11.2017Hurt de Gago Juana Micaela 23.02.2017Ignacio Damiana Riberio 21.12.2017Imboua-Bogui Guy 09.06.2018Iwuagwu Emmanuel 23.05.2017Jenny Nelly 18.04.2017Jensen Erik 04.03.2017Kabare Lassina 22.12.2017Kabore Hamadou 13.01.2017Kapoor Ram Parkash 23.10.2017Kasonde Joseph M 25.08.2017Kern Godal Ann 26.05.2017Krafft Marie Helene 16.01.2018Kyaing Nyo Nyo UnknownLaiz Antonina B 21.11.2017Lambert Susan 04.01.2018Larghi Oscar P 29.04.2017Lassen Knud 15.04.2017Le Roy Claire A UnknownLekie Botee 25.07.2017Leowska Maria Joanna 09.01.2018Loyola Luis Antonio 23.03.2017Lynch-Keep Pauline 21.01.2017Mage David Tristram 15.03.2018

Mahassen Sylvia M M 15.06.2018Markovic Ivanka 27.03.2017Marti Rene Max 28.10.2017Martins Da Silva Dorothy 23.01.2018Mauri Francoise 09.12.2017McGregor Douglas 05.01.2018McMonigle John James 01.06.2018Mendoza Eloisa A 07.04.2018Menor Melquiades M 13.04.2018Meyer Alice T 28.04.2017Mitchell Jane 24.05.2017Mittar Jagdish 28.05.2018Mkandawire Austin C 27.11.2017Morales E 29.10.2017Moran Norberto 27.03.2018Myslil Vlastimil 13.06.2018Ndiaye Abdoulaye 21.05.2017Nembunzu Maraka Jean Pierre 30.11.2016Nickitas Georges 01.05.2018Nitoumbi Dominique 14.09.2017Nkeoua Pascal 24.09.2016Nkombo Marcel 22.10.2017Nkounkou Auguste 16.11.2016Oh Heinan 21.03.2018Okpeicha Antoine 05.11.2017Ong Renate E 06.10.2017Paltrinieri Adriano B 25.01.2018Paton P 08.01.2018Pennacchi Guglielmo 10.04.2017Pereira Joao Batista 19.11.2017Perez-Esandi Miguela V 26.10.2017Phillips Avril P 30.01.2017Poudiougo Pangalet 05.02.2018Puget Gabrielle 28.06.2017Quintana Emmanuel 08.12.2017Roschke Maria Alice 21.05.2018Rossler Christl 25.01.2018Rozario Agnes 06.01.2018Sakya Gautam Man 24.03.2017Samba Ebrahim Malick 28.07.2016


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Sanou Daouda 24.08.2017Sauter Janine G 20.09.2017Savinov Alexandre Petr 11.01.2018Schluter Peter 19.05.2018Schmunis Gabriel A 09.04.2017Serra Paolo A 12.02.2017Sharony Ilana-Rachel 18.03.2018Sheriff Mohamed 30.11.2017Silva Serrano Homero 13.06.2018Silverman Alan Frank 15.04.2017Sima Huilan 31.12.2017Simkoko Neema Gideon 11.05.2018Stankov Svetoslav K 11.06.2018Subido Leodegaria Dimalanta 29.01.2018Supthut Klaus P H 22.01.2018Surgi Jean S. 16.04.2017Szczerban Jerzy 01.05.2018Szreniawski Zbigniew 24.03.2017Tavera Jorge Unknown

Tchobkreo Bagamla 27.04.2017Teklemichael Nerayo 17.03.2018Teya Marie-Christiane 29.03.2018Thuriaux Michel 27.07.2017Tigre Clovis Heitor 23.08.2017Torloni Humberto 05.05.2017Tow Arthur C 21.04.2017Towle William 23.06.2017Traore Gaoussou 21.06.2017Turner Edgar Alexander 15.02.2018Urbizagastegui Flora 13.11.2017Vargas Calderon Humberto 23.04.2017Vartanian Felix E 30.08.2017Venkatesan Coimbatore 28.10.2016Vidal Carlos 24.09.2017Villegas Hugo 30.01.2018Weiss Andre 19.12.2017Woodall John P 24.10.2016Young Marion Joan 21.10.2017

Micheline departed this world on Thursday, 26 June 2018 in her 76th year. She had been in pain for more than a year and the end was a release for her.

Micheline began her career in WHO in 1972 in Occupational

Health, part of the Division of Environmental Health. She maintained her connection with Environmental Health throughout her time with WHO. First of all she was secretary to the Divisional Director, Dr Bernd Dieterich, before assuming the position of his Administrative

Assistant. With the arrival of the Brundtland administration, she was requested to remain in post as Assistant to the newly-appointed Executive Director of the Cluster, Sustainable Development and Environmental Health. She will be remembered as an efficient, energetic and competent Administrative Assistant, albeit one who did not suffer fools gladly. She took early retirement in 2001 and enjoyed an active life until illness struck.

Micheline was totally committed to the mission of WHO. She belonged to the generation of international civil servants who built the Organization, who believed that their contribution was a small stone adding to the construction of a better world. Her devotion to the Division of Environmental Health often impinged upon her

Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary-General, died 18 August 2018As we went to press we learnt the sad news of the death of Kofi Annan. He commenced his UN career at WHO and led the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. A full tribute will appear in the January issue.

Micheline Cavalli, died 26 June 2018 in France


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personal life. (André Prost). She was someone who took her work seriously - a rarity - and kept herself very much to herself, but had a hidden sense of humour that was great when it surfaced! (A former colleague). In addition to sharing an office with Micheline back in the seventies, we became close friends and I have precious memories of our holidays together, in particular the trip to Mexico in 1980 which took us, during

three weeks, across that country from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific. (Patricia Brice). My first contact with Micheline was from the “outpost” of the Brussels office but, on my return to HQ, I ended up as her neighbour and we became firm friends, enjoying morning coffees, afternoon teas and walks in the surrounding Pays de Gex countryside, and regular lunches after her move to Annecy. (Patricia Downes).

René Marti, died 28 October 2017

We learnt only recently with sadness of the death of René Marti on 28 October 2017. I like many others remember René as Chief of Accounts when I joined WHO and his team in the 1970’s.

René was a true professional in the financial field. He was deeply committed to his work

and to the goals of the Organization. Perhaps one of his most significant accomplishments was the design and implementation (in coordination with a competent IT team) of the first automated administration and finance system (AFI) which served us all well for many years before finally being replaced over 25 years later by the Global Management System (GSM).

René moved on to become Chief of Finance with several important sectors under his responsibility including our Staff Health Insurance in which he became keenly interested and knowledgeable.

After retirement, he returned to WHO as Adviser to the Comptroller for some time.

René will be remembered by many of us for his humane and reserved charismatic approach. He showed interest in all of his staff from the most junior to the most senior. I can still see him on the corridors of the 2nd floor popping in to exchange a few words with one of his staff and hear about their work. We were motivated to perform well by this demonstration of personal interest.

Apart from his career in WHO, René distinguished himself in the Swiss Army moving up the ranks to the level of Colonel. Perhaps this defined his approach of motivating whatever team fell under his responsibility.

During a trip to the WHO Country Office in Jakarta while working in SEARO, I met René again in Bali where he spent some of his time upon retirement. He had a keen interest in Indonesia and the region.

Ann Van Hulle-Colbert

Timothy Meredith, born 5 July 1951, died 22 May 2018 in the United Kingdom

It was with great sadness that colleagues learnt of the death of Dr Tim Meredith in May 2018, just five years after his retirement from the Department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health.

Tim started working at WHO in February 2000 as Coordinator of the Programme for Chemical Safety. This unit served as the WHO hub for the International Programme on Chemical Safety,


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a cooperative programme of WHO, the International Labour Organization and the UN Environment Programme.

Tim was well suited to this post, having had a significant career in clinical toxicology in both the UK and the US, before moving on to international policy work in the UK Department of Health.

One of his lasting achievements before retirement was the negotiation of the interministerial Libreville Declaration and implementation of the Luanda Commitment on Health and Environment for Africa, a flagship regional initiative.

Tim is remembered as the quintessential public servant: knowledgeable, dedicated, calm, efficient and pragmatic. He was demonstrably kind, thoughtful and a good source of advice. Tim had an irreverent and dry sense of humour that

provided essential relief for those working with him during trying times, e.g. during the all-night negotiations typical for multi-lateral instruments.

Tim’s premature death was due to cancer, which struck while he was still working and returned when he had barely settled into retirement in Devon, UK. On discovering the cancer was terminal, Tim applied his customary calm and exemplary organizational skills to ensure that his wife, Sarah, was not left with a mass of administration after his death. Tim faced his death with tremendous courage, still with wry humour, and was able to remain at home to the end with palliative support and surrounded by his close family.

Joanna Tempowski and Lesley Onyon

A restless intellectual polyglot devoted to community service, Nedd Willard deliberately stopped eating and drinking in late June and died peacefully on July 12th age 92. He was a merchant sailor, adventurer, travel writer,

university teacher, and champion of the underdog.Born in New York City, Nedd learned to fight off young anti-Semitic toughs from an early age. Nedd’s brilliance was rewarded with grammar school and university scholarships. Service in the Navy brought him to France, whose language and culture he mastered in a way that few Americans ever manage to do, completing a doctoral thesis on “Genius and Madness in the 18th century” at the Sorbonne in addition to his BA (University of Wisconsin) and MA (Columbia).Nedd joined WHO Geneva as a Public Information Officer in 1977. He spent 6 years in SEARO, bonding with the smallpox eradication team and

later helping them found the blindness prevention/treatment organization called SEVA (www.seva.org) so that “even blind people could finally see the beauty of the Himalayas”. At Headquarters, Nedd focused on smallpox, non-communicable diseases and tobacco – which he presciently viewed as a real scourge, unlike marijuana. A terse, imaginative writer, he contributed numerous articles to World Health Magazine, UN Special (which he served as Editor-in-Chief) and to WHO Dialogue OMS. After retirement, he wrote several books relating his travels around Europe and Asia, charmingly illustrated with his own quirky and evocative line drawings. Poppy, Nedd’s wife of over 20 years, cared for him devotedly from the first signs of dementia six years ago through his 18 months at STELLA EMS in Geneva, where he received attentive, affectionate care. Nedd is also survived by daughter Briar and son Ethan and by his multinational circle of friends. An example to us all, he tithed to SEVA to the very end.

Suzanne Cherney with contributions from Poppy Willard

Nedd Willard was also a member of the AFSM Executive Committee for many years.

Nedd Willard, born 1926, died 12 July 2018 in Switzerland

http://www.seva.org/














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Last May, we issued a call for candidates to stand for election to the Executive Committee for the period November 2018– October 2020.

The Committee consists of 12 members and we received 12 candidatures. In October 2013, the General Assembly decided that if the list of candidates contains less than 13 names, the Executive Committee shall declare these candidates elected without proceeding to a vote. We are pleased to confirm that we have received a message from our Polling Officers that all 12 candidates meet the criteria and they will therefore form the Executive Committee 2018–2020. There are 8 existing Executive Committee members, one former one – Pascale Gilbert-Miguet, two members who were co-opted to the 2016–2018 Committee – Michèle Bernard Evans and Pia

Soto Cannata Mei, and one new member – Barbara Fontaine:

Michèle Bernard Evans, Sue Block Tyrrell, Laura Ciaffei, Maria Dweggah, Barbara Fontaine, Pascale Gilbert-Miguet, Jean-Paul Menu, Dev Ray, Pia Soto Cannata Mei, Ann Van Hulle-Colbert, Keith Wynn and Anne Yamada

We are delighted that Pascale will return to the Committee, that Michèle and Pia will become full members, and that Barbara will join us. Pascale will bring back her medical expertise to the Committee, Michèle has experience of Staff Association matters and has links with the Pays de Gex, Pia has volunteered with some Geneva associations and is interested in social

support to members, and Barbara is interested in fitness and pension issues and liaison with the Association des Fonctionnaires internationaux français (AFIF).

Readers will have noted that the names of some long-standing key players are missing from the above list – Yves Beigbeder, David Cohen and Roberto Masironi. However, there is no need for concern as all of them will continue to assist the Committee as much as they are able to do so, and similarly Roger Fontana and Alain Vessereau. Alain, David and Roger are Honorary Presidents and Yves and Roberto are Honorary Members. We are most grateful to them for their past and continuing support.

The Bureau will be formed at the first meeting of the new Executive Committee.

AFSM ELECTIONS

Results of the Elections to the Executive Committee 2018-2020

Mens sana in corpore sano1 is a goal to which all – and especially we as active seniors – are encouraged to aspire. And help is at hand: the WHO Fitness Centre offers exercise classes and the possibility of individualized fitness training to WHO serving or retired staff, consultants, interns and volunteers. The first step is to join the Fitness Centre. Membership gives access from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday through Friday, to two fitness studios in the basement of the L-Building that offer many and varied instructor-led classes; weights, a rowing machine, mats and spinning bikes are available for independent workouts. Newly refurbished changing rooms offer showers, hairdryers, toilets, sinks and lockers.The newly refurbished 8th floor gym is accessible to Fitness Centre members by WHO badge2, specially activated for an extra fee. From 7 am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday, resistance and cardio machines are for use without supervision, as well as recumbent bikes and a stretch station.

WHO FITNESS CENTRE

Staying fit for life

1 ”A healthy mind in a healthy body.” This familiar phrase is attributed to Satire X of the Roman poet Juvenal. 2 We are reliably informed that this includes WHO-retirees courtesy badges.


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AFSM TELEPHONE MESSAGE SERVICE

Help us to help youThe Executive Committee members who volunteer for office duty on Tuesday mornings to provide coverage of the AFSM office often find it difficult to respond to some voice messages left on the Association’s telephones (+41 (0) 22 791 3192 and +41 (0) 22 791 3103).

Please help us to help you by stating your name slowly and clearly – spelling it out would be helpful – and please explain succinctly the reason for your call, give your full telephone number slowly and clearly (including country code), and then repeat it.

The clearest messages to deal with come from callers who have found it helpful to write down their name, message and telephone number before calling and then provide this information slowly. This helps us to call you back when we have a response to the information you seek.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

The Executive Committee

SUBMISSION OF OBITUARIES

Editorial policy on the submission of obituaries. As you know the Association publishes the obituaries of former WHO staff members in the Quarterly News. The Editorial Board reviews the obituaries received with a view to suitability for publication. Obituaries should not exceed 300 words and be submitted along with a good quality photo of the subject of the obituary. The date and country of death are required, and the date of birth if known.

The Editorial Board

Fitness Centre membership fee: CHF 30, 1 January to 31 December, no proration for less than the calendar year. Pay to: WHO Fitness Centre, bank account 279-D3104109.0, IBAN CH62 0027 9279 D310 4109 0, Reference (your name); Post Office account 0279/D3104109.0, 80-2-2. Email proof of payment to [email protected] to receive emailed confirmation of membership and a membership card.

8th floor gym fee from the start of each calendar month: CHF 30 for 1 month, CHF 80 for 3 months, CHF 150 for 6 months, CHF 290 for 12 months. Pay to: WHO Fitness Centre, bank account 0279 – D3104109.1, IBAN CH35 0027 9279 D310 4109 1 (note that this differs from the general Fitness Centre IBAN), Reference (your name and duration of subscription). Email proof of payment to [email protected] as “8th floor gym proof of payment” at least 5 days before the start of the month when you wish to use the gym, so that the Fitness Centre Committee and Security can activate your badge.

For further information, please contact the Fitness Centre: [email protected]

Janet Clevenstine

Low-impact cardio training with a recumbent bike in the 8th floor gym, reopened in June 2018. Photo: Chantal Berthoud























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CHANGES TO THE QUARTERLY NEWS IN 2019

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Dear Reader,

The AFSM Quarterly News is the magazine of the Association and was created to support and strengthen the links between former WHO staff members, helping them to stay in touch and to remain informed.

Today, just like every organization, we must be aware of the financial implications and the environmental impact of our work and take steps to reduce costs and our carbon footprint. We have assessed that our Association’s greatest cost area and our major impact on the environment is the production and despatch of the magazine, requiring the manufacture of paper, the printing operation, and the enveloping and posting; consuming expensive resources and energy, and producing emissions.

Our Executive Committee has concluded that we can no longer justify sending a bilingual edition, English and French, of the Quarterly News to each of our members. For the vast majority of you only one of these languages is consulted, resulting in the Association consuming twice as much paper, printing twice as many pages, and posting twice the weight, than is strictly necessary. Both language versions will be available on our website and those of you who enjoy reading both will be able to consult the second language there. We are also hoping to reduce our print runs by asking readers if they would prefer to read the Newsletter on-line.

For forthcoming issues of the magazine, starting in 2019, we will produce two printed editions, one in French and one in English.

We need you to let us know which language you prefer to receive in future, using the enclosed questionnaire.

If you do not inform us this will mean that we shall have to try and assess your preference, with all of the inconvenience it will cause you, and us, if we guess incorrectly and you wish to change it.

We are also asking you whether you would prefer to forego receiving a printed version and read it on our website. We shall advise you by e-mail when it is available.

Important information about the AFSM Quarterly News

When sending us this essential information it would help us to learn your views on the contents of the Quarterly News, please take a few minutes to complete

the simple survey on the questionnaire. Thank you for your collaboration.

Documents

The magazine of the Association of Former WHO …AFSM Quarterly News October 2018 1 The magazine of the Association of Former WHO Staff Members (AFSM) QNT 113 ormer staff and helping