CD-Health Program: Press Release

For Immediate Release
2 August 1999

U.S.-DEVELOPED CD PROGRAM ON PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNICATION
BEING TAUGHT TO ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS AT HEBREW UNIVERSITY

(Jerusalem) August 2, 1999: A U.S.-developed CD-ROM program designed to teach public health professionals how to create public health campaign messages and effectively convey them to the general public is being introduced this week at a Hebrew University of Jerusalem-sponsored workshop for health professionals from the Palestinian Authority, Israel and other countries.

Twenty-two workers from various public health institutions are participating in the five-day workshop. The Hebrew University is the only venue outside of the U.S. where this type of workshop is offered. In addition to the Israelis, there are six people in the workshop from the Palestinian Authority, as well as one each from Russia, China, Georgia, the Philippines and Peru.

The workshop is based on a unique CD-ROM program called CDCynergy, developed under the direction of Dr. Galen Cole of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The workshop, being conducted through Thursday at the Multi-Media
Center at the Hebrew University, was organized by Dr. Ronny Shtarkshall, head of the Social Science and Health Behavior Program at the Braun Hebrew University- Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine. Also working with the group is Dr. Nurit Guttman of Tel Aviv University.

In addition to conveying information via the CD-ROM program, an effort is being made to obtain feedback from the participants as to how the U.S.-developed program ought to be modified to apply to Middle Eastern health, environmental and cultural conditions. In particular, said Shtarkshall, the participants from Israel and the Palestinian Authority are asked to bear in mind the different emphases and approaches that might be required to adapt the material to the populations in both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

###

For additional information, please contact:
Yael Rotter, Ruder Finn Israel, tel. +972-2-561-2005 ext. 208
Dr. Shtarkshall or Dr. Cole may be reached for comment through August 5 at the Hebrew University Multi-Media Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 02-5881519 or in the evenings at 02-5341608.