Media agenda 2003
2003: International Year of Freshwater
15 January 2003 New draft Chair's text of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
January 2003 Release of report, Understanding the BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) Threat (Geneva)
20-28 January 2003 111th Session of Executive Board (Geneva)
11 February 2003 Sharing Responsibility for Safer Roads: A conference on traffic injury prevention (London)
Mid-February 2003 Launch of Codex Trust Fund
17-28 February 2003 Sixth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (Geneva)
March 2003 (dates to be confirmed) World Water Forum, Kyoto, Japan
Early March 2003 (to be confirmed) Technical report on diet, nutrition and prevention of chronic diseases
8 March 2003 International Women's Day
22 March 2003 World Day for Water (several WHO activities are connected with this)
24 March 2003** World Tuberculosis Day
7 April 2003** World Health Day (Theme: Healthy Environments for Children)
Mid-late April 2003 Global briefing on progress and remaining challenges in polio eradication
25 April 2003 Africa Malaria Day
19-28 May 2003 Fifty-sixth World Health Assembly (Geneva)
31 May 2003** World No-Tobacco Day (Theme: fashion and films)
5 June 2003 World Environment Day
26 June 2003 International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking; United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
21 July 2003 Five-year term of new WHO Director-General begins
9 August 2003 International Day of Indigenous People
24 September World Heart Day
1 October International Day of Older Persons
3 October 2003 First anniversary event linked to Global Campaign for Violence Prevention
9 October 2003 World Sight Day
10 October 2003 World Mental Health Day
29 October 2003 (to be confirmed) Launch of World Health Report. Theme: Health and Sustainable Development 14 November 2003 World Diabetes Day
1 December 2003** World AIDS Day
3 December 2003 International Day of Disabled Persons
10 December 2003 Human Rights Day
*Please note that this list is not comprehensive. WHO press officers will inform you of other events and activities during the course of the year as they come up.
** Official WHO days.
N.B.: Journalists are welcome to come witness polio National Immunization Days (NIDs).