ATLANTA (October 28, 2022) – Task Force for Global Health experts will speak at The American Society for Tropical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) 2022 annual meeting in Seattle from October 30 to November 3.
ASTMH is the largest international scientific organization of experts dedicated to reducing the worldwide burden of tropical infectious diseases and improving global health. This year’s theme is Global Health = Human Rights, which aligns with the Task Force’s goal of advancing health equity. Task Force participants include more than a dozen representatives from multiple Task Force programs, such as:
Children Without Worms (CWW), which aims to eliminate soil-transmitted helminths as a public health problem. Experts from Uganda and Kenya will share findings from community surveys and programs. CWW participants at the conference include Senior Associate Director Kristin Sullivan who conducts research, designs new initiatives, provides key technical and strategic support, and analyzes and maps program data across multiple regions.
The Health Campaign Effectiveness Coalition, which brings together country leaders, donors, multilateral organizations and NGOs working on large-scale health campaigns to identify, test and promote best practices. Coalition members will present on Promising Practices in Collaborative Planning for Integrated Health Campaigns: Synthesis of Case Studies in Neglected Tropical Diseases, Malaria, Vitamin A Supplementation, and Immunizations.” Coalition representatives at ASTMH include Eva Bazant, Senior Associate Director of Implementation Research, who works to develop and implement a learning and research agenda on campaign effectiveness and integration.
International Trachoma Initiative, which contributes to the ultimate elimination of trachoma by stewarding Pfizer’s donation of Zithromax® to treat and prevent the condition; building and strengthening partnerships to accelerate progress; and developing innovative tools to share data. Dr. Teshome Gebre, ITI Regional Director for Africa, will be admitted as a 2022 ASTMH Fellow. More on this honor here.
The Neglected Tropical Diseases Support Center (NTD-SC), which facilitates research on tools and techniques to control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). NTD-SC experts at the conference include:
- NTD-SC Director Patrick Lammie, who provides technical guidance and strategic oversight to NTD-SC’s operational research projects and who has decades of experience leading disease elimination programs.
- Senior Data Analyst Sarah Sullivan, who is co-moderating the symposium Towards a new standard for managing lymphedema associated with Lymphatic Filariasis: Lessons from the LEDoxy and TAKeOFF studies
- Associate Director of Programs Elizabeth Long, who is organizing and co-moderating the symposium Integration of female genital schistosomiasis into health systems and reproductive healthcare: lessons from operational research
- Director of Research Katie Gass, who is organizing a session on the Schistosomiasis Oversampling Studies, a multi-country COR-NTD Study
Learn more about ASTMH 2022 here.
About The Task Force for Global Health
The Task Force for Global Health, founded nearly 40 years ago to advance health equity, works with partners in more than 150 countries to eliminate diseases, ensure access to vaccines and essential medicines, and strengthen health systems to protect populations. Expertise includes neglected tropical diseases and other infectious diseases; vaccine safety, distribution and access; and health systems strengthening, including supply chains for essential medicines, public health informatics for data to inform programs and policies, and training and support for epidemiologists and laboratorians to prevent and respond to outbreaks. COVID-19 activities have included helping more than 30 low- and middle-income countries roll out vaccines; informing vaccine safety guidelines; training epidemiologists in more than 100 countries on disease surveillance and response; distributing essential protection and treatment to hard-hit communities; advising on digital contact tracing; using existing health programs to ensure protection for vulnerable groups, such as those afflicted with other diseases; and leveraging our existing supply chains for ongoing response. For more information, visit www.taskforce.org and our 2021 annual report.
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