ASTMH member Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSc, DTMH, created a weekly case series so she could share the vast array of endemic and exotic parasites she sees in her daily practice as director of a busy parasitology reference laboratory with learners of all levels. A new case will be posted each week, along with the answer to the previous case. Feel free to write her with your questions, comments, questions and answers: Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSc, DTMH; Director, Clinical Parasitology and Virology, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Mayo Clinic; email at pritt.bobbi@mayo.edu.

You have many choices of professional societies to which to belong--why ASTMH?

ASTMH is generally recognised as one of the most important professional organisations for anyone interested in tropical medicine. It's a large and very active organisation with global reach. It is definitely an international society.

Why be a member when you can attend the Annual Meeting and purchase AJTMH articles without being a member?

I think a sense of collegiality is very important--and this is what gets one from being a member of an organisation like ASTMH. Now that you asked the question, perhaps I should think of just attending the meetings--but I don't think I will!

ASTMH advocates for increased U.S. federal funding for tropical medicine/global health research. From your viewpoint in Kenya, is this a priority for the Society?

Absolutely!

What steps can the Society take to better meet the needs and concerns of members who hail from countries outside North America?

I think the Society does pretty well in this respect, though holding meetings in other countries is always good.

Do the face-to-face networking aspects of ASTMH--often cited as one of its strengths--matter in an age of electronic communication?

I do find this in-person communication important. Although electronic communication has transformed the way we work and interact, I can't imagine a time when it will replace the pleasure of meeting colleagues face-to-face. You can switch rapidly between different issues, catch up on friends and family, as well as work. It's hard to go for a beer on Skype!

By Karen A. Goraleski, Executive Director

This is a "time for celebration, but also a time for reflection," said Kent Campbell, MD, MPH, of PATH--and a previous ASTMH president--at the June 5 Washington, D.C., briefing discussing the recently released external evaluation of the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI).

In partnership with PATH, PSI, World Vision, Malaria No More and Nothing But Nets, the session included reports from Jonathan Simon, MPH, DSc, lead investigator of the external evaluation and Professor, Boston University School of Public Health; Rear Admiral R. Timothy Ziemer, U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator, PMI; and Kent Campbell and Elena Olivi, PSI. The panel was moderated by David Bowen, PhD, CEO, Malaria No More.

The briefing relayed the impressive success of PMI as well as a call for caution as we approach what could be a turning point in fighting malaria. Several speakers referenced a time three decades ago when similar progress was achieved only to see support wane and funding evaporate, leaving malaria to come roaring back. The message was loud and clear: We cannot make this same mistake twice; funding must continue despite economic challenges. In fact, maintaining funding is the smartest financial move long-term.

Two key recommendations from the report were highlighted: 1) Expand PMI's financial resources, and 2) "Adapt or fail"--realize the successes the program has made and make needed changes to ensure continued success. Professor Simon reminded attendees that success is temporary and we must "stay the course to keep history from repeating itself."

One June 1, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a keynote address at a conference in Oslo, Norway, titled, "A World in Transition: Charting a New Path in Global Health." Read a transcript of the speech.

ASTMH Past President Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD, FASTMH, is one of the medical experts featured in this CNN video report on the threat of Chagas disease--not only in poor areas of the world but right here in the United States. Hotez is founding Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. View the CNN report.