ASTMH Newsletter

At least in my mind, a primary purpose of ASTMH is to facilitate evidence-based progress in tropical medicine and hygiene, and we do this through a number of approaches, including our Annual Meeting, our Journal, our support of trainees, our advocacy, our reaching-out through the Web and newsletter, and our working with the media and the public. I am happy to report that we have made significant progress on all these fronts over the last few months.

Annual Meeting. I have just had a chance to participate in the review of symposia submissions for the upcoming ASTMH Annual Meeting that will occur in Atlanta, November 3-7, 2010 (abstract submissions are still ongoing).

Please mark these dates on your calendar, and please plan to attend this signature event for our Society. Over 150 symposia were submitted for consideration by Scientific Program Committee. The proposed sessions cover a wide range of communicable and non-communicable diseases, and were submitted from around the globe. All are truly excellent, running the gamut from basic bench science to translational work through field studies, and include high throughput technologies, programmatic analysis, and range across the fields of parasitology, malariology, virology, global health, tropical medicine, respiratory infection, enteric infections and many others.

Quite simply, the breath, depth, and excellence of these submissions are testaments to the strength of our Society. Abstract submission is now ongoing, so please plan on sharing your cutting-edge work with your colleagues at the Annual Meeting, and best of luck to Chris King and the Program Committee in putting together what promises to be another successful gathering of the clan.

Global Health. Since our last Annual Meeting, the Society has moved forward establishing and incorporating an evolving global health agenda under our umbrella. There will be a Global Health Track at the Annual Meeting, and Monica Parise and Frederique Jacquerioz and committee are making wonderful progress on putting together a pre-meeting course on Global Health, focusing on lessons learned from the recent horrific events in Haiti. Clive Brown and Dan Bausch are working with Jim Kazura, Joe Vinetz, and Cathi Siegel at the Journal to highlight global health articles within that strong publication, and Steve Higgs and the Training and Education Committee are working closely with Chris King and the Scientific Program Committee to put together high quality sessions for trainees during the upcoming Annual Meeting. Last but not least, Wil Milhous and Jonathan Ripp are working with Sally Finney and John Adams (contributing experiences from helping to form ACMCIP) to help to put together a Global Health affinity group within ASTMH.

Affinity Sub-Groups. The currently constituted subgroups of the Society are also doing quite well. The American Committee of Arbovirology (ACAV) under the leadership of Ann Powers is putting together a number of symposia on emerging arboviruses for the Annual Meeting.

The American Committee of Medical Entomology (ACME) under the leadership of John Grieco is putting together sessions on both vector control and rickettsioses.

The American Committee of Molecular-Cellular-Immunoparasitology (ACMCIP) under the leadership of Rick Fairhurst is putting together a symposium on apicomplexa parasites, and a pre-meeting course.

The clinical group, under the leadership of Bill Stauffer, is putting together a number of symposia for the Annual Meeting, a pre-meeting course, and (working with Joe Vinetz) have put together clinical cases for Web posting. The clinical group will also sponsor an intensive two-day review course on clinical tropical medicine that will occur in Atlanta on October 4-5, 2010.

If you are not already a member of one of our Society sub-groups, please consider joining. It is a wonderful way to interact with those most closely affiliated with your interests. Please also follow-up with Josh Berman, ASTMH Secretary-Treasurer, with any thoughts on ways to further enhance membership in ASTMH.

The Web. Jonathan Mayer, Matthew Lesh and the Web Committee are making strong progress updating and modifying the ASTMH Web page. Increasingly, our Web page is the first and most common interaction that many around the globe have with our Society, and Jonathan and his team are always looking for ways to enhance our presence in cyberspace. I would ask you to spend a few moments going through the recently updated ASTMH Web site at www.astmh.org. Please let Jonathan and Matthew know of any thoughts on how we can further enhance this critical component of ASTMH.

The Newsletter. Many thanks to Bill Collins and the newsletter team for so consistently putting together this important mechanism for communicating. It is an excellent way for us to stay abreast of othe many active and evolving issues facing the Society.

The Journal. The Journal is doing quite well under the great leadership of Jim Kazura, Cathi Siegel, Joe Vinetz, editors and staff. Its articles continue to be immediately freely available to individuals in resource-limited settings, and contributors can elect immediate Global Open Access when they submit their manuscripts. Please consider submitting your work to our Journal so that it can be shared across the globe.

Advocacy. The Society is making significant progress in its advocacy role, building upon the strong foundation established by Kent Campbell and Sally Finney that initially focused on malaria. The Society has now broadened its advocacy to further our commitment to arborvirology, emerging infectious diseases, enteric infections, and neglected tropical diseases.

In closing, our Society is strong largely because of the wonderful participation, interactions, and accomplishments of its members. Please encourage your colleagues and trainees to join our wonderful family. I think we are a unique Society, and as long as we continue to focus on our foundation of scientific and evidence-based information to help inform decisions to improve the health of the world’s population, I think we will be on strong footing. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any thoughts, concerns or suggestions. I look forward to working with you to address these critical challenges.

ASTMH Fund Raising Gets Recognition, Boost from National Organization

Our Society’s charitable giving program got a boost recently with word that ASTMH has been cleared to participate in the 2010 Combined Federal Campaign. ASTMH will appear this fall under the federation listing for the Health & Medical Research Charities of America (HMRCA). This exciting news carries with it several key benefits for the Society.

For one thing, acceptance into the Combined Federal Campaign – more commonly known as the CFC – means that our members and friends employed by the U.S. federal government can donate to the society through payroll deduction as part of their regular workplace giving. Certification as a HMRCA member also means that ASTMH was simultaneously certified by Independent Charities of America (ICA), a nationally recognized association of the best of U.S. charities.

The ICA represents charities that meet the highest standards of public accountability and program effectiveness. It operates several fund raising programs, in which ASTMH can take part, including campaigns of a few U.S. for-profit corporations. Perhaps best of all, ASTMH has earned the right to claim the title “Best in America” as certified by Independent Charities of America, which (according to ICA) places ASTMH among the top five percent of U.S. charities when it comes to stewardship of donor dollars.

Watch for information about CFC activities as the fall 2010 campaign draws near.

ASTMH in the News

ASTMH issued the following media release on March 31, in conjunction with an article published in the April issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Evaluation of the Role of School Children in the Promotion of Point-of-Use Water Treatment and Handwashing in Schools and Households—Nyanza Province, Western Kenya, 2007 by Elizabeth Blanton, Sam Ombeki, Gordon Otieno Oluoch, Alex Mwaki, Kathleen Wannemuehler, and Rob Quick).

EDUCATION ON HAND-WASHING AND WATER TREATMENT TO IMPROVE SAFETY OF WATER CAN REDUCE ABSENTEEISM AMONGST STUDENTS IN DEVELOPING WORLD AT RISK FOR DEVASTATING DISEASES

Deerfield, IL, April 1, 2009 – Inadequate access to safe water and poor sanitation infrastructure contribute to an estimated 1.87 million deaths per year from devastating diarrheal diseases, mostly among children less than five years of age in the developing world. But, according to a new study released in the April issue of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, school-based student hygiene education programs can impact behavior in the home and significantly reduce absenteeism amongst students.

The study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in partnership with CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relieve Everywhere, Inc.), revealed that an in-school student hygiene and water treatment education program in Kenya significantly increased household adoption of water treatment and proper hand washing techniques while decreasing absentee rates among students. The information shared in-school with students was transferred to the home resulting in a 200 percent increase in household water treatment, a 164 percent increase of proper hand washing techniques among adult caregivers and 240 percent among students. As a result, student absenteeism decreased 26 percent after first follow-up (seven months). Results were also maintained at the time of the second follow-up (seventeen months).

“We are pleased that we were able to provide a community with important lessons about safe drinking water,” said lead study investigator, Elizabeth Blanton of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Perhaps most exciting is the idea that through student education we can help an entire community adopt new practices that will minimize the impact of diseases that can lead to death.”

"With more than one billion of the planet's inhabitants lacking safe water, and lacking adequate resources to immediately and fundamentally improve water-related infrastructure in so many resource poor areas of the world, we as a global population must find alternative, innovative and appropriate point of use interventions,” said Edward T. Ryan, M.D., President, American Society of Tropical Medicine (ASTMH). “This study is significant because it suggests that targeted education of children can not only decrease school absenteeism, but can also affect the family’s use of water. Such approaches warrant additional development and need to be pursued."

The study involved training staff, installing water stations and distributing instructional comic books with samples of water treatment solutions in 17 rural primary schools in western Kenya. Trainings with school staff were held in the beginning of May 2007, where the staff was taught methods of water treatment and proper hand washing techniques. Water treatment methods included the utilization of the Procter & Gamble Company’s PuR® Purifier of Water (PuR®), a flocculent/disinfectant product, and Population Services International’s (PSI) WaterGuard, a hypochlorite disinfecting solution. Staff was then instructed to use the information to educate their pupils.

Each school was also given six 60 L plastic containers to store water, three for drinking water and three for hand washing and a 3-month supply of PuR ® sachets and WaterGuard. They were encouraged to use PuR ® to treat drinking water and, since younger students sometimes drink from hand washing containers, WaterGuard to treat the hand washing water. To help educate the students, a comic book entitled “Preventing Diarrheoea, Viki finds out how…” was produced and distributed to all students, who were encouraged to read it, discuss it with their class, and take it home to show their parents. In addition, each book contained 3 free sachets of PuR ®, which students were encouraged to take home and demonstrate to their parents.

Baseline surveys were conducted on student and caregivers in February 2007. Follow-up surveys were conducted of the same students and caregivers interviewed at baseline who were still attending school/available in September 2007, and again in July 2008. The follow-up survey instruments included questions from the baseline survey with additional questions regarding health communications in the school and water treatment attitudes and practices. Caregiver surveys were conducted in the home where water storage vessels and caregivers’ typical hand washing procedure were observed, and tests were conducted on stored drinking water for free chlorine residuals.

Student absentee data were collected from 16 schools; one school that was unable to locate absentee records from 2005 was excluded. Absentee data collected from 2007 and 2008 were compared with absentee data from 2005 and 2006 to determine the impact of the program on school attendance. Because the intervention was implemented during the second of 3 school terms in 2007, student absentee rates were compared for the second term from school years before (2005 and 2006) and after (2007 and 2008) implementation of the intervention.

Awareness of PuR ® was reported by 31 percent of students at baseline, 97 percent at first follow-up, and 98 percent at second follow-up. Of students who had heard of PuR ® at baseline, fewer than 1 percent were able to correctly explain three key steps of the PuR ® water treatment procedure; 53 percent of students at first follow-up and 54 percent at second follow-up could state the correct procedure. The most common information sources about PuR ® changed from mass media (21 percent) and social networks (15 percent) at baseline to the school at first (88 percent) and second (91 percent) follow-up evaluations.

Awareness of WaterGuard was reported by 90 percent of students at baseline, 97 percent at first follow-up and 98 percent at second follow-up. Of these students, 15 percent could describe the correct Water-Guard treatment process at baseline, 36 percent at first follow-up, and 23 percent at second follow-up. The most common WaterGuard information sources were social networks (65 percent) and mass media (42 percent) at baseline. Schools increased as an information source from 14 percent at baseline to 83 percent at the first and second follow-up.

At baseline, 22 percent of students could demonstrate proper hand washing. This percentage increased to 53 percent at first follow-up and was 47 percent at second follow-up.

At baseline, 666 students were interviewed. The median age of the students was 12 (range 8 to 19 years); 53 percent were male. Of these students, 28 percent were enrolled in grade 4, 22 percent in grade 5, 17 percent in grade 6, 21 percent in grade 7, and 12 percent in grade 8. In the first follow-up evaluation, 603 students were interviewed. In this follow-up, the median student age and proportion of students in each grade level were similar to baseline. 413 of the original 666 students interviewed at baseline were interviewed during the second follow-up. The median age of students and student gender remained similar to the 2 previous surveys, however the proportion of students in each grade level shifted as a result of interviewing in a new school year.

At baseline, primary caregivers of 662 (99 percent) of 666 students were interviewed. The median age of respondents was 42 years (range 13 to 91 years); 91 percent were female. The median number of persons per household was six (range 2 to 15).

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), founded in 1903, is a worldwide organization of scientists, clinicians and program professionals whose mission is to promote global health through the prevention and control of infectious and other diseases that disproportionately afflict the global poor.

Attend ASTMH's Intensive Update Course

Intensive Update Course in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health
October 4-5, 2010
Westin Peachtree Plaza
Atlanta, Georgia USA

Plan now to attend the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene's (ASTMH) Intensive Update Course in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health on October 4-5, 2010 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, Georgia.

ASTMH offers a Certificate Examination that assesses and recognizes individual excellence in training and knowledge. Passing the examination leads to a Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health (CTropMed®). The next exam open for application will take place on November 2, 2010, in conjunction with the ASTMH 59th Annual Meeting, to be held November 3-7, 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia USA.

Tentative Course Topics
Intestinal Helminths
Schistosomiasis and Other Flukes
Leishmania and Trypanosomes
Filarial Infections
Larval Cestode Infections
Mosquito-Borne Viral Diseases
Environmental Health
Malaria Prevention
Malaria Treatment
Rickettsial Diseases
Tropical Dermatology
Immunizations for Travel
Diarrheal Diseases
Management of HIV/AIDS in Africa
Clinical Vignettes

Hotel Reservations
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Westin Peachtree Plaza, located at 210 Peachtree Street, N.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303, phone 404-659-1400. For reservations, call the hotel at 404-659-1400 and mention that you are an ASTMH attendee to receive the special conference group rate of $159 for a single/double room, plus applicable taxes. Discounted rooms are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and discounted room rates apply only to ASTMH attendee reservations received by September 12, 2010, or as long as rooms are still available in the ASTMH room block. Make your hotel reservations early!

Click here to make an online reservation.

Join the ASTMH Member-Get-a-Member Campaign

Join your fellow ASTMH members who have already helped grow the Society by recruiting new members (and received a free ASTMH mug or T-shirt in the process).

Your colleagues will receive all the benefits of ASTMH membership that you enjoy every day, including access to the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, funding and fellowship opportunities, deeply discounted registration to the ASTMH Annual Meeting, and access to the leading minds working in global health today.

Introduced in 2009, the Member-Get-a-Member campaign is simple.

Here's How it Works:

1) Simply recruit or refer a new member to the Society. As a thank you for helping ASTMH to grow, you will receive your choice of a 16-oz. ASTMH coffee mug or 100% cotton T-shirt. Each time you refer a new member, you will be eligible to receive one of these items.

2) Forward the new member application to a colleague, or direct them to the Society’s online member application. Make sure to tell them to identify you on the line titled "Name of Referring Member."

ASTMH needs your help to grow our community and make our voice heard.

Contact Matthew Lesh, ASTMH communications manager, with any questions or for more information.

Society News

ASTMH will hold its 59th Annual Meeting, November 3-7, 2010, in Atlanta. Plan now to join the ASTMH community as we continue to build on the momentum of our recent record-breaking meetings in New Orleans and Washington, D.C. The premier conference for tropical medicine, hygiene, and global health is already well in the planning stages, and will feature the ground-breaking research and education for which ASTMH is known.

Opening Plenary Session
Don’t miss the opening session for the annual meeting on Wednesday, November 3. We are pleased to announce the keynote speaker will be Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Pre-Meeting Courses
Visit the ASTMH Web site for details on these three pre-meeting courses:

Basic Science Pre-Meeting Course
November 2, 2010
Recent Advances in the Biology of Invertebrate Vectors and Implications for the Control of Tropical Diseases

Clinical Pre-Meeting Course
November 2-3, 2010
Case Management of the Complicated Tropical Medicine Patient

Global Health Pre-Meeting Course
November 3, 2010
Haiti: A Case Study for Advancing Global Health

Young Investigator Award
Application Deadline: May 4
ASTMH will present the Young Investigator Award to outstanding young researchers during the annual meeting. This award encourages developing young scientists to pursue careers in various aspects of tropical disease research. Visit http://www.astmh.org/Awards.htm for application guidelines.

American Committee of Medical Entomology (ACME) Travel Award
Application Deadline: May 11
An award of $300 US is available to support travel and accommodation costs for a graduate student attending the ASTMH Annual Meeting. Student registration costs for the annual meeting will be waived for the award winner. Applicants must present their research either orally or in poster format during the ASTMH meeting. The subject matter of the presentation should involve directly or indirectly arthropods of medical importance. Submit your abstract by May 4 and visit http://www.astmh.org/Awards.htm for application guidelines.

American Committee on Arthropod-Borne Viruses (ACAV) Kelly Labell Student Travel Award
Application Deadline: May 11
Limited funding is available to support travel and accommodation costs for a graduate student attending the ASTMH Annual Meeting. Student registration costs for the annual meeting will be waived for the award winner. The award will be made to a graduate student who is conducting research on Eastern Equine Encephalitis or other mosquito-borne viral diseases. Applicants must present their research either orally or in poster format during the ASTMH meeting. Submit your abstract by May 4 and visit http://www.astmh.org/Awards.htm for application guidelines.

Elsevier Student Book Award
Application Deadline: June 3
A Student Book Award is issued at the annual meeting by the ASTMH Clinical Group
(American Committee on Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health – ACCTMTH) in conjunction with Elsevier. This award recognizes excellence in clinically oriented research presented by a student at the annual meeting. Visit the ASTMH Web site to submit your abstract online by May 4, and for application guidelines.

Robert E. Shope International Fellowship in Infectious Diseases
Application Deadline: May 20
This fellowship is designed for individuals with doctoral-level degrees who seek fellowship funding to support travel, living and research expenses to work in laboratories in the tropics to pursue studies in arbovirology and/or emerging tropical infectious diseases. Submit your application at http://www.astmh.org/ASTMH_Sponsored_Fellowships/2498.htm.

Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health
ASTMH offers a biannual examination leading to a Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health (CTropMed®). The next exam open for application will be held on November 2, 2010, in Atlanta, Georgia USA. Applications will be available in early May 2010. Visit http://www.astmh.org/Certification_Program/2518.htm for details.

Have You Explored the ASTMH Web Site Lately?

Among the plethora of resources available on the ASTMH Web site, we are pleased to announce two new features:

Clinical Images Quizes
The Web site will host a series of monthly quizzes provided by The American Committee on Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health (ACCTMTH), ASTMH's Clinical Group. The images used in the quiz are from the Images in Clinical Tropical Medicine series in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

In the News
This page offers links to breaking stories in the field of tropical medicine and global health, compiled by ASTMH Web Editor Jonathan Mayer.

The most recent update includes links to news about: resistance to artemisinin based therapy (ACT) along the Thai-Myanmar border; a TbNMT inhibitor showed high efficacy for curing T. brucei brucei in a mouse model; members of sending a letter to USAID urging the agency to increase spending on the control of neglected tropical diseases; and much more.

ASTMH to Co-Sponsor ICEID Conference in July

ASTMH will serve as co-sponsor of the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases, July 11-14, 2010 in Atlanta.

These are among the topics that will be discussed at this conference of public health professionals, encouraging the exchange of scientific and public health information on global emerging infectious disease issues.

Late Breaker Abstracts will be accepted from May 7 through May 26. Click here for more information.

The ASTMH Career Center -- It's All For You

Tropical medicine and global health positions are available at a wide variety of levels, all across the globe. Searching for a job? Take a moment to create a jobseeker account, which will allow you to customize your job search. Create job alerts, manage your resume and find the best available matches for your skills and experience.

Or, create an employer account if you have positions to fill. Quickly post job openings and conveniently manage your online recruiting efforts. You can also view posted resumes, and only pay for matches that interest you. There are currently 131 resumes posted for you to browse. Pay only for the resumes of candidates with whom you connect.

Whether you're an employer or a jobseeker, the ASTMH Career Center is your ultimate resource -- an online job board dedicated exclusively to the tropical medicine and global health field.

Events Calendar

International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases
This event is co-sponsored by ASTMH
July 11-14, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Contact: www.iceid.org

Intensive Update Course in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health
October 4-5, 2010
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Contact: www.astmh.org

Infectious Diseases Society for America 48th Annual Meeting
October 21-24, 2010
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Contact: www.idsociety.org

International Society of Travel Medicine 12th Congress
May 8-12, 2011
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Contact: www.istm.org

Seventh European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health
October 2-6,2011
Barcelona, Spain
Contact: www.festmih.es

President's Message