Our Hopes for 2023

Daniel G. Bausch, MD, MPH&TM, FASTMH

My hope for 2023 is that both ASTMH and the broader global society embrace a principle of human rights as the foundation for what we do. We’ve seen some abatement of the COVID-19 crisis in 2022 but, inevitably, many challenges persist—wars and refugee crises, increasing political polarization, and an ongoing but largely unrecognized pandemic of antimicrobial resistant bacteria. Nor can we discount the possibility of a dangerous new COVID-19 variant emerging. While modern technology gives cause for optimism, modern connectivity means that a policy of “isolationism” is no longer viable—a disease outbreak or major economic or climactic event anywhere affects us all. The world is complex and its problems increasingly intertwined, requiring complex solutions that are integrated across broad sectors of society and government. This may seem daunting, but I believe adopting a principle of human rights—on top of our continued high quality scientific investigation and clinical care, of course—is our best way forward.

 

A highlight of 2022 for me was attending our first in-person Annual Meeting in two years. Reconnecting with so many old friends and meeting so many wonderful new people left me buoyed and rejuvenated. My hope is that our Society emerges in 2023 inspired by the spirit and hope of the meeting as we work collectively on our extraordinary mission of reducing the worldwide burden of tropical infectious diseases. That, as we strive to improve global health through sharing scientific evidence and informing health policies and practices, we explore new ways to advance global equity, inclusion and health justice, while promoting environmental sustainability, education and career development. Hoping that working together can make our Society’s 120th year the most impactful yet!

Kent Kester, MD, FASTMH
Secretary-Treasurer
As we move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, my hope is that ASTMH will continue its successful offerings as we had in Seattle, even as we, as an organization, evolve to address the new realities of professional meetings and travel to provide value to our global membership. Societies like ours are not static constructs. Thus, we will need the input and involvement of our professionally and geographically diverse membership to help the Board chart a new course for the future of the Society.
 

 

Hopes for 2023: 

 

I have many hopes for 2023, but focusing on areas most relevant to ASTMH, I am hoping for a renewal of progress toward the control of major infectious diseases. The pandemic caused enormous suffering due to severe COVID-19 but, in addition, it led to major disruptions in public health services. These disruptions were accompanied by a backslide in progress against major public health challenges, including highly prevalent infectious diseases such as HIV infection, tuberculosis, malaria and many other neglected diseases, especially in lower-income countries. It is my hope that, as we appear to have reached a more stable point in the pandemic, the global public health community will refocus efforts on the control of longstanding infectious disease problems and in the process, get us back on track toward progress against these huge tropical medicine challenges.

 

My hopes for 2023 are that it is a year filled with rebirth and new ideas to help us overcome our global challenges with compassion, learning that we are one family on this planet and all of our collective experience and ingenuity is required to make the home we want for ourselves and our brothers and sisters around the world.
 

 

In 2023, I’m hopeful that we shall significantly regain the progress in global health that was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m also hopeful that we shall achieve an intensified sense of urgency and action at local, national and international levels to preserve our planet and adopt One Health approaches to sustainable development.
 

 

My hopes for 2023 are that those dedicated to service, science and global health maintain their commitment and inspiration. We may be stronger, together, from battling the SARS CoV2 pandemic. I am inspired by my colleagues and am thrilled to see the next generation join in the fight for equity and health. We should now, in 2023, accelerate the innovations, programs and strategies to improve the world’s health.
 

 

My hope for 2023 is that all of us working together in global health experience the joy of partnerships, relationships, community and the power of basic human connections to catalyze and sustain our work all year long.


 

I would like to wish all ASTMH members a happy, fulfilling 2023, a year that will provide a time interval toward meeting part of our career, scientific and professional goals. My hope for 2023 is that the global health community will continue widening the circle of compassion to embrace each other, to realize the interdependence of humans on one another, and to acknowledge one's responsibility to our fellow humans and the world around us. I also look forward with happiness to the 2023 ASTMH Annual Meeting in person.

 

For 2023, I look forward to seeing ASTMH membership grow as we pursue enhanced developments of new drugs and vaccines, as well as preventive strategies against emerging infectious diseases.  I hope to see expanded efforts toward diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) at all levels of the global health workforce. We will see strengthened partnerships between low and middle income (LMIC) nations in the fight against tropical diseases through workforce capacity strengthening and implementing of viable solutions.  However, I am also intimately aware that these positive changes, whether local or global, could be threatened by poor leadership, international conflict, climate change and economic downturns.  As an optimist, I look forward to a time when global health equity will be considered a priority by all leaders in the health workforce on planet earth.  

 

I hope that all nations place a priority on their citizens, realizing their basic human rights:  access to health care, nutritious food, clean water, safe shelter and to live without fear. To that end, our obligation to each other and the environment, both now and for future generations, must be the highest priority.  


 

 

I hope that in 2023, the scientific community etches into stone that engaging with the public and elected officials—before, during and long after a health crisis—is forever an essential part of science.