Conclusions of the 7th European Congress of Tropical Medicine and International Health

7th ECTMIH CLOSING REMARKS AND

CONCLUSIONS BARCELONA OCT.2011

THE PLENARY SESSIONS - TROPICAL MEDICINE AND GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH ARE CENTRAL TO THE MILL. DEV. GOALS HOWEVER: WE ARE FAR FROM THE TARGET AND GOALS RELATED TO HEALTH ARE THE LEAST LIKELY TO BE MET. THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY CAN: -GENERATE KNOWLEDGE FOR POLICY MAKERS BASED ON EVIDENCE - MONITOR AND EVALUATE PROGRESS SHOWING QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESULTS. -DISCOVER AND DEVELOP NEW DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS VACCINES AND TREATMENTS.

-AS A COMMUNITY WE CAN LOOK FOR ANSWERS TO GUIDE MORE EFFICIENT POLICIES.

TRACK.1 INFECTIOUS AND NEGLECTED DISEASES

MALARIA Circa 800.000 deaths annually is still unacceptable.

Need to understand pathophysiology of severe malaria RDTest a breakthrough in diagnosis. FEVER NO longer always = Malaria New drugs on the pipeline but not for tomorrow Availability of a vaccine closer than ever Pyrethroid resistance spreading Erradication is the global goal but unrealistic expectations should be avoided

LEISHMANIASIS Further research in vector control methods needed 4 sessions and over 20 posters on leishmaniasis Affected communities still having poor access to drugs

TRACK. 1 INFECTIOUS AND NEGLECTED DIS. VECTOR BORNE DISEASES WORLDWIDE EXPANSION OF MOSQUITO VECTORS RAISES THE THREAT OF OUTBREAKS IN EUROPE: CHIKUNGUNYA, DENGUE, WEST NILE INCREASING GLOBAL MIGRATION, COMMERCE AND TRAVEL ARE A CHALLENGE

NEW VACCINES AND NEW CONTROL STRATEGIES NEEDED

TRACK 1.

NEGLECTED DISEASES

WE ALSO NEGLECT SOME…

CLINICAL AND ECONOMIC BURDEN -INCLUDING LOSS OF PRODUCTIVITYTHE FORMER STILL UNDERESTIMATED THE LATER IS POORLY KNOWN WHO HAS DEVELOPED THE GLOBAL PLAN TO COMBAT NTD.

TRACK 1.

INFECTIOUS AND NEGLECTED DISEASES CHAGAS DISEASE.

-CLIN. TRIALS TO EVALUATE NEW DRUGS FOR THE CHRONIC PHASES INCLUDE PROMISING AZOLE COMPOUNDS. -A BENZNIDAZOLE´S NEW PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN SOON

-RESULTS OF THE BENEFIT (BENZNIDAZOLE EVALUATION FOR INTERRUPTING TRYPS) TRIAL IN 2012 WILL HELP FUTURE TREAT. - PROBLEM OF DRUG STOCK-OUTS NEED TO BE URGENTLY SOLVED

TRACK.1 INFECTIOUS AND NEGLECTED DISEASES BACTERIAL DISEASES.

-L.I.C HAVE BECOME THE NEW SOURCE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTIRESISTANT BACTERIAE. -PNEUMONIA REMAINS MAIN KILLER OF UNDER 5´S

-NEW DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS REPLACING BLOOD CULTURE AND X-RAY NEEDED TO IMPROVE DETECTION OF PNEUMONIA AND INVASIVE BACTERIAL DISEASE.

TRACK 1.

INFECTIOUS AND NEGLECTED DISEASES.

H.I.V INFECTION

- RECENT SUCCESSES OF PRE-EXPS. PROFLX. FOR PREVENTION OF HIV INFECTION HAVE OPENED THE POTENTIAL TO OFFER A BROAD ARRAY OF TOOLS:MICROBICIDE GELS, RINGS AND ORAL TABLETS. -HIV VACCINE RESEARCH IS BUILDING UPON LESSONS LEARNED FROM PREVIOUS TRIALS AS WELL AS RENEWING BASIC RESEARCH -INTO IMMUNOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF PROTECTION. -CAPACITY BUILDING IN LOW RESOURCES, HIGH HIV PREVALENCE COUNTRIES WHERE HIV TRIALS ARE CONDUCTEDE REMAINS A PRIORITY. -INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN HIV TESTING IN MIGRANT POPULATION INCLUDES A SELF TESTING METHOD. -- FUTURE CHALLENGES RELATED TO HIV MANAGEMENT WITH THE HETEROGENEOUS GROUP OF MIGRANTS IN EUROPE, DISCUSSED

TRACK.1 INFECTIOUS AND NEGLECTED DISEASES Tb AND HIV

- NEW TOOLS FOR TB CONTROL IN THE FIELD OF DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND VACCINES - DISCUSIONS ON CONVENIENCE OF PERFORMING SCREENING FOR ACTIVE AND LATENT TB IN IMMIGRANTS.

TRACK. 1 INFECTIOUS AND NEGLECTED DISEASES. SCHISTOSOMIASIS.

NEW UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. DNA VACCINE INDUCES SIGNIFICANT PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY AGAINST S.JAPONICUM IN WATER BUFALOS.

TRACK. 2 WOMEN´S AND CHILDREN´S HEALTH NUTRITION UNDERFUNDED WHY??

- PROMOTION OF WOMEN´S HEALTH NOT RECEIVING ENOUGH POLITICAL BACKING IN MANY COUNTRIES. BAD FOR POVERTY FIGHT - TO IMPROVE THEIR ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, IDENTIFYING THE KNOWLEDGE GAPS FOR EVIDENCE-DRIVEN INTERVENTIONS AND A PRIORIZATION OF EFFORTS AND RESOURCES ON THE MOST VULNERABLE IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.

- DESPITE SOME PROGRESSES WE ARE STILL TOO FAR

TRACK 3.

CHRONIC DISEASES LIFE EXPECTANCY IS INCREASING IN POOR AND DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. THIS FACT INCREASES THE BURDEN OF NCD AND CONTRIBUTES TO THE WIDENING HEALTH GAPS BETWEEN AND WITHIN COUNTRIES. -

CARDIOVASCULAR CANCER CHR.RESPIRATORY DIS. DIABETES

POTENTIAL TO EXTEND EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO PREVENT THEM. BUT EXPENSES RISING

TRACK 4.

HEALTH SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES GLOBAL HEALTH LEADERS INCLUDING: WHO, UNICEF, GATES FOUNDATION HAVE LAUNCHED THE Decade of Vaccines (DoV).

THE GLOBAL VACCINE ACTION PLAN (GVAP)

Delivering lifesaving vaccines to the most vulnerable populations in the poorest Countries over the next decade.

TRACK. 4 HEALTH SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES PRESENTATIONS MOSTLY BASED IN CASE STUDIES HUGE CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR OPTIMIZING HEALTH SYSTEMS AND RESOURCES IN TROPICAL COUNTRIES. EXAMPLES: UNFAIRNESS IN WORKING CONDITIONS AMONG HEALTH WORKERS (Tanzania) RUNNING COST ANALYSIS REQUIRED TO IDENTIFY RESOURCES NEEDED FOR THE HOSPITAL FUNCTION (Central Africa) ADOPTING PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH TO PALLIATIVE CARE AND EQUAL ACCESS TO HEALTH (Ecuador) ROLE OF THE FAMILY DOCTOR TO IMPROVE PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM (Cuba)

TRACK. 5 GLOBAL MIGRATION, CONFLICTS AND POPULATION HEALTH

AN INCREASING PHENOMENA AS DAYLI LIFE SHOWS.

-NEED TO ANALIZE THE BALANCE FOR HEALTH ACCESS, SOCIOECONOMICAL STATUS AND QUALITY OF LIFE ESPECIALLY IN ECONOMIC MIGRANTS - NEED OF A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE MIGRATION PHENOMENA : SOCIAL SCIENCES, INFECTIOS DISEASES, AND N.C.D. THE U.N.H.C.R PARTICIPATES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A ECTMIH