Join PATH at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Annual Meeting
More than 70 PATH staff will travel to Philadelphia, PA, to learn and share with the world's top experts at the 64th annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), happening October 25-29. Attracting more than 4,400 tropical medicine and global health professionals from all sectors, the conference provides an ideal forum for advancing the latest research, clinical discoveries, and thought-leadership in the field.
Highlights from this year's conference include a keynote presentation by Rajiv Shah, leader of the US Agency for International Development from 2010 to 2015. The conference will also honor Alan Magill, past ASTMH president and much-missed leader in the fight to eliminate malaria.
Over five days, PATH experts from around the world will present new research and join discussions on malaria, pneumonia, water and sanitation, and vaccines for childhood diarrhea. With more than 100 presentations, posters, and panels, this year represents PATH's largest-ever attendance at the annual event.
An integrated approach to malaria elimination
Malaria still kills more than 472,000 people a year, but as innovations continue in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, the world is paving the way toward malaria elimination. Through numerous poster and presentation sessions, PATH will share exciting advancements in our unparalleled portfolio of malaria projects that range from diagnostics, vaccines, drugs, and groundbreaking new approaches. Presentations will highlight the development of tools to evaluate transmission blocking vaccines, new tools for improved diagnosis, genetic approaches to inform malaria programming, and targeted strategies to stop the disease's spread.
Targeting the top threats to child health
Pneumonia and diarrheal disease remain the leading causes of death among children under five. PATH is hosting two symposia that address these issues, one on innovations that can transform pneumonia prevention and treatment, including diagnostics, vaccines, and the impact of environmental factors, and another on new approaches to vaccines for diarrheal disease.
Independent presentations ask how community health workers can help improve pneumonia treatment, and how social enterprise and microfinance could stimulate demand for latrines and other sanitation products–using a market-based approach to improve delivery and sustainability.
Addressing neglected tropical diseases
Finally, PATH is co-organizing a panel discussion on the need for research and development to develop new diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines for the millions of patients affected by onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis). Tala de los Santos, leader of PATH's Diagnostics program, will present on the onchocerciasis surveillance rapid test that was announced at last year's conference and on its sibling under development, the onchocerciasis/lymphatic filariasis biplex test.
For a full list of PATH's participation, visit the ASTMH online program planner.
Follow the ASTMH meeting online
The conference will provide a great opportunity to share PATH's work so that scientists and the general population have a chance to benefit from PATH's insights–and PATH from theirs. Follow the conference hashtag #TropMed15 to join the conversation.
More information
- ASTMH conference website.
- PATH's work in malaria.
- PATH's work in child health.
Posted October 22, 2015.