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International Highlights 

                               Summary of NIH International Highlights

                                                   May – July 2002

 

 

                                            Program Developments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                         Fogarty International Center

 

                                                FIC Advisory Board

The Fogarty International Center Advisory Board met in open session on Tuesday, May 21 at the Lawton Chiles International House.  Dr. Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations, spoke about challenges and opportunities in the global AIDS response and Dr. Kenneth Bridbord, FIC, followed Dr. Piot's presentation with an update on FIC international AIDS programs.

  Bilateral Activities

China:  Dr. Gerald Keusch and other NIH leaders met with Dr. Chen Zhu, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on June 24. Dr. Chen was Dr. Keusch's counterpart at the recent bilateral S&T meeting in Beijing.  On June 28, Dr. Zerhouni, Dr. Keusch, Dr. Whitescarver and Dr. Fauci met with Dr. Zhang Wenkang, Minister of Public Health of China, to discuss strengthening collaboration on HIV/AIDS training and research.  The visit to NIH preceded the signing of an MOU by Secretary Thompson and Minister Zhang to expand U.S.-China cooperation in HIV/AIDS research.

Korea:  On July 3, Dr. Hrynkow met with Dr. Hee-Yol Yu, Vice Minister of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea to discuss NIH-Korea collaboration and a proposed forum on biomedical sciences to be held later this year.

At the invitation of the Korean government, Dr. James Lavery, with the NIH Clinical Center Department of Clinical Bioethics, conducted and taught a workshop on Ethical Aspects of Clinical Research in Seoul, South Korea June 18-21.

Norway:   On May 16, Ms. Minnie Rojo, Director of the Division of International Relations, and Mr. Mark Pineda, Program Officer for Western Europe, met with the Norwegian Minister of Health to discuss several scientific areas of mutual interest.  The Minister of Health also met with representatives from NLM and the Office of Science Policy and Planning, Office of the NIH Director. 

Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, FIC Deputy Director, traveled to Norway, June 18-26.  She attended the European Congress of Perinatal Medicine, where she made a presentation on “NIH International Opportunities – the Extramural Perspective.”  This complemented a presentation made by Dr. Philip Chen, Office of Intramural Research, on Intramural Opportunities.  During her visit, Dr. Hrynkow also met with officials of the Research Council of Norway, the Ministry of Education and Research, and the National Hospital.

European Union (EU):   On May 9, Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, Ms. Minnie Rojo, and Mr. Mark Pineda met with Achilleas Mitsos, Ph.D., Director-General for Research, European Commission (EC) to discuss the 6th Framework and mechanisms to improve research collaboration between the EU and the U.S. in biomedical research.

Dr. Hrynkow made a presentation on FIC/NIH International Activities to a Department of State sponsored group of European health and sports experts attending a multi-city program titled "Women in Sports." They visited NIH after a visit to the CDC in Atlanta and on their way to New York, to learn how NIH programs relate to women's health in sport and exercise.

 

Egypt:   The annual Board meeting of the U.S. Egypt Joint S&T Fund was held in Washington, DC in May.  NIH staff from NCI, NIAID, and NLM reviewed 19 proposals, seven of which will be funded in this cycle.  All of the NIH proposals recommended for funding were considered exemplary projects by reviewers on both the U.S. and Egyptian sides, and each demonstrated substantial involvement of junior scientists.  Finally, the Board approved a $1 million increase in funding from each side for the next fiscal year beginning June, 2002.   

 

WAF/FAAF:   On June 28, the Boards of the French-American AIDS Foundation and the World AIDS Foundation held their annual meeting at the Stone House.  Dr. Zerhouni serves as one of the two DHHS trustees on both boards.  Dr. Kirschstein, Dr. Keusch and Dr. Bridbord also participated.  Approximately 2 million dollars in grant support was approved.  Among the other topics discussed were the projected ending of FAAF/WAF in 2004, when the royalty stream that funds the two foundations comes to an end.  Initial plans for a major symposium to be held in Paris in the summer of 2003 were developed.  This symposium would review the impact of the FAAF/WAF programs on the response to HIV/AIDS in developing countries and the development of local capacity to address the multifaceted needs of HIV infected individuals. 

Multilateral Activities

WHO:  Dr. Keusch represented NIH at the WHO Advisory Committee on Health Research held June 18-19 in Geneva.  Topics for discussion were the ACHR Report on Genomics and World Health, the World Health Summit 2002, and World Health Day 2004.  He then represented the ACHR at the PAHO meeting in Washington, DC on June 12-14.  Topics discussed were health in human development, health promotion and protection, environmental protection and development, development of health systems and services, and disease prevention and control.

  Mul tilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM)

Plans for the 3rd International Conference on Malaria to be held in Arusha, Tanzania, are nearly complete.  Over 600 participants are expected, with more than half from malaria-endemic countries.  The conference will consider progress in key fields of research and will work to enhance malaria collaboration between control experts and researchers.  FIC, which serves as the MIM Secretariat, NIAID and NLM are providing significant support for the conference, along with European science funding agencies and NGOs.

At the end of the year, and according to MIM guidelines, the MIM Secretariat will be transferred to another MIM partner agency.  Voting on the new Secretariat is now ongoing.

World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)

FIC continues to represent NIH interests in the preparation of the WSSD to be held in Johannesburg, South Africa in September.  Dr. Rachel Nugent, Program Officer, Division of International Training and Research, represented NIH at the 4th Preparatory Committee meeting for the WSSD in Indonesia from May 23 to June 4.  The purpose of the meeting was to finalize a negotiated plan of action for sustainable development implementation, and to confer with international organizations and country delegations about partnerships for carrying out the plan.

Subcommittee on International Nutrition Research (SINR)

The SINR of the Nutrition Coordinating Committee held its second meeting on June 12. The topics were a review of a draft WHO/FAO report on Diet, Nutrition and Prevention of Chronic Diseases and the trends in chronic disease incidence in developing countries. Guests were Mary Lou Valdez from OS/DHHS and Professor Barry Popkin, UNC-Chapel Hill. Subcommittee chairs are Dan Raiten, NICHD and Rachel Nugent, FIC.

Disease Control Priority Project (DCPP) Update

During May and June, Dr. Dean Jamison and DCPP editors held meetings at Harvard University, Boston University, PAHO, and at NIH to continue to develop the structure of the DCPP volumes and to identify and finalize the authors list.

  Program Notes

FIC convened an international consultation on June 4 to consider the broad topic of brain disorders in the developing world and potential research needs and opportunities.  Dr. Torsten Wiesel, Secretary General of the International Brain Research Organization and Director of the Human Frontier Science Program, co-chaired the meeting with Dr. Keusch.  The meeting was called in part to consider recommendations from the recent IOM report on this topic, supported by FIC, NICHD, NIMH, and NINDS.  A new program is being considered by the NIH partners for FY 2003.

FIC sponsored a seminar "The Global Extension of Care for Persons with HIV/AIDS” at the 10th International Congress on Infectious Diseases in Singapore, March 11-15.  Dr. Pierce Gardner, FIC Senior Advisor for Clinical Research and Training, co-organized and chaired this session.  On April 16-17, Dr. Gardner gave a presentation on "New Directions in Capacity Building” at the Forum on Emerging Infections sponsored by the Institute of Medicine

Dr. Karen Hofman, Director, Division of Advanced Studies and Policy Analysis, served as a as panelist and presenter at a conference on Genomics and Public Policy in Toronto, Canada, June 7-8, 2002.  She also organized and chaired a panel on “Violence and Injury: The Neglected Epidemic” at the 9th Annual Conference of the Global Health Council on May 31 in Washington, D.C. 

At the request of NIDA, Dr. Aron Primack, Program Officer, Division of Research and Training, gave a talk about FIC’s international programs, particularly the GRIP program, at the 7th NIDA International Forum “Building International Research on Drug Abuse: Treatment Innovations,” held in Quebec City, Canada, June 14, 2002. 

 

  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

 

THE AMERICAS: The "Pan American Hypertension Initiative" (PAHI), launched by NHLBI and PAHO has been endorsed by eight international scientific organizations.  This initiative is designed to develop collaboration between national programs in hypertension in the Americas.  PAHI will focus on the health problems of an estimated 140 million hypertensives in the region, emphasizing the need to prevent and control this condition, and its sequelae of heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, disability and premature deaths. A joint blood pressure measurement standard has been developed with partners in the Americas, and tested by PAHO in its public health programs in Costa Rica.  A meeting with PAHO and country representatives was held in April 2001 at NIH to discuss further joint plans for implementing the PAHI initiative in the region.  The ten PAHI partners have developed a joint blood pressure measurement standard for use in future studies in the Americas.  This measurement standard will be published in the July issue of the PAHO journal over the signatures of the Directors of PAHO and NHLBI. 

A follow-up meeting in the fall 2002 is being planned.

EUROPE:  An International Position Paper on "Women's Health and Menopause: A Comprehensive Approach" has been developed in follow-up of the international conference held in Washington in May 2001 on "Women's Health in Menopause: New Strategies for Improved Quality of Life."  The document has been developed by NHLBI in collaboration with the Giovanni Lorenzini Foundation in Milan, Italy and the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health, and scientists from other NIH institutes.  The full report will be published by NHLBI in July 2002.  Chapter 13, Best Clinical Practices was published in March 2002 and has been widely distributed in the United States as well as internationally.  Also, the national and international print and electronic media have called attention to the report, which is the first of its kind.  The document covers a number of areas related to the health of women, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, and the role of hormone replacement therapy. 

AFGHANISTAN:  The NHLBI has developed a proposal for training of Afghan health professionals in blood resources management and training.  This is part of a DHHS US-Afghanistan initiative.

CHINA:   Dr. Ruth Hegyeli, Associate Director for International Programs, NHLBI, met with the Chinese Deputy Minister of Health to discuss joint interests in future collaboration in the prevention of cardiovascular disease in direct follow-up of the NHLBI's 20-year collaboration with China in cardiopulmonary epidemiology.  The proposed new collaboration will focus on hypertension and obesity and the Institute has shared recent NHLBI reports with the Chinese Deputy Minister.

GERMANY:   Dr. Ruth Hegyeli, Associate Director for International Programs, NHLBI attended the 10th International Congress on Women's Health and Menopause in June.  Many of the speakers in this conference are authors of chapters in the International Position Paper on "Women's Health and Menopause: A Comprehensive Approach."

INDIA:  Collaboration between NHLBI Nobel Laureate Dr. Marshall Nirenberg and a scientist from India is continuing on drosophila neuronal cell lineage.

JAPAN:   A joint US-Japan Symposium on Cardiovascular Disease is planned for February, 2003 in Japan.  The topics for discussion will include: 1. The association of candidate genes with CVD in the USA and Japan based on case-control and population studies.  2.  The role of gene-environment interactions in CVD in the USA and Japan, and their use in targeted intervention strategies to reduce the risk of CVD in both countries.  3.  Comparative  genetic studies of animal models and population-based human studies.

POLAND:  Professor Andrew Szczeklik, Jagellonian University School of Medicine, Krakow visited NHLBI in May for discussions concerning cooperation in pulmonary research, particularly related to severe and aspirin-induced asthma.

RUSSIA:   Academician Vsevolod Tkachuk visited the United States in May and June to discuss joint plans for US-Russia Joint Symposia in Basic Research on Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Diseases in the United States in 2003, and in Cardiac Arrhythmia in Russia in 2003.  Dr. Tkachuk is Dean of the School of Medicine, Moscow Statae University and also head of the Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Cardiology Research Center.

Academician Evgeny Chazov, Director, Cardiology Research Center, Moscow will be a member of the Russian delegation visiting the United States July 28-31.  He will give a presentation on "Cardiovascular Diseases" during the US-Russia Health Committee meeting on July 31.

Exchanges of scientists in basic research in cardiovascular disease and in arrhythmia are continuing with visits of two Russian scientists to the US in fall 2002.  One scientist will visit Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.  Another Russian scientist will work at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY.

 

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

 

Meeting of Trans-NIH Subcommittee on International Nutrition Research

The second meeting of the NIH Subcommittee on International Nutrition Research (SCINR) was held on June 12, 2002.  A proposal for a collaborative multi-country study on the interaction of diet, physical activity, and health was presented and discussed.  In addition, a representative of the DHHS Office of Global Health Affairs (OGHA) presented an overview of OGHA activities and discussed ways in which SCINR could serve as a technical resource to that office on relevant matters of health.  These discussions included comments from SCINR representatives on a draft of a FAO/WHO report on Diet and Chronic Diseases and recommendations to explore ways to expand the evidence base to support such policy documents. 

  Gates Foundation Executive Visits NICHD

Former NCI Director, Dr. Richard Klausner, has recently been named Executive Director of the Global Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, Washington.  On July 1, 2002, Dr. Klausner visited NICHD to meet with the Institute’s Director, Dr. Duane Alexander.  In addition, Dr. Linda Wright, Deputy Director, Center for Research for Mothers and Children (CRMC), NICHD, and Dr. Susie Meikle, Medical Officer, CRMC, NICHD, had the opportunity to brief Dr. Klausner about the Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research, which has been established in partnership with the Gates Foundation.  

 

THE AMERICAS:

NICHD International Site Development Initiative (NISDI)

Dr. Leslie Serchuck, Medical Officer, Pediatric, Adolescent, and Maternal AIDS Branch (PAMA), CRMC, and Dr. Jennifer Read, Medical Officer, PAMA Branch, CRMC, conducted two trainings, on May 14-15, 2002 (Washington, DC) and May 21-23, 2002 (Sao Paulo, Brazil), for international investigators participating in the following two observational protocols: "A Prospective, Observational Study Of HIV -Infected Pregnant Women and Their Infants at Clinical Sites in Latin American and Caribbean Countries" and "A Prospective, Observational Study Of HIV-Exposed and HIV -Infected Children at Clinical Sites in Latin American and Caribbean Countries."  Forty-three principal investigators, study coordinators, and research nurses from the Bahamas, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil attended the two trainings.  Both protocols are anticipated to begin enrollment in mid-August, 2002.

Brazil Infant Post-Exposure Prophylaxis of Perinatal HIV Infection Clinical Trial

Protocol development has been completed for “NICHD/HPTN 040: Phase III Randomized Trial of the Safety and Efficacy of Three Neonatal Antiretroviral Regimens for Prevention of Intrapartum HIV-1 Transmission,” a trial comparing three different antiretroviral regimens given to neonates born to HIV-infected women who did not receive antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy due to late diagnosis or lack of prenatal care.  Dr. Heather Watts, Medical Officer, PAMA Branch, CRMC, is the NICHD Co-Chair of this study and responsible for protocol development.  This study will be conducted at several sites in Brazil and the U.S. and may be expanded to additional Latin American and Caribbean sites.  Brazilian and U.S. government agencies are reviewing the protocol, and enrollment is expected to begin in the fall of this year.

  IRB Training for Global Network Research Units in Latin America

Dr. Pierre Buekens, University of North Carolina School of Public Health, and Dr. Jose Belizan, Latin American Center for Perinatology (CLAP), one of the research units in the Global Network for Women's and Children's Health Research, hosted an Institutional Review Board training with representatives from the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP) from June 26-27, 2002, in Montevideo, Uruguay.  Representatives from all of the Latin American Global Network Research Units and from other projects funded by FIC attended the meeting.   Participants also included Dr. Susan Meikle, Medical Officer, CRMC, NICHD, as well as Dr. Scott Royal from Research Triangle Institute (the Global Network Data Center).   On June 28, 2002, OHRP staff, Drs. Melody Lin and Tina Johnson with Mr. Glen Drew, conducted an information session on the new Federal Wide Assurance for 24 hospitals in Argentina and Uruguay. 

AFRICA:

Glaser Foundation-NICHD Meeting

On June 14, 2002, at NICHD, the Institute’s Director, Dr. Duane Alexander, met with Mr. Mark Isaac, Public Policy Director, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Ms. Florence Ngobeni, an HIV/AIDS counselor and trainer from the Chris Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa. The Glaser Foundation provides funding to the hospital, the largest in the world.  The Foundation is supporting Ms. Ngobeni to travel throughout the United States to share her personal and professional experiences as a person living with AIDS, as well as to discuss the urgent and compelling needs of African women, children, and families affected by the epidemic.  Dr. Anne Willoughby, Director, CRMC, NICHD, and program staff from the NICHD Office of Prevention Research and International Programs were also present at the meeting.

  Botswana Consultation Final Report Available on the Web

Research for HIV/AIDS Care, the full report of the “Consultation to Explore a Research Agenda to Improve the Care and Management of Mothers and Children Affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa,” can now be accessed via the web for viewing and downloading at http://www.nichdnetwork-pactg.org/africa.  The link to the PDF version of the report is titled “Botswana Final Report” and is under the “NEW” icon on the site menu located on the left side of the homepage.   The Botswana Consultation was held on March 25-29, 2001, in Gaborone Botswana.  It was sponsored by OAR and organized by NICHD, with additional support from the NIAID, NIMH, FIC, NCCAM, CDC, HRSA, the U.S. Embassy in Gaborone, and the Botswana-Harvard Partnership for HIV Research and Education.  

ASIA:

  Delegation of Vietnamese Physicians and Health Administrators Visits NIH

Dr. Kimi Lin, Medical Officer, Division of Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, Dr. Lynne Mofenson, Chief, PAMA Branch, CRMC, Dr. Susan Newcomer, Statistician, Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch (DBSB), Center for Population Research (CPR), and Dr. Leslie Serchuck, Medical Officer, PAMA Branch, CRMC, represented NICHD with a delegation of four Vietnamese physicians and public health administrators on April 10, 2002.  The meeting at NIH was organized by the Fogarty International Center and included representatives of several ICs.  Among other topics, the group expressed an interest in NICHD-supported HIV/AIDS research, especially in the areas of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and testing and treatment of children with HIV infection.

  Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV-1:  Tamil Nadu, India Project

The protocol entitled ‘A prospective cohort study of the seroprevalence of, and interventions to decrease the risk of mother-to-child transmission of, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV) in Tamil Nadu, India’ developed by Dr. Jennifer Read, Medical Officer, PAMA and Indian co-investigators underwent scientific and ethical reviews in India and in the U.S.  Final review by the Indian Government is pending.  Once final approval is obtained, training for staff will be completed.  Enrollment is anticipated to begin in late 2002. 

Diabetes in Asia 2002 Meeting in Sri Lanka

Dr. George Chrousos, Medical Officer, Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Growth Branch, CRMC, NICHD, participated in the Diabetes in Asia 2002 meeting, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on July 5-7, 2002.  He lectured on the topic of “Stress, Development, and Diabetes Type 2.”

Europe:

Council of Europe Bioethics Committee Meeting

Dr. Duane Alexander, Director, NICHD, attended the Council of Europe Bioethics Committee Meeting in Strasbourg, France, on June 4-7, 2002.  He participated in the meeting as the U.S. observer, a role he has held during the Council’s meetings over a period of eight years.

EU Participation in NIH Conference on Aging with Disabilities

Dr. Michael Weinrich, Director, National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, NICHD, met with Karl Henry Haglund, European Commission Information Society Directorate-General (Head of Unit, Applications relating to persons with special needs, including the disabled and the elderly), and representatives of the Danish government to discuss European Union participation in a conference on Aging with Disabilities to be held in July 2003 at NIH.

  XIV International AIDS Conference, Barcelona

The following program staff from the NICHD participated in the XIV International AIDS meeting, in Barcelona, Spain, July 6-12, 2002.  Dr. Jennifer Read, Medical Officer, PAMA Branch, CRMC, gave an oral presentation on a “Breastfeeding and late postnatal transmission of HIV-1: an individual patient data meta-analysis” and participated in planning the Ghent Mother to Child Transmission Satellite Workshop.  PAMA Branch Chief Dr. Lynne Mofenson presented a poster on antiretroviral genotypic and phenotypic resistance and perinatal HIV transmission and was coauthor of a poster on a meta-analysis of the predictive value of CD4 cell count and HIV RNA copy number for disease progression in HIV-infected children; she also served as Co-Chair of the Poster Presentation Session on Antiretroviral Therapy in Children; spoke at an HPTN Satellite Meeting presenting the HPTN Perinatal Scientific Agenda; and attended a planning meeting for a PACTG-HTPN collaboration on an antiretroviral treatment protocol for infected children at HPTN sites.

From the Center for Population Research, Drs. Joanne Luoto, Medical Officer, CRHB, and Susan Newcomer, Statistician, DBSB, participated as presenters in one of the sessions of the skills building workshop on grantsmanship organized by OAR.  Dr. Patricia Reichelderfer, Microbiologist, CRHB, conducted a skills building workshop on “Sampling of the Genital Tract,” and presented a poster on the NIH Microbicide Development Program.   Division of Intramural Research scientists, Dr. Leonid Margolis, Senior Investigator, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biophysics (LCMB), and Jean-Charles Grivel, Staff Scientist, LCMB, were authors on several poster presentations.  In addition, Dr. Grivel gave oral presentations on “Bystander CD4+T lymphocytes survive in HIV-infected human lymphoid tissue” and “Suppression of CCR5-but not CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 in lymphoid tissue by human herpes virus 6,” while Dr. Margolis presented on “Mechanisms of pathogenesis of CCR5- and CXCR4-using HIV-1 in human lymphoid tissue.”   

Wellcome Trust-USAID Workshop

Dr. Catherine Spong, Chief, Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch, CRMC, NICHD, and Dr. Robert Romero, Chief, Perinatology Research Branch, DIR, NICHD, will participate in a workshop sponsored by the Wellcome Trust and the U.S. Agency for International Development, in Oxford, England, United Kingdom, July 17-20th.  Dr. Spong will deliver a presentation on “Nutrition as a Preventative Strategy Against Adverse Maternal Pregnancy Outcomes.”

World Health Organization Guidelines for Antiretroviral Therapy in Resource-Poor Settings

Dr. Lynne Mofenson, Chief PAMA Branch, CRMC, NICHD, was a member of the WHO Working Group that developed guidelines for antiretroviral therapy in resource-poor settings, chaired the writing group for the Pregnancy/Women of Childbearing Age treatment section, and was a member of the writing group for the Pediatric treatment section.  The guidelines document is called “Scaling Up Antiretroviral Therapy in Resource-Poor Settings:  Guidelines for a Public Health Approach”.  The Executive Summary and the Guidelines themselves were made available via the WHO website: Executive summary:  http://www.who.int/HIV_AIDS/HIV_AIDS_Care/Scaling_Up_ARV_Guidelines_Final_E.pdf, the full Guideline document: http://www.who.int/HIV_AIDS/HIV_AIDS_Care/ARV_Draft_April_2002.pdf.

  World Health Organization Writing Group for Development of Reference Guide for HIV-Related Care and Support of HIV-Infected Women and Their Children

Dr. Lynne Mofenson is a member of a Writing Group that is developing a reference guide for HIV-related care and support of HIV-infected women and children in the context of reproductive health and maternal and child health services in resource-constrained settings.  The Writing Group held its first meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 20-21, 2002.  It is anticipated that an initial draft will be completed by September 2002, with meeting of a larger group of consultants to review the guide in November 2002, and finalization of the guide soon afterward.

  World Health Organization Report of Consultative Meeting on the Use of Nevirapine for the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV Among Women of Unknown Serostatus

Dr. Lynne Mofenson  also served as a WHO consultant at a meeting on the use of nevirapine for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV among women of unknown serostatus that was convened by WHO in December, 2001.  Dr. Mofenson prepared a background paper on the safety and toxicity and drug resistance issues related to single-dose nevirapine for the meeting.  A final report of the results of the consultation became available in June 2002 as a WHO Discussion Paper; printed copies will be made available at the Barcelona International AIDS Conference meeting in July.

  WHO Human Reproduction Program Meetings

Dr. Florence Haseltine, Director, Center for Population Research, NICHD, participated in the meetings of the Policy and Coordination Committee of the WHO Special Programme of Research, Development, and Research Training in Human Reproduction, in Geneva, on June 26-27, 2002.  This committee is composed of representatives of many countries who review programmatic and fiscal management of the Human Reproduction Programme of the WHO.

  WHO Meeting on Methods for Regulation of Male Fertility

Dr. Robert Spirtas,  Chief, Contraception and Reproductive Health Branch, CPR, NICHD, participated in the 6th Summit Meeting on Hormonal Male Contraception, in Koenigswinter, Germany, on July 7-10, prior to attending the WHO meeting on Methods for Regulation of Male Fertility in Geneva, on July 11-12, 2002. 

 

  National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research

Staff traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to meet with Dr. Poul-Erik Petersen, Chief, Oral Health, World Health Organization.  Professor Petersen described the organizational structure of the Department of Noncommunicable Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, and discussed his plans regarding how oral health will interact with the various programs within that Department.  NIDCR’s role as a WHO Collaborating Center was also discussed.

While in Geneva, staff also met with Drs. Derek Yach and Pekka Puska to express support for WHO’s oral health activities; with Dr. Victor Boulyjenkov, Chief, Genetics Programme, to discuss progress in the joint NIDCR/WHO project on International Research on Craniofacial Anomalies; and with Dr. Gennady Pakhomov, international liaison for the Russian Dental Association, to discuss fluoridation efforts in Russia.

Staff attended ceremonies for the opening of the new headquarters office of the FDI World Dental Federation, in Ferney-Voltaire, France, on June 7.  The FDI had been headquartered in London, but moved to this Geneva suburb to share office space with the World Medical Association and to be closer to the World Health Organization.

The Associate Director for International Health participated in the 13th International Congress on Women's Health Issues, organized by the International Council on Women's Health Issues and the College of Nursing Science of Ewha Woman’s University and the Korea Academic Society of Women's Health. The sponsors were the Korean Ministry of Gender Equality, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Research Foundation.   The Congress was held in Seoul, South Korea, June 26-29.  Presentations from 30 countries were made and included the following DHHS staff:

  Wanda Jones, DHHS, "Women's Health in the US: 21st Century Challenge"

Vivian Pinn, NIH, "Women's Health Research for the 21st Century in the US: Principles and Programs"

Lois Cohen, NIDCR, NIH, "Scientific Opportunities for International Collaborative Research"

While in Seoul, Dr. Cohen also met with the Dean and faculty from the Seoul National University Dental School.

  NIDCR and FIC

The Second Annual David E. Barmes Global Health Lecture is scheduled for October 28, 2002.  Professor Nevin Scrimshaw has been selected as the honorary lecturer, and will speak on nutrition and its impact on global health and disease.  The purpose of this memorial lecture is to raise the awareness on campus about major cross-cutting issues of global health.  Fogarty International Center and NIDCR co-sponsor this event, and this year, the lecture will serve as the first event in Fogarty’s year-long celebration of its 35-year anniversary.

 

  National Library of Medicine

 

The National Library of Medicine, in collaboration with MIM-TDR, held a workshop on Communication and Team Building from April 28 - May 4 at the Glenholm Centre, Broughton, Scotland, UK.  Participants at the workshop were principal investigators and data managers from the 5 research groups, which make up the MIM/TDR Antimalarial Drug Resistance Network.  The network comprises investigators from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra, Ghana; Malaria research and training center, Bamako, Mali; Malaria Research Group, Postgraduate Institute for Medical Research & Training, University of Ibadan, Nigeria; Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre, Ifakara, Tanzania, and MED Biotech Laboratories/Makarere University, Kampala, Uganda.

During June 20-July 6, Julia Royall made visits to malaria research sites in East Africa where NLM has upgraded Internet connectivity through satellite links or through enhanced connections to local ISPs as part of the MIM communications network.  The purpose of her trip was to assess the effectiveness of current IT strategies and determine what is needed for future growth.

At the Kenyan Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) in Nairobi, she met with KEMRI director Dr. Davy Koech as well as CDC GAP director Dr. Kevin DeCock, director CDC Kenya; Dr. Larry Slutsker, director of KEMRI-CDC Kisian; Dr. Sam Martin, director of WRAIR at KEMRI, and reviewed their Internet connectivity strategy as they expand their operations.

In Kampala, she met with Dr. Nelson Sewankambo, Dean of the Medical School at Makerere University and Dr. Moses Kamya and Dr. Fred Kironde of the Antimalarial Drug Resistance Network.  Their enthusiasm and that of their research team for their recent connectivity upgrade was palpable.  One young researcher spoke of having her first paper submitted and published, thanks to the connection.  Others spoke of communicating easily with their colleagues in California.  A future extension of this network will engage more young researchers as well as a policy maker from the Ministry of Health who now must drive over to talk with Dr. Kamya.  They discussed at length the problem of research of great importance to the region not making it to the journals with a high impact factor.  How do we change the impact factor vis-à-vis development?  Publishing has significant implications for development, yet how do journal articles get reviewed so that development is taken into account?

She also met with Dr. Peter Longi, who is in charge of the Malaria Control Program at the Ministry of Health.

In Tanzania, she met with Dr. Andrew Kitua, Director-General of the National Institute of Medical Research, and his staff.  As in Kenya, facilities expansion necessitates new IT strategies.  The NIMR campus in Dar es Salaam will soon be home for two new buildings and increased research capability, thanks to the Gates Foundation and the CDC.

She also met with Professor John Shao, Executive Director of the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, where the Malaria Program is supported by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the Tanzanian National Institute of Medical Research, and the University of Denmark.  Prof. Shao has benefited from a better Internet connection through NLM and CyberTwiga. 

 

 

 

 

Updated May 2003

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