Intemational
Services
March
2002
IC
International Representatives Meeting
March
12, 2002
Summary
Introductions
of new members:
Mr. Howard Lerner, who will represent HRSA;
Mr. Baldwin Wong, new representative from NIDCD; and Ms. Eva
Sereghy, who participated from NICHD on behalf of Dr. Yvonne
Maddox. Dr.
Melinda Moore, Deputy Director of the Office of Global Health
Affairs, Office of the Secretary, also joined the meeting.
Dr.
William Steiger,
Special Assistant to the Secretary and Director of the Office
of Global Health Affairs, DHHS, made a presentation on the
Secretary's international priorities for FY 2002.
Dr.
Steiger referred to the new Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria as the most high profile
international activity Secretary Thompson will be involved in
for the next year. NIH,
and in particular NIAID and FIC on behalf of NIH partners, are
helping shape the U.S. Government position on how the Global
Fund should be structured, governed, and ultimately how it
should operate. As the U.S. representative to the Global Fund Board, the
Secretary will rely on the advice and guidance of the HHS
agencies, having the required scientific and medical
knowledge. Dr.
Steiger noted that NIH's technical expertise will be
particularly important as proposals, which will request
funding at a level of $500,000 to several million dollars, are
reviewed. The
Fund has approximately $700 million available for the first
year and, hopefully, these funds will be replenished in the
years to come. He
indicated that NIH will also be called upon to provide advice
for monitoring and evaluating the program and he thanked FIC
and the ICs for the high quality of the input to the process
thus far, at times with extremely short turnaround times.
The
Secretary is very concerned about tobacco use domestically and
globally and sees the Framework Convention as one weapon in
the U.S. arsenal of promoting tobacco control around the
world. The
Secretary advocates working through bilateral programs to help
strengthen the research base and capacity in developing
countries on tobacco control and to help introduce prevention
issues, including model legislation and developing tobacco
control programs worldwide.
Dr. Steiger emphasized that as the process moves
forward, NIH will be asked for input and to help publicize the
tobacco research it is supporting and to demonstrate that the
multifaceted strategy of HHS in addressing this issue.
Dr.
Steiger noted that last year many of the ICs provided policy
guidance and current information on HIV/AIDS prevention and
treatment guidelines, sometimes on very short notice, for the
ongoing negotiations of the UN General Assembly Special
Sessions on HIV/AIDS. The
Secretary and Secretary Powell held a series of successful
meetings with their counterparts and presidents from a number
of developing countries and major partners in the North on
collaboration in HIV/AIDS. By all measures, the meeting last June was a great success.
Another UN Special Session will be held in May.
This will be an opportunity for HHS to showcase what we
are doing for children and to highlight the import of research
for children's health as a priority.
Dr. Steiger indicated that NIH will be asked for input
on the negotiating points for the U.S. positions to be taken
at the Summit. Secretary
Thompson will lead the U.S. delegation.
Dr.
Steiger indicated that DHHS will work to enhance bilateral
relations with several countries.
The Secretary has invited the Russian Minister of
Health to Washington in late July/early August for discussions
under the auspices of the U.S.-Russia Health Committee.
Timing for that meeting could coincide with the annual
meeting of the American International Health Alliance, a
partnership between HRSA and USAID to link U.S. and Russian
hospitals for training and information exchange.
NIH's input in the areas of HIV/AIDS, mental health,
substance abuse, and non-communicable diseases, including
diabetes and cancer, will be sought.
Another
major bilateral relationship the Secretary would like to
continue to promote is with South Africa.
The U.S.- South Africa Health Committee and
opportunities with SADEC are being explored as means to
bolster our joint activities on health. Dr. Steiger also mentioned that during his visit to South
Africa last fall in preparation of the Secretary’s visit, he
had the opportunity to visit some of the field sites of the
NIAAA-funded studies on fetal alcohol syndrome in the Western
Cape. He noted
how enormously impressed he was with the quality of the
collaboration and the importance of work there.
He indicated that he hoped that the Secretary could
visit the sites during his upcoming trip to Africa.
The
Secretary will also continue to place a priority on the HHS
relationship with China.
Dr. Steiger has asked Amar Bhat to put together, with
the help and counsel from NIH and other HHS agencies, a
strategic plan on how HHS can strengthen this relationship,
which involves many ongoing collaborations between U.S. and
Chinese scientists and institutions in a range of health
fields such as HIV/AIDS, safety of the blood supply, cancer
and environmental health.
With the
President’s emphasis on U.S.-Mexico relations, the Secretary
has instructed his staff to explore new avenues to enhance
bilateral collaborations, building on the Bi-National
Commission and Border Health Commission discussions.
Dr. Steiger thanked FIC and the IC reps for their help
in fostering these relationships and encouraged them to
suggest how research can be advanced under the umbrella of any
of these cooperative relationships.
Finally,
Dr. Steiger gave an overview of the Secretary’s travel
during the coming year. He
invited comments, in conjunction with FIC, on how each of
these trips can be used to advance the NIH research agenda.
April
1-6 - Africa
Visits
to Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, and Cote d’Ivoire.
(Dr. Steiger thanked the group for excellent input in
the preparation for this trip.)
April
20 - Caribbean Islands, Guyana
Summit
on HIV/AIDS (Dr. Steiger thanked the group for excellent
input.)
May
5 – Geneva, Switzerland
WHO
World Health Assembly - agenda items: health promotion,
healthy life style, and exercise.
July
7-12 - Barcelona, Spain
International
AIDS Conference
Planned:
Fall – India, Pakistan and Afghanistan
Announcements:
Dr.
Hrynkow noted that FIC would send informational letters to
US ambassadors in key countries to further raise awareness of
NIH-supported activities in their countries.
FIC sent the draft letters to the IC Representatives
for their comments and suggestions.
This will be a pilot effort, but it is expected to
raise awareness in U.S. embassies of key NIH-supported
projects abroad and strengthen dialogue between embassies and
NIH.
Dr.
Lois Cohen, NIDCR, recognized FIC Jim Lavery's leadership
and contribution to the success of the recent symposium on
Bioethics held in San Diego.
Dr.
Chris Schonwalder, NIEHS, reported that the South African
Society of Toxicology, founded last year with assistance from
NIEHS, will have its first annual meeting in May.
Mr. Gray Handley, the new DHHS Health Attaché for the
South African region, will attend the event to introduce
himself and to offer his assistance for developing
collaborative research programs in environmental health.
Present:
Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, Chairperson of the IC International
Representatives Committee and FIC Deputy Director; Dr. Gerald
Keusch, FIC Director; Ms. Chris Keenan, Executive Secretary,
FIC; Dr. Christopher Schonwalder, NIEHS; Dr. John Norvell,
NIGMS; Dr. Jerry Robinson, NCRR; Ms. Eva Sereghy, NICHD; Mr.
John Whitaker, NEI; Ms. Helen Wegman, NHLBI; Ms. Patricia
Turner, NINDS; Ms. Linda Cook, NINR; Dr. Elliot Siegel and Ms.
Julia Royal, NLM; Dr. Joana Rosario, NCCAM; Dr. Juan Ramos,
NIMH; Mr. Baldwin Wong, NIDCD; Dr. Karl Western NIAID; Dr.
Federico Welsch, NCI; Dr. Lois Cohen, NIDCR; Ms. Marta
Campbell, NIA; Dr. Heather Miller, OER; Ms. Linda Reck, OAR.
Also
participating: Dr.
Melinda Moore, OGHA; Dr. Howard Lerner, HRSA; Dr. Mary Frances
Picciano, ODS; Ms. Linda Vogel, OHRP, Dr. Donna Mayo, Dr.
Grayson Norquist, and Dr. David Lozovsky, NIMH; Dr. Martin
Alilio, Mr. Kevin Bialy, Dr. Ken Bridbord, Mr. Bruce Butrum,
Dr. Karen Hofman, Dr. Allen Holt, Dr. Jim Lavery, Ms. Judy
Levin, Mr. Michael McDowell, Dr. Mark Miller, Dr. Kathy
Michels, Ms. Maria Naldo-Fontelo, Mr. Mark Pineda, Dr. Aron
Primack, Dr. Josh Rosenthal, Dr. Luis Salicrup, and Ms.
Natalie Tomitch of FIC.
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