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September 2001

 

 

IC International Representatives Meeting

September 26, 2001  

 

                                                      Summary

In attendance:  Dr. Nada Vydelingum, CSR; Dr. Juan Ramos, NIMH; Dr. Federico Welsch, NCI; Dr. Christopher Schonwalder, NIEHS; Dr. Karl Western, NIAID;

Dr. Elliot Siegel, NLM; Ms. Patricia Turner, NINDS; Ms. Ellen Owens, NIA; Mr. Gray Handley, NICHD; Dr. Richard Nakamura, NHGRI; Dr. Jerry Robinson, NICRR;

Ms. Linda Cook, NINR; Ms. Joyce Rudick, ORWH; Dr. John Norvell, NIGMS; Dr. Ruth Hegyeli, NHLBI; Dr. Lois Cohen, NIDCR; Dr. Joana Rosario, NCCAM; Dr. Philip Chen, OIR; Dr. Gerald Keusch, FIC; Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, FIC; Ms. Minnie Rojo, FIC; and Ms. Chris Keenan, FIC

Also participating:  Dr. Jostein Mykletun, Embassy of Norway; Dr. Luis Salicrup, FIC;

Dr. Timothy Quick and Ms. Monique Mosolf, USAID; Dr. Jay Mcauliffe, CDC; Dr. Jack Chow, Ms. Lisa Cardy, and Ms. Judith Hofman, Department of State; Dr. Dan Raiten, NICHD; Dr. Pamela Starke-Reed, NIDDK; Dr. Paul Coates and Dr. Mary Frances Picciano, ODS; Dr. David Lozovsky, NIMH; Dr. Kevin Hardwick and Dr. Ruth Nowjack-Raymer, NIDCR; Mr. David Pugach (for NIAMS); Dr. Pierce Gardner, FIC; Ms. Natalie Tomitch, FIC; Dr. Allen Holt, FIC; Dr. Aron Primack, FIC; Dr. Ken Bridbord, FIC; Dr. Barbara Sina, FIC; Dr. Jeanne McDermott, FIC; Ms. Irene Edwards, FIC; Mr. Eric Dakake, FIC; Ms. Yveline Pierre-Louis, FIC.

Dr. Hrynkow welcomed Dr. Jostein Mykletun, Science Counselor at the Embassy of Norway, and the representatives from CDC, USAID and the Department of State, who have been invited to attend the meetings on a regular basis.  Dr. Keusch welcomed Dr. Jack Chow, a former FIC employee, now at the Department of State.  Dr. Keusch remarked that the September 11 events make it clear that helping to improve health on a global level, and using research toward that end, are critical to building relationships and sharing knowledge and expertise with people around the world. 

Dr. Chow reported that Secretary of State Powell has appointed him to be the new Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Science.  Dr. Chow sees this as a unique opportunity to channel State’s energy through diplomacy to attaining global health objectives.  He reported that State is working hard to establish the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria and, with help from our allies and participants in the Consortium, is working out the details such as governance, operations, setting priorities in terms of geography and disease, the division of resources for prevention, treatment and care, a national strategy for recipient countries, and the distribution of funds down to the community level. 

Dr. Hrynkow provided an overview for the main topic of the meeting’s discussion, nutrition, and introduced Dr. Pamela Starke-Reed, Deputy Director, Division of Nutrition Research Coordination, NIDDK, who provided background on the establishment of her division and the NIH Nutrition Coordinating Committee (NCC).  The NCC is made up of representatives from the ICs, as well as CDC, FDA, USDA, DoD, and the HHS Office for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and is involved in activities that are trans-NIH, trans-DHHS, and trans-federal.  She emphasized the need for forming a separate group to examine international nutrition research.  Dr. Keusch explained that while there is much activity on the international level in the nutrition field, there is little appreciation for the overall scope and depth, and that there is a need to identify gaps in the research agenda.  Dr. Keusch and Dr. Van Hubbard, chair of the NCC, will contact IC Directors to solicit designees to join the sub-group.

Dr. Luis Salicrup, FIC Program Officer for the Americas, reported on the FIC-Office of Dietary Supplements co-sponsored workshop on micronutrients, held in June in Guatemala.  This workshop served as a forum to identify research priorities and foster collaboration on this topic.  UNICEF, USAID, NIH ICs, and the Micronutrient Initiative based in Canada participated in this workshop.  In addition to heightening awareness on the issue, outcomes of the workshop include support from Latin American research councils for specific joint activities and small grant applications to FIC.

Dr. Keusch added that one important element of the workshop’s organization was to ensure junior scientists from the region were included.  This highlighted the import of nutrition research to young scientists and provided opportunity to demonstrate the significance of this field in global health.  This broad approach gave the conference an epidemiological context as well as a biochemical context.

Dr. Timothy Quick from the Office of Global Health, presented an overview of the USAID activities in nutrition.  Nutrition is part of the USAID Child Survival program, with a yearly budget of $280 million.  To reduce child mortality, USAID places a high priority on nutritional interventions.  55% of mortality is linked to micronutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamin A.  The program focus is on providing vitamin A supplements to children between 6 months to 5 years of age on a biannual basis.  UNICEF and other bilateral agencies are involved in this effort.  Emphasis is also on reaching more adolescents and women of reproductive age.  USAID will contribute $4 million to the Gates Nutrition Initiative.

Dr. Jay Mcauliffe reported that CDC nutrition is handled by the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity located in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the nutrition lab operated by the National Center for Environmental Health.  In FY2000, CDC spent $5 million on micronutrient research.  CDC efforts focus on assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.  It has Cooperative Agreements with UNICEF, WHO, and USAID and currently has collaborations with 8 countries.  The CDC is developing an international iodine reference network and communication technology for public health communication programs specifically for micronutrients.  CDC did not receive funding for FY2001 but will continue to fund current nutrition activities from internal funds.

Dr. Keusch gave a short overview and status of the GAIN, the Gates Foundation-funded “Global Alliance to Improve Nutrition.”  Dr. Keusch serves as the scientific representative to the “enabling group” of representatives from international organizations, industry, foundations, and bilateral groups that are forming the GAIN and developing an RFA.  Dr. Keusch thanked Gray Handley and Dan Raiten of NICHD, and Paul Coates, Director ODS, for their assistance in the early phase of the GAIN.  FIC has set up a listserve to reach a wide constituency to consider the improvement of nutrition, and the role of fortification and other tools, as part of the process to develop the RFA and program to support GAIN activities. 

Dr. Schonwalder observed that NIH appears to be under-represented in the international nutrition activities presented by USAID and CDC.  He proposes a coordinated policy for basic research needs and an accounting of all activities supported with USAID funding.  Dr. Keusch responded that the director of CDC, Dr. Koplan, will attend the FIC Advisory Board meeting in February of 2002 to talk about the CDC global health agenda and how it relates to NIH’s activities. 

Dr. Hrynkow summarized the discussions and highlighted the excellent suggestions for the new sub-group, like looking at career paths for junior scientists; considering new kinds of interagency cooperation; considering the involvement of international organizations like IARC, UNICEF, and the World Bank who have substantial nutrition portfolios; considering how to model the impact of micronutrient interventions on public health; and developing an inventory of international research activities in the field of nutrition.

 

Announcement:

Dr. Cohen announced the NIDCR-FIC hosted inaugural David Barmes Lecture on “Ethical Issues on the Biomedical Frontier,” to be held at NIH on October 22. 

 

The meeting convened at 2:35 PM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Updated May 2003

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