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October 2007
Experts meet in Luanda for ISCTRC* Biennial Conference
The five-day conference focused on recent advances in tsetse control strategies, epidemiology of the disease in both humans and animals, development of drugs, and socio-economic impact.
During the conference, FIND and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly hosted a symposium entitled Partnering to develop diagnostic tests for human African trypanosomiasis, which covered recent trends in the development of diagnostics for sleeping sickness.
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| Dr. Noburu Inoue (Obihiro University, Japan) and Dr. Zablon K. Njiru (Murdoch University, Australia)
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FIND and its partners from Obihiro University in Japan and Murdoch University in Australia presented data on the feasibility of using LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technology to diagnose sleeping sickness in remote areas of high-endemic countries.
Partnering
The Symposium was co-chaired by Dr. Pere Simarro from WHO and Dr. Giorgio Roscigno, FIND CEO, who described the Foundation’s mission and activities to meet the urgent need for diagnostics for poverty related diseases, including sleeping sickness. Other speakers included Drs. Joseph Ndung’u and Magdalena Radwanska from FIND, Dr. Noboru Inoue (Obihiro University, Japan), and Dr. Zablon Njiru (Murdoch University, Australia).
Presentations included a description of parasitological
and serological methods for diagnosis,
molecular detection of trypanosomes, tools
for staging and treatment follow-up, and the provision of
an open-access, well-characterized specimen bank.
The conference called for reinforcement of advocacy efforts to prioritize human African trypanosomiasis in the global health agenda.
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| Dr. Solomon Haile Mariam, Ethiopia, and Dr. Giorgio Roscigno at the FIND booth
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| Left to right Dr. Joseph Ndung'u (Head of HAT Diagnostics Programme), Dr. George Chizyuka (Animal Health Officer, FAO), Dr. Rajinder Saini (Principal Scientist & Head Animal Health Division, ICIPE), Dr. Pere Simarro (Medical Officer, WHO) and Dr. Giorgio Roscigno (FIND CEO)
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The next ISCTRC Conference is scheduled to take place in 2009.
*The ISCTRC Biennial Conference is one of the African Union (AU) and the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources’ statutory conferences, and has been held every two years since 1949. The conference assembles representatives from AU member states affected by tsetse and trypanosomiasis, international organizations and the private sector to discuss the related problems and consequences that affect both man and livestock. The conference provides a forum for the exchange of information and development of strategies, and encourages partnerships with the private sector to better fight this neglected and poverty-related disease.
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