On Thursday, November 8, 2012, the Pan American Health Organization will hold a forum on “Test. Treat. Track: Scaling up diagnostic testing, treatment, and surveillance for malaria” and will present the 2012 Malaria Champions of the Americas.

WHAT: A Malaria Day in the Americas forum on “Test. Teat. Track: Scaling up diagnostic testing, treatment, and surveillance for malaria” and presentation of the 2012 Malaria Champions of the Americas.

WHEN: Tursday, November 8, 2011, 1:30 – 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) HQ, Room B

525 23rd St. NW, Washington, DC (Corner 23rd St. & Virginia Ave)

WHO: Organized by the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), in coordination with the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) and the George Washington University Center for Global Health (CGH). According to the agenda order, speakers will be:

Dr. Marcos Espinal, Manager, Health Surveillance and Disease Prevention and Control

Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, Director, PAHO

Dr. Socorro Gross, Assistant Director, PAHO

Dr. Don Tharpe, PAHEF President

Ashleigh Black, Assistant Director GW-CGH

Dr. Richard Cibulskis, Coordinator, Strategy, Economics, & Elimination Unit, WHO Global Malaria Program

Dr. Alan Magill, Director for Malaria, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Dr. Matthew Lynch, Vice Chair RBM Partnership Board

Dr. Keith H.Carter, Senior Advisor on Malaria, PAHO

Dr. Jon Andrus, Deputy Director, PAHO

The three winners of the 2012 Malaria Champions of the Americas contest will be honored and their video profiles will be presented during the event:

·         Brazil: State Health Department of Acre

·         Ecuador: Control and Surveillance of Malaria

·         Paraguay: National Malaria Control Program

HOW: Participants can pre-register through RSVP for Malaria Day. You can also participate via online through: http://www.livestream.com/paho

CONTEXT: Each year some 250 million people around the world suffer from malaria, and about 655,000 die from the disease. In the Americas, almost 23 million people live in areas at risk for malaria, although cases declined 59 percent and malaria deaths declined 70 percent between 2000 and 2011. The forum will allow discussion on key factors to keep these achievements, such as the expansion of diagnostic testing, anti-malarial treatment coverage and surveillance. Through the T3 initiative (Test. Treat. Track.), PAHO and WHO calls the attention of endemic countries on the need to strengthen investment in diagnostic testing, treatment and surveillance capacity, coverage and infrastructure. All stakeholders, including international philanthropic organizations and development agencies are enjoined to strengthen investments in these efforts to enable elimination of malaria in areas deemed feasible in the Region of the Americas.

The Malaria Champions of the Americas Award is an initiative of PAHO/WHO, PAHEF, and CGH that seeks to identify, celebrate, and provide avenues to emulate best practices and success stories in malaria prevention and control.

LINKS:

Malaria Champions of the Americas 2012 finalists: http://new.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7367%3Amalaria-champions-of-the-americas-2012-finalists-&catid=4441%3Amalaria-champions-award-2012&Itemid=39432&lang=en 

http://www.paho.org/malaria2012

http://new.paho.org/paho110/

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http://www.youtube.com/pahopin  

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Contacts:

Leticia Linn, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel. + 202 974 3440, Mobile +1 202 701 4005, Sebastián Oliel, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel. +1 202 974 3459, Mobile: 202 316 5679. Knowledge Management and Communications, PAHO/WHO – www.paho.org