Centennial Colloquium

Tropical Medicine

in the 21st century:

switching the poles

Thursday 23 November 2006

Aula P.G. Janssens

In the new International ITM Campus “Rochus”

Sint Rochusstraat, Antwerp, Belgium

The occasion

In 2006, the Antwerp Institute of Tropical Medicine celebrates its 100th anniversary. With the opening of a splendid new international campus in a renovated 17th century monastery, adjacent to the main building, it also concludes an intense 10-year period of renewal, reforms and investments. The official celebration and inauguration will take place on 22 November, in the presence of H.R.H. Princess Astrid, national and international authorities, and partners and friends from around the world.

On 23 November, the ITM organizes a special edition of its annual colloquium series for the scientific invitees to the celebration as well as for other interested parties. This Centennial Colloquium will thus gather an international and interdisciplinary body of top scientists, experts and policy makers. Together they will explore the face of tropical medicine in the 21st century, and particularly the challenge of “switching the poles”: how can scientists and institutes in the south truly take the lead in the international efforts to improve the health situation in their countries through research, training and policy support?

Background

In this 21st century, “tropical medicine” as in ITM’s name covers a wide range of disciplines, from basic biology over tool development to intervention research and global health policies. In the North, the “historical” tropical institutes have been joined by other players such as university departments, science-driven development organisations and product-oriented public-private partnerships. In the South, the centres of excellence are still too scarce and unevenly distributed. Many scientists and groups cannot compete or even function without earmarked financial and scientific support from abroad. The institutional capacity to perform autonomous research, organise training and provide technical assistance remains far stronger in the North than in the South.

Partly as a consequence, health development policies are still largely defined in the North. The many new global health initiatives have their seat and power base in Europe or the US. The scientific literature and policy guidelines on disease control in developing countries are still heavily dominated by the North. Health authorities often have to satisfy foreign donors and experts, but not necessarily the real needs of local health systems and populations.

This is no reason to reduce tropical medicine capacity in the North. Yet, resetting the balance is in the interest of all stakeholders, in the first place the populations that have to benefit from health research. North-South partnerships, while maintaining their scientific objectives, should give much greater prominence to this part of their agenda.

Objectives

The ITM Centennial Colloquium will confront this challenge through concrete case studies rather than global theorems. Directors, scientists and experts from developing countries will present their work in its institutional, national and international context. They will provide the audience with a wide scientific and geographic range of top-level research with great societal impact. While amply demonstrating the scientific capacities in developing countries, they will seam common threads relating to the meetings’ objectives, such as:

• Autonomy in formulating and negotiating scientific projects

• Institutional capacity to manage research and training programmes

• Leadership and coordination of donors, networks and partners

• Sustainability of scientific institutes and career structures

• Translation of research in policies and practices, and vice versa

• Adhering to scientific and ethical normative standards

• . . .

These and other issues will be further analysed in panel discussions and plenary debates. The exercise will not be limited to the obvious responsibilities of politicians and sponsors, but also critically analyse whether and how the scientific community in the North itself can contribute more forcefully to the empowerment of their colleagues in the South.

ITM Centennial Colloquium

Tropical Medicine in the 21st century: switching the poles

Preliminary programme

Venue: Thursday 23 November 2006, Rochus Campus, ITM, Antwerp.

Languages: English and French (with simultaneous translation)

Meeting chair: Her Excellency Dr. Flore Armande Gangbo -

Minister of Health, Bénin

08.45 - 09.00 Welcome

09.00 - 10.30 Session 1: Biomedical and clinical research

Bed-side infectious diseases research in Peru

Prof. Eduardo Gotuzzo

Director, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Lima, Peru

GCP trials of ACT’s for malaria in sub-Saharan Africa

Dr. Ambrose Talisuna

Principal Investigator, East African Network for Monitoring Antimalarial Treatment, Entebbe, Uganda

Clinical research and training on neglected diseases in Nepal

Prof. Roopa Singh

Director, Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal

Establishing reference laboratories in Congo

Prof. Jean-Jacques Muyembe

Director, Institut National de Recherches Biomédicales, Kinshasa, R.D. Congo

Panel and discussion

10.30 - 11.00 Coffee break

11.00 - 12.30 Session 2: Intervention research

Chagas disease in Bolivia

Prof. Faustino Torrico

Director, Escuela de Graduados y Educación Contínua de la Facultad de Medicina de la Universitad San Simon, Cochabamba, Bolivia

HIV/AIDS in high-risk groups in Côte d’Ivoire

Dr. Pierre Agbre Okobe

Director, Association de Soutien à l’Auto-Promotion Urbaine, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Interfaces between people, livestock and game in southern Africa

Prof. Koos Coetzer

Chair, Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, South Africa

The control of Buruli ulcer in Benin

Prof. Sévérin Anagonou

Director, Programmes Nationaux contre le SIDA et les Mycobactéries, Cotonou, Bénin.

Panel and discussion

12.30 - 13.30 Lunch break

13.30 - 15.00 Session 3: Health systems research

Improving the efficiency of the Cuban health system

Dr. Mariano Bonet

Director, Instituto Nacional de Higiene, Epidemiología y Microbiología, Havana, Cuba

Quality of health care in Morocco

Prof. Abderrahmane Maaroufi

Director, Institut National d’Administration Sanitaire, Rabat, Morocco

Community-based health financing in India

Dr. Narayanan Devadasan

Director, Community Health Insurance Network, Bangalore, India

Global Health initiatives "A view from the South"

Rapporteur 22.11 ITM International Health Policy Seminar

15.00 - 15.30 Tea break

15.30 - 17.00 Session 4

Panel discussion

Plenary debate

Conclusion

17.00 - 20.00 GET TOGETHER

GENERAL INFORMATION

REGISTRATION AND FEES

Due to the limited amount of seats we kindly request you to register as soon as possible with Ms. Daphné Vleeschouwer (dvleeschouwer@itg.be). Registration will only be valid after mailed confirmation.

Please register before 3 November 2006.

The registration is free of charge and covers:

• Admission to all sessions

• Coffee breaks, lunch and get together

VENUE AND LANGUAGE

Registered participants should collect their badges and material on Thursday 23 November 2006 between 08.15 and 08.45 in the Forum hall

Campus Rochus

Institute of Tropical Medicine

St. Rochusstraat 41 (chapel entrance, ground floor)

Antwerp

The colloquium will take place in the Aula P.G. Janssens (same address, first floor).

The colloquium languages are English and French, simultaneous translation will be provided.

Lunch, coffee breaks and the get together will take place in the Forum hall.

PRESENTATIONS

Invited speakers: please send an abstract of your presentation with name(s), affiliation, title and text (max. 300 words) and your slideshow (PowerPoint) by Wednesday 15 November 2006 to Ms. Daphné Vleeschouwer (dvleeschouwer@itg.be). If you intend to use another medium for your presentation, please inform her in good time.

Flyers: tables will be placed at the entrance of the Forum where you can put flyers or other documents presenting your organisation.

MISCELLANEOUS

Participants are advised to check the validity of their passport and the requirements for a visa. A letter of invitation can be obtained from the colloquium secretariat upon request but is not a commitment for the payment of any expenses.

The Colloquium organisers are not responsible for any loss, accident or injury that may occur during the meeting. Participants are advised to obtain appropriate travel and health insurance. Participants with an acute health problem can rely on the dispensary of ITM for medical assistance.

In November, the average temperature in Belgium can be as low as 0°C and it may be rainy. The ITM is located at 5 to 10 minutes of Antwerp’s historical centre and main shopping area.

ACCOMODATION AND TRANSPORT

Hotel accommodation (see list below) can be booked by yourself or through Ms. Vleeschouwer but is at your own expense, unless arranged otherwise with the ITM.

Transport and approximate taxi fees:

Arrival at Brussels Airport

Taxi to Antwerp 60,00 €

Brussels Airlines shuttle to Antwerp Central Station 8,00 €

Arrival at Antwerp Airport

Taxi to ITM 20,00 €

Arrival at Anwerp Central Station

Taxi to ITM 12,00 €

Tram 1,20 €

HOW TO REACH ITM CAMPUS ROCHUS (congress venue)

It is almost impossible to park your car in the streets adjacent to the ITM. There is ample and free space at the Waalse kaai, at 5’-10’ walking distance (see map).

HOTELS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE ITM

Please contact the hotel of your choice. Prices are indicative.

HOTEL DE WITTE LELIE *****

6 rooms

Keizerstraat 16-18 – 2000 Antwerp

Phone: 32-3-226.19.66 – Fax: 32-3-234.00.19

Website: www.dewittelelie.be

Walking distance from ITM: 15-20 minutes

Room charge includes breakfast, prices range from 195 – 495 €

ANTWERP HILTON ****
211 rooms

Groenplaats - 2000 Antwerp

Phone: 32-3-204.12.12 - Fax : 32-3-204.12.13

Walking distance from ITM: 10 minutes

Parking place is available (paying)

Room charge excluding breakfast for a single room is 230 €

Breakfast costs 25 €

ALFA THEATER HOTEL ***

127 rooms

Arenbergstraat 30 - 2000 Antwerp

Phone: 32-3-231.17.20 - Fax : 32-3-233.88.58

Walking distance from ITM: 10 minutes

Room charge includes breakfast and ranges from 165 - 185 €

HOTEL IBIS ***

150 rooms

Meistraat 39 - 2000 Antwerp

Phone: 32-3-231.88.30 - Fax : 32-3-234.29.21

Walking distance from ITM: 10 minutes

Room charge including breakfast for a single room is 77 €

HOTEL CAMMERPOORTE **

24 rooms

Nationalestraat 38 – 40 - 2000 Antwerpen

Phone: 32-3-231.97.36 - Fax : 32-3- 226.29.68
Website: www.hotelcammerpoorte.be

Walking distance from ITM: 5 minutes

Room charge including breakfast ranges from 75 - 90 €

HOTEL RUBENSHOF *
24 rooms

Amerikalei 115 - 2000 Antwerp

Website: www.rubenshof.be

Phone: 32-3-237.07.89 - Fax : 32-3-248.25.94

Walking distance from ITM: 20 minutes

Room charge including breakfast ranges from 50 - 63 €

BED & BREAKFASTS IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE ITM

TIME-OUT

Tolstraat 49 - 2000 Antwerp

Phone: 32-3-498.12.37.73 - Fax : 32-3-257.29.77

Website: www.timeout-antwerpen.be

Walking distance from ITM: 5 minutes

Parking place is available nearby at the Waalse Kaai (see map)

Room charge including breakfast is 140 €

SLAPEN ENZO

Karel Rogierstraat 20 - 2000 Antwerp

Phone: 32-3-216.27.85 - Fax : 32-3-216.28.65

Website: www.slapenenzo.be

Walking distance from ITM: 5 minutes

Parking place is available nearby at the Waalse Kaai (see map)

Room charge including breakfast ranges from 130-220 €

THE BIG SLEEP

Kromme Elleboogstraat 4 - 2000 Antwerp

Phone: 32-474.84.95.65

Website: www.intro04.be/thebigsleep

Walking distance from ITM: 10 minutes

Parking place is available nearby at the Waalse Kaai (see map)

Room charge including breakfast for 1 person is 45 €, for double occupancy it’s 65 €

HOTEL INDUSTRIE

Emiel Banningstraat 52 - 2000 Antwerp

Phone: 32-3-238.66.00 – Fax: 32-3-238.86.88

Website: www.hotelindustrie.be

Walking distance from ITM: 5 minutes

Parking place is available nearby at the Waalse Kaai (see map)

Room charge including breakfast for ranges from 60 - 70 €