American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
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The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) is an
ASTMH has more than 2,700 members from all regions of the world including North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The Society publishes
History
ASTMH began as The Society of Tropical Medicine of Philadelphia, founded by a group of 28 physicians on March 9, 1903. The group changed its name just 12 days later to The American Society of Tropical Medicine (ASTM). The impetus for the creation of the ASTM was a need for greater understanding of tropical diseases, spurred by growing American interests in the tropics, and new medical discoveries in the late 19th century. The Society's first president was Thomas Fenton, an ophthalmologist educated at the
The National Malaria Committee was founded in 1916 by Frederick L. Hoffman, chief statistician for the
In 1991, American physician-scientist,
Journal
Language | English |
---|---|
Publication details | |
History | 1952–present |
OCLC no. | 01724826 |
The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is the official scientific journal of ASTMH published since 1952. It was formed as a result of the merger of
Meetings and education
ASTMH holds an annual scientific meeting that is open to and attended by both ASTMH members and non-members from the Americas and internationally. Participants, with multiple interests in bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections and their spread, transmission and control, including researchers, clinicians, postdoctoral fellows and students gather at the annual meetings for scientific sessions, educational plenaries, workshops and poster sessions. The 67th Annual Meeting was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, October 28 - November 1, 2018. The 68th Annual Meeting was held from November 20–24, 2019, in National Harbour, Maryland (Washington, DC area)
The Society also holds an annual Intensive Update Course in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health. ASTMH offers a Certificate Examination that assesses and recognizes individual excellence in training and knowledge. Passing the examination leads to a Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers' Health (CTropMed).
Policy and advocacy
In the last decade, ASTMH has become increasingly involved in policy and advocacy activities, particularly advocating for U.S. federal funds to fight tropical diseases worldwide and improve global health. In the current fiscal year, ASTMH has advocated that U.S. Congress:
- Allocate funds to battle the global malaria epidemic to ensure that insecticides, bed nets and preventive treatment are delivered to communities in need
- Increase the U.S. contribution to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
- Fund the U.S. Department of Defense and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to build and grow malaria research and prevention programs
- Provide specific funding to support American health professionals going overseas to work in tropical disease control
- Appropriate funds to support additional biomedical and clinical research to develop treatment and vaccines for neglected tropical diseases
Awards
ASTMH bestows a number of annual and bi-annual awards for distinguished achievements in the fields of tropical medicine and global health, including:
- The Bailey K. AshfordMedal, awarded for distinguished work in tropical medicine to a worker in his or her early or mid-career.
- The Ben Kean Medal, recognizing a clinician or educator whose dedication to clinical tropical medicine and impact on the training of students, fellows and/or practitioners of tropical medicine is in keeping with the tradition established by Kean.
- The Joseph Augustin LePrince Medal, in recognition of outstanding work in the field of malariology.
- The Donald MackayMedal, for outstanding work in tropical health, especially relating to improvements in the health of rural or urban workers in the tropics.
- The Walter Reed Medal, to recognize distinguished accomplishment in the field of tropical medicine.
- The Harry Hoogstraal Medal for outstanding achievement in medical entomology
ASTMH also awards fellowships to qualifying students and early professionals.
See also
References
- ^ Burke, Donald, M.D."American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Centennial Celebration Address" Archived 2010-12-04 at the Wayback Machine, 2003-12-3. Retrieved 2009-7-17
- ^ "Q&A with Dengue Expert Scott B. Halstead". American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
- ^ "American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Retrieved 2009-7-17
External links
- The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
- American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Records, 1908-2013 (inclusive), 1930s-1980s (bulk). H MS c192. Harvard Medical Library, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Boston, Mass.