Dengue: to stem the tide
International Conference on Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever 2016
The International Conference on Dengue and Dengue Haemorrhagic Fever 2016 will be held from 24-26 February 2016 at The Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Epidemiology Unit Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka, the Centre for Global Health Research, University of Umeå, through Dengue Tools Project and Partnership for Dengue Control (PDC) of the Fondation Mérieux (FMx), will jointly organize this conference, which is focused on improving surveillance, diagnosis, prevention and control of dengue. Following a colourful inauguration session the two-day comprehensive scientific programme is divided into 6 sessions. The first session will be a plenary on DengueTools project dissemination where work-package leaders will present the latest research findings giving an overview of dengue and its prevention and control strategies.
The session 2 will update the current aspects in the management of dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever with a round table to discuss about the case classification issues and the implications on patient care. The third session will talk about different approaches being implemented on vector control taking Europe, Singapore and Sri Lanka as case studies. The fourth session will focus on the current profile of dengue vaccine development and highlight the important considerations for vaccine studies and implementation of future vaccine programmes in different settings. The session 5 will showcase possible new interventions in dengue control giving an update on the most promising methods and their current status.
The last session will be dedicated to discuss pathogenesis and diagnosis of dengue and its severe forms. The international conference on dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever 2016 is designed to provide the participants with the most updated information on dengue and its prevention and control strategies. The key stakeholders of the conference include international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centre for Global Health Research, University of Umeå, Sweden, Partnership for Dengue Control (PDC), France and the Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health Sri Lanka among others.
Epidemiology Unit
Epidemiology Unit, Ministry of Health Sri Lanka
Epidemiological Unit of the Ministry of Health Sri Lanka was established in 1959 with the aim of improving health of the public through collation, interpretation and provision of best possible information on communicable diseases. From its modest beginnings, it has evolved to become the premier institution in the country handling disease surveillance, epidemiological investigations and research and training in epidemiology.
Our Activities
1. Disease Surveillance
Surveillance of communicable diseases is one of our main activities. We are actively involved in systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data for use in public health action to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health. Presently, we are also in the process of establishing a surveillance mechanism to track the trends of non-communicable diseases and major risk factors for those diseases at national and local levels.
2. Immunization
Our unit is the responsible government agency for policy development and, monitoring and evaluation of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), since its inception. We have been able to maintain a high coverage and have virtually eliminated most of the vaccine preventable diseases with the cooperation of all relevant stakeholders.
3. Prevention and control of communicable diseases
It is our main forte. However, some selected diseases get special attention. We are concerned about the morbidity and mortality due to diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory infections, dengue and Japanese encephalitis especially among children. By planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of special programmes, we have been able to bring down the morbidity, mortality and case fatality rates of these illnesses to low levels.
4. Emerging and re-emerging diseases
We closely monitor the trends of emerging and re-emerging diseases including leptospirosis, hanta virus infection and avian influenza and take appropriate measures.
5. Research
Presently, many research activities are being carried out by our unit in collaboration with academic institutions and international organizations to improve the current knowledge on the epidemiology of communicable and non-communicable diseases and other health related issues of benefit to the public.
Fondation Mérieux
Partnership for Dengue Control (PDC) - Fondation Mérieux
PDC was created in July 2013 by a cross-sectional representation of the global dengue and public health communities, including representatives from international NGOs, health agencies, academic institutions and commercial companies involved in dengue prevention and control. The purpose of PDC is to provide leadership and coordination in the fight against dengue utilizing both old and new tools in the dengue control pipeline.
The PDC provides a forum in which scientists from different domains of expertise can share information and work together to devise more effective integrated and synergistic strategies to fight dengue. The Partnership focuses its main activities on convening meetings and workshops of experts to address specific questions and issues relating to dengue control, building an operational research agenda, coordinating efforts among individual partners and countries to ensure global alignment, highest efficacy and communication, communicating the latest progress in research developments, geographic spread, disease burden and dengue control to the global community through innovative advocacy and communication programs, with the concurrence of WHO, providing guidance and recommendations on dengue prevention and control strategies and finally supporting studies in the field.
PDC has received funds from BMGF, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi Pasteur and Takeda, and has received in-kind support from the Carlos Slim Foundation for Health, BMGF and the U.S. NIH.
