Leishmaniasis: Collaborative Research Opportunities in North Africa and the Middle East
Good Morning. Excellency, Honorable Minister of Public Health Mondher Zenaidi, Dr. Ben Ismael of the World Health Organization, Dr. Louzir, Director of the Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Mr. Steven Smith of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Institutes of Health, International and Local Scientists, Ladies and Gentlemen.
On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, President Obama, Secretary Sebelius, and Secretary Clinton, I want to extend a warm welcome to all the participants attending this symposium focused on Leishmaniasis and the development of expanded research collaboration. It is a great pleasure to participate in the opening of this prestigious conference, which has been organized and supported by our Tunisian hosts, the Institut Pasteur de Tunis and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of the National Institutes of Health of the US Department of Health and Human Services (our “Ministry of Health”).
The Government of the United States is deeply committed to working with the Government of Tunisia and others in this region as they strive to improve the health of individuals and communities throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Our commitment is expressed, in important part, through our support for collaborative biomedical research and training. US scientists and public health experts work closely with their international colleagues through the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US Food and Drug Administration, and other U.S. Government agencies and academic institutions to better understand diseases and to create new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines that improve the lives of millions. NIAID has a mandate to support research related to all infectious diseases and the human immune system. In particular, in its work with Tunisian researchers, NIAID has focused on the priorities it shares with Tunisia – including Leishmaniasis. The foundation of this cooperation is the shared interest of our scientists in mutually beneficial research.
I am especially pleased that this meeting is being held only a few weeks after President Obama made his historic speech at Cairo University. Not only is the United States committed to strengthening its global health engagement broadly, but, as President Obama said, we are specifically committed to working with Muslim-majority countries on science and technology, and to help enhance scientific education. This collaboration is particularly important in the fight against tropical diseases (NTDs), including Leishmaniasis. For far too long, these devastating, debilitating and deadly diseases have been neglected. Now, as illustrated by this meeting, they are neglected no more; and in fact, they are a key focus of the enhanced U.S. global health program recently announced by the White House.
Leishmaniasis causes a heavy burden of disease around the world. It is found in 88 countries, from rain forests in South America to deserts in the Middle East and Asia. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are two million new cases of Leishmaniasis in the world each year and an estimated 350 million people are at risk of being bitten by the sand flies and other insect vectors that transmit leishmania parasites. The importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the fatal forms of Leishmaniasis (known as kala azar) is crucial. There is an urgent need for additional research to improve diagnostic tests, develop and evaluate drugs, and to discover, develop, and evaluate a vaccine that will prevent leishmania infection.
With the focus of this conference on Leishmaniasis, there could be no better choice of a meeting location than this one, so close to the great city of Carthage, and no better partner than the Institut Pasteur de Tunis. I am told that scientists, public health officials and health policy makers from over 15 countries are registered for this conference. Let me say for those who may be unfamiliar with Institut Pasteur de Tunis that you have come to an institution that is a leader in the field of Leishmaniasis research and training. In fact, the Institut Pasteur de Tunis is one of only four NIH/NIAID Tropical Medicine Research Centers with a focus on studying the “Natural History of Leishmania major”. The Institut Pasteur de Tunis is truly a center of excellence in medical research, thanks to the hard work of its excellent scientists and to the strong support and vision of His Excellency President Ben Ali and the Government of Tunisia.
The importance of what you will achieve at this meeting is clear every day as we listen to the concerns of individuals and warnings in the media. The global specter of an influenza pandemic, the emergence of drug-resistant tuberculosis and the changes in patterns of disease vector distribution, as a result of climate and environmental change, underscore that evolving diseases demand attention from the world’s scientific and public health communities. I commend you on being at the leading edge of global efforts to save lives and prevent illness.
This Conference on Leishmaniasis brings together international and regional experts. One of the goals of this symposium is to highlight opportunities for collaborative international research. My hope is this symposium will accomplish this goal and that Tunisian, American and international scientists will continue the dialogues you start here with mutually beneficial collaborations that last for years to come.
In closing, I would again like to thank the Honorable Minister of Public Health for joining us today. And, I would particularly like to thank all of the scientists and public health experts from the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond who have traveled so far to participate in this important meeting in this wonderful country. Your active engagement in collaborative research will continue to result in important scientific advances. I wish you all a productive meeting and future success in your research. Thank you.