Call for Expression of Interest in a Consultancy on Disease Mapping and Modeling for Neglected and Other Poverty-Related Diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean

The purpose of the consultancy is to conduct or improve disease mapping of the selected neglected infectious diseases (NIDs) that can be targeted through mass drug administration (MDA), i.e. onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, and trachoma, as well as other diseases that could be part of an integrated plan, including Chagas disease, rabies transmitted by dogs, plague, leprosy, leishmaniasis, and congenital syphilis, among others. This will require deciding on the level of disaggregation (in consultation with PAHO/HSD/CD), according to the population size that will provide the best information for NID strategy and that will be the most feasible, given the time constraints and technical and financial resources dedicated to this exercise.

Call for Expression of Interest in a Consultancy on the Social Determinants of Neglected and Other Poverty-Related Diseases in Latin America and the Caribbean

The PAHO/WHO Health Surveillance and Disease Prevention and Control Area, Communicable Disease Project invites academic institutions, specialized centers and public-health-related consulting firms in PAHO/WHO Member States to express their interest in providing consultancy services. The purpose of the consultancy is to conduct qualitative studies to identify, in two specific communities, neglected infectious diseases (NIDs) affecting them, the social determinants of health (SDH), and to establish their relationship. The aim is to address the social determinants of NIDs in a multisectoral and integrated approach to reduce the risk and burden of the NIDs. These two communities with overlapping of NIDs will be identified in agreement with PAHO. Possible sites include Brazil and Mexico. Deadline for submission of applications: 15 January 2010.

Ninth presentation (on the elimination of lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis) in a series of ten presentations and other materials produced for the topic "Elimination of Neglected Diseases and Other Infections Related to Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean", which was presented and approved by the 144th Session of the Executive Committee in June 2009 and will be presented in the next Directing Council of the Organization in September 2009.

Third presentation (on the elimination of soil-transmitted helminthiasis / STH, or geohelminths-in common language, worms, evoking intestinal parasites) in a series of ten presentations and other materials produced for the topic "Elimination of Neglected Diseases and Other Infections Related to Poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean", which was presented and approved by the 144th Session of the Executive Committee in June 2009 and will be presented in the next Directing Council of the Organization in September 2009.

 This forum, held at PAHO headquarters and in joint partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Global Network for Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Control, discussed the establishment of a trust fund as an innovative partnership model that would seek to pool public and private resources, as well as individual philanthropists and other benefactors, to support cost-effective neglected infectious disease (NID) prevention, control and elimination efforts, as well as to reduce inequities in health by serving the poorest of the poor in the Region, in full collaboration with the countries, partners and stakeholders.