The Eighth Scientific Conference
ENDEMIC AND EMERGING DISEASES: NEW TRENDS IN DIAGNOSIS AND CONTROL
21- 23 August 2007 Friendship Hall – Khartoum - Sudan
The opening session took place at 9 00 am in the main hall of the Friendship
The conference was attended by a large number of participants during its 3-days who came from various parts of Sudan, representing wide array of specializations and organizations. Moreover, participants from abroad i.e Syria, Iraq and Egypt and Switzerland also contributed. Dr. Ahmed Bilal, the representative of the president of the republic of Sudan opened the conference and the exhibition. Speeches from the Minister Science and Technology, State Minister Higher Education and the General Director of the National Centre for Research as well as the chairman of the steering committee of the conference were also given.
Twelve sessions were held with an average of 120 participants in each session where 62 presentations were delivered and the conference concluded with a presentation that summarized the main issues presented and highlighted a possible way forward proposal in the closing session.
Getting the output of this conference “ENDEMIC AND EMERGING DISEASES” under the theme “NEW TRENDS IN DIAGNOSIS AND CONTROL” disseminated was as critical as its organizing. Its publication has adequately addressed our concern and relieved us of the responsibility that we owed as organizers.
The topic areas covered by this Workshop were diverse and encompassed each dimension totally – this summary mirrors the nuance of the conference and qualifying as reference source hopefully…thanks to our partners, participants and resource persons whose efforts have made this conference a success.
SESSION ONE: GENERAL SESSION
Paper One: History, achievements and Future of Health Research in Sudan
BY Prof. Mohammed Galal, NCR General Director
Paper Two: Advances in the control of endemic and emerging diseases
BY Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeh, WHO-HQ
The paper described the spread of endemic diseases in the world. Sudan is within the belt of most diseases. Coordination between neighboring countries is a prerequisite for control.
Recommendations
1. Research is important in the diagnosis, treatment and control of endemic, epidemic, re-emerging and transboundary diseases.
2. Endemic diseases are spreading in poor countries and thus could be reduced through poverty alivating programmes
3. Vaccines should be cost effective in the control of these diseases
4. Partnership is vital for the success of control programme
5. International support is needed to support poor countries
SESSION THREE: EXPERIENCE OF ARAB COUNTRIES
(Two papers from Syria and Iraq)
Recommendations
1. To use minimum vaccine to activate the immunizing system against pathogenic Brucella in cattle.
SESSION FOUR: EMERGING DISEASES
(Three papers out of 6)
Recommendations
1. The effect of treatment of tuberculosis patients on urea levels was reported in Sudan for the first time. Treatment lowered the urea levels. The use of urea levels to determine infectivity needs more investigation.
2. There is a huge gap between estimated and actual infected population with HIV/AIDS in Sudan. A 25-years strategic plan has been adopted by the Federal Ministry of Health. Action plans to implement this strategy is in progress at all health levels.
3. Health education to raise the awareness about HIV/AIDS is an effective tool.
4. There is a need to raise the awareness of the population in post-conflict Sudan.
5. There is an urgent need to study the socio-economic effect of diseases in the Sudan.
6. The epidemiology of endemic and re-emerging diseases diseases needs thourogh investigation. Training of qualified competent epidemiologists is a priority.
SESSION FIVE: MALARIA (treatment)
(Six Papers out of seven)
Recommendations
1. The efforts of the National Maria Administration (NMA) were recognized in the areas of vector control and treatment. Confounding factors in the control of vectors are rain and floods.
2. Administration of Artesunate through rectal route is safe and effective. The oral route is an option now available.
3. The detection of triple and double mutant haplotypes in two sites in eastern Sudan is disturbing.
4. The two combination treatment for malaria tested in eastern Sudan have high and smaller in vivo efficacy. It is important to do PCR to confirm the results.
5. Further studies on the impact of maternal and neonatal immune response to malaria infection are needed.
6. Efforts in malaria research in all Sudanese institutions should be well coordinated under one umbrella.
SESSION SIX: SCHISTOSOMIASIS
(Six Papers out of six)
Recommendations
1. In Iraq, S. haematobium is the only species. Prevalence ranged between 0.02-.09% in mid and south Iraq. Soil Tramsmitted Helminths (STH) is a public problem in Iraq, prevalence ranged between 0.21 and 0.5%. There is no association between anaemia and STH. There is a need for case management strategy.
2. The use of aquatic arthropods to control the intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis should be considered as a biological control agent in the irrigation schemes.
3. I|n Darfur, S. mansoni is found in the high lands of Jebel Marra. S. haematobium is found in southern Darfur. Epidemiological surveys are needed to iluscidate the epidemiological situation in the two states.
4. The use of new molecular techniques to identify a strain refractory to infection with schistosomiasis miracidia should be encouraged. The identified strain could be used as a decoy to absorb the miracidia and stop the transmission.
5. The albino Biomphalaria snail has different biological characters that support its efficincy to act as a very successful intermediate host.
6. There is a need for sound national control plan. The disease burden and its socio-economic burden should be determined, using DALYS.
7. As a neglected disease, it should be integrated with other related disease control programmes within the primary health settings to ensure availability of diagnisis and treatment.
8. Inter-sectorial cooperation should be encouraged.
SESSION SEVEN: MALARIA (Control)
SESSION EIGHT: CANCER
(Six Papers out of seven)
1. To encourage the use of gene therapy to treat oncological and inhirited diseases since side effects are very low.
2. Early diagnosis, using cytogenetic markers and measurements of calcium in patients.
SESSION NINE: MALARIA
(Six Papers out of six)
Recommendations
1. Large scale studies to be performed regarding multiplicity of P. falciparum.
2. It is recommended that the pure active ingredients of Sudanese medicinal plants should be tested as antimalaria agents.
3. Clinical and laboratory findings are good prognostic indicators for children with cerebral malaria.
SESSION TEN: (Five papers out of six)
SESSION TEN: (Five papers out of six)
MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Research is important in the diagnosis, treatment and control of endemic, epidemic, re-emerging and trans-boundary diseases. Endemic diseases are spreading in poor countries and could be reduced through poverty elevating programmes. Partnership is vital for the success of control programme. It is recognized that international support is needed to support poor countries
2. The use of vaccines is cost effective in the control programme of endemic diseases. However, vaccines are not available to all diseases. Research should be encouraged in this area. Development of an effective vaccine is a long process that needs the collaboration of different institutes and the international support.
3. We are living in an era of science revolution. New technologies are continuously produced. New therapeutic approaches are tested and adopted. The use of these technologies and approaches should be encouraged e. g. gene therapy, use of cytogenetic markers and measurements of certain biochemical parameters in patients.
4. There is a huge gap between estimated and actual infected population with HIV/AIDS in Sudan. A 25-years strategic plan has been adopted by the Federal Ministry of Health. Action plans to implement this strategy is in progress at all health levels. There is a need to raise the awareness of the population in post-conflict Sudan about HIV/AIDS. There is an urgent need to study the epidemiology and socio-economic effect of endemic, emerging and re-emerging diseases in the Sudan. The epidemiology of endemic and re-emerging diseases needs a through investigation. Training of qualified competent epidemiologists should be a priority.
5. Efforts in malaria research in all Sudanese institutions should be well coordinated under one umbrella. The efforts of the National Maria Administration (NMA) were recognized in the areas of vector control and treatment. Confounding factors in the control of vectors are rain and floods. Administration of Artesunate through rectal route is safe and effective. The oral route is an option now available. The two combination treatment for malaria tested in eastern Sudan have high and smaller in vivo efficacy. It is important to do PCR to confirm the results. The detection of triple and double mutant haplotypes in two sites in eastern Sudan is disturbing. Further studies on the impact of maternal and neonatal immune response to malaria infection are needed. Clinical and laboratory findings are good prognostic indicators for children with cerebral malaria. Large scale studies to be performed regarding multiplicity of P. falciparum.
6. In Iraq, S. haematobium is the only species. Prevalence ranged between 0.02-.09% in mid and south Iraq. Soil Tramsmitted Helminths (STH) is a public problem in Iraq, prevalence ranged between 0.21 and 0.5%. There is no association between anaemia and STH. There is a need for case management strategy.
7. In the field of schistosomiasis, it is recognized that the disease is associated with poverty and ignorance and it is a man made disease. There is a need for a sound national control plan. The components of the plan should depend on actual, proper reliable epidemiological data and not as point data. The disease burden and its socio-economic burden should be determined, using DALYS. As a neglected disease, it should be integrated with other related disease control programmes within the primary health settings to ensure availability of diagnisis and treatment. Inter-sectorial cooperation should be encouraged. Although efforts, at the moment, are concentrated on morbidity control, research on snails should be encouraged and supported. The search for biological agents to control the intermediate host snails should be given a priority. The use of new tools and techniques should be supported.
8. To encourage the use of gene therapy to treat oenological and inherited diseases since side effects are very low. Early diagnosis, using cytogenetic markers and measurements of calcium in patients to detect tumors.
9. It is recommended that the pure active ingredients of Sudanese medicinal plants should be tested as antimalaria agents.
Photographs from the opening session
Prof Galal, Dr. Ahmed Billal and the Minister of Science and Technology
