Abstract
In March of 2002, the International Society for Infectious Diseases will sponsor the 10th International Congress on Infectious Diseases (ICID). Anniversaries are a natural time to reflect, and it is worthwhile to reconsider the role of international meetings in today’s world. Much has changed since the first ICID almost 20 years ago. The Internet now provides rapid access to information almost anywhere in the world, and communications technologies enable individuals to view presentations in different countries without having to travel. Regional meetings in medical subspecialties such as infectious diseases seem to have increased in number and quality, lessening the need to go to an international meeting to learn the latest advances in research and clinical care. Yet as access to knowledge has spread around the globe, so too has the realization of the need for international solutions to control infectious diseases. A scant 40 years ago, Nobel Laureate Frank Burnet wrote that infectious diseases had been eliminated as an important cause of morbidity and mortality;l today infectious diseases are on the forefront of human concern. In sub-Saharan Africa, an entire region is facing social and economic collapse from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic2 Antibiotic resistance, the emergence of new pathogens, and the spread of existing infectious agents to new environments all threaten our ability to control infectious diseases. What role do international meetings such as the ICID have in overcoming these challenges? In contrast to regional or national meetings, international meetings provide a occasion to bring together individuals from both developed and developing countries; the congress is an opportunity to exchange ideas, establish collaborations and develop international training and research programs.3 This exchange is an essential component of an international meeting, and is one rationale for continuing with international meetings
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