Abstract
After December 17, 2014, when the US and Cuban governments announced their intent to restore relations, the two countries participated in various exchange activities in an effort to encourage cooperation in public health, health research and biomedical sciences. The conference entitled Exploring Opportunities for Arbovirus Research Collaboration, hosted at Havana's Hotel Nacional, was part of these efforts and was the first major US-Cuban scientific conference in over 50 years. Its purpose was to share information about current arbovirus research and recent findings, and to explore opportunities for future joint research. The nearly 100 participants included leading arbovirus and vector transmission experts from ten US academic institutions, NIH, CDC, FDA and the US Department of Defense. Cuban participants included researchers, clinicians and students from Cuba's Ministry of Public Health, Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Center for State Control of Medicines and Medical Devices and other health research and regulatory organizations. Topics highlighted at the three-day meeting included surveillance, research and epidemiology; pathogenesis, immunology and virology; treatment and diagnosis; vector biology and control; vaccine development and clinical trials; and regulatory matters. Concurrent breakout discussions focused on novel vector control, nonvector transmission, community engagement, Zika in pregnancy, and workforce development. Following the conference, the Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute and the US National Institute of Allergic and Infectious Diseases have continued to explore ways to encourage and support scientists in Cuba and the USA who wish to pursue arbovirus research cooperation to advance scientific discovery to improve disease prevention and control. KEYWORDS Arboviruses, flavivirus, Zika virus, chikungunya virus, dengue virus, research, disease vectors, Cuba, USA.
Highlights
On December 17, 2014, when the US and Cuban governments announced their intent to restore relations, US President Barack Obama emphasized the implications of rapprochement for health cooperation.[1]
In August 2015, the Cuba’s Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute (IPK) sponsored the 14th edition of its research and training conference, the International Dengue Course, which it has organized in Havana since 1987
In October 2015, Cuban scienti¿c leaders attended, for the ¿rst time, the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) in New Orleans, where they participated in a US–Cuban informationsharing symposium organized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)’s Fogarty International Center, the ASTMH and PAHO.[3,4]
Summary
On December 17, 2014, when the US and Cuban governments announced their intent to restore relations, US President Barack Obama emphasized the implications of rapprochement for health cooperation.[1]. KEYWORDS Arboviruses, Àavivirus, Zika virus, chikungunya virus, dengue virus, research, disease vectors, Cuba, USA
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