Infectious Diseases in Africa: Measurement of Immune Responses

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Abstract

It has been calculated by WHO that twenty-five million people live with HIV infection in Sub-Saharan[unreadable] Africa, among them 20% are also smear-positive for TB infection. Africa is also taking the highest toll[unreadable] every year for deaths related to malaria infection with approximately 300,000 deaths/year most of[unreadable] which occur in children under the age of five years. In this grant, we believe that training of young[unreadable] scientists should be conducted along with the implementation of in situ physical infrastructures, such[unreadable] as laboratories. It is important that in-country scientists have access to knowledge and training[unreadable] around some of the novel assays used currently to seek correlates of immunoprotection for these[unreadable] infectious diseases. By organizing this conference, entitled: ?Infectious Diseases in Africa:[unreadable] Measurement of Immune Response? (National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg,[unreadable] South Africa, November 10-11 2007), our objectives are:[unreadable] 1) To provide young African investigators with the most recent data that may explain pathogenesis of[unreadable] HIV, TB or malaria;[unreadable] 2) To allow young investigators the opportunity to discuss their own research projects with experts in[unreadable] the field;[unreadable] 3) To foster collaborations and enable an African network of scientists to be formed, where region-specific[unreadable] problems can be addressed in the future.