American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Name	American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Abbreviation	ASTMH
Formation	1903
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	United States
Region served	Global
Membership	Researchers, clinicians, public health professionals
Leader title	President

American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is a professional association linking clinicians and researchers focused on malaria, dengue, leprosy, schistosomiasis and other infectious diseases; it convenes experts from institutions such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Universidade de São Paulo to influence policy, clinical practice, and research agendas. The Society traces roots to early 20th-century public health responses involving actors like Walter Reed, Yellow Fever Commission, Pan American Health Organization and collaborations with military and colonial health services in locations including Philippines, Puerto Rico, West Africa and India.

History

Founded amid efforts to confront tropical diseases after campaigns involving Spanish–American War, Army Medical Museum, Army Medical Department and investigators from Rockefeller Foundation, the organization evolved alongside institutions such as National Malaria Eradication Program, Rockefeller Institute, Wellcome Trust and academic centers including Johns Hopkins University, Harvard School of Public Health and University of Liverpool. Early members included figures from Yellow Fever Commission, Sir Ronald Ross, Carlos Chagas, Arthur M. Sackler Center and partnerships with colonial-era services like Royal Army Medical Corps and Tropical Disease Research Institute. Post-World War II shifts saw engagement with World Health Assembly, Smallpox Eradication Program, Global Malaria Eradication Programme and later initiatives by Global Fund and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Mission and Activities

The Society advances research, clinical care and policy on malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, onchocerciasis and emerging threats such as Zika virus, Ebola virus disease, COVID-19 pandemic and antimicrobial resistance, partnering with agencies like USAID, Department of Defense, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and academic partners including University of Oxford, Columbia University, Imperial College London to translate evidence into practice. Activities include guideline development in collaboration with World Health Organization, capacity building with Makerere University, Ifakara Health Institute and program evaluation alongside PATH, Medicins Sans Frontieres, Clinton Health Access Initiative and CARE International.

Membership and Governance

Membership spans investigators, clinicians, laboratorians and public health practitioners affiliated with National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Karolinska Institutet and ministries of health from countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, India, Kenya and Thailand. Governance includes an elected board, committees and sections mirroring disciplines represented by organizations like American College of Physicians, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Society for Tropical Pediatrics and links to funding bodies including National Science Foundation, European Research Council.

Publications and Journals

The Society publishes peer-reviewed journals staffed by editorial boards with scholars from Harvard University, Yale University, University of Cape Town, University of Melbourne and contributors drawn from WHO guideline panels, producing research, reviews and practice guidelines that intersect with work at Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, Nature Medicine and PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. Journals emphasize clinical trials, epidemiology and implementation science, reflecting collaborations with Global Health Security Agenda, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and large multicenter studies involving Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grants.

Conferences and Meetings

Annual meetings gather speakers and delegates from institutions such as NIH, CDC, WHO, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Wellcome Trust and universities including Johns Hopkins University and Oxford University to present on topics ranging from vector control and vaccine development to outbreak response. Special symposia have featured partnerships with Pan American Health Organization, African Union, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and military health services like Walter Reed Army Institute of Research to address operational research, product development and policy translation.

Awards and Recognitions

The Society administers awards honoring contributions in clinical practice, research and public health reminiscent of prizes associated with Nobel Prize, Lasker Award, Gairdner Foundation laureates, and recognizes investigators who have advanced work on malaria and neglected tropical diseases alongside colleagues from Rockefeller Foundation, Wellcome Trust and national academies such as National Academy of Sciences and Royal Society. Awardees often include members from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and leading tropical medicine programs globally.

Partnerships and Impact on Global Health

Through collaboration with World Health Organization, Pan American Health Organization, Global Fund, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID and academic partners like Imperial College London, University of Oxford and Johns Hopkins University, the Society has influenced disease control strategies, training programs at institutions such as University of Ghana, Makerere University and operational research at Ifakara Health Institute. Its membership and publications inform policy decisions made by ministries of health in Brazil, Nigeria, India and Ethiopia and support epidemic response networks including Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, integrating science, clinical expertise and implementation to reduce the burden of tropical diseases.

Category:Medical associations