Liese Helps Tackle Lymphatic Filariasis
Bernhard Liese, M.D., chair of the Department of International Health at NHS, has joined the executive committee of the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis. Lymphatic filariasis, according to the World Health Organization, affects more than 120 million people around the globe, 40 million of whom are seriously incapacitated and disfigured by the disease. Two-thirds of infected people live in India and Africa. The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. The alliance held its fifth annual meeting from April 1-3, 2008, at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. The meeting's theme was, "10 Years of Progress Towards Elimination: Success in a Changing Policy Environment. At the event, Liese spoke at two panel discussions on health sector financing and the achievements from the first grant of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The alliance is supported by organizations such as the national ministries of health of 83 countries, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck & Co., various non-governmental organizations, and academe.
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