Australian College of Tropical Medicine

Members of ISTM might be interested to hear of the Australasian College of Tropical Medicine. This College was formed in 1991 and membership is open to all health professionals interested in health and disease in the tropics, especially in the Australasian, SE Asian and Western Pacific geographic areas.

The College holds regular scientific meetings which to date have included various locations within Australia (Cairns, Townsville, the islands off tropical Queensland, W Australia and Tasmania). These meetings have developed a strong tradition of sessions on travel medicine. The College has, in fact, enthusiastically developed a strong interest in travel medicine and has recently published the second edition of its "Primer of Travel Medicine", edited by Peter Leggat and including contributions from many of the leading experts in this part of the world.

ACTM has also published "Malaria - The Australian Experience, 1943-1991" by Margaret Spencer and a small monograph on the diagnosis of syphilis by Les Ashdown.

Interested ISTM member's can find the ACTM website at www.jcu.edu.au/dept/PHTM/ACTM. This website is in the process of being upgraded to provide more information about the ACTM, the health issues of importance in this area and to set up an interactive communication network for interested healthworkers.

John Goldsmid, President of Australian College of Tropical Medicine