The President's Column
Prativa Pandey, MD
Dear Colleagues,
I am very pleased to report that the work of the Society is progressing well. The new Executive Board which took office at our last meeting in Lisbon is a hardworking, dedicated group. One of the first tasks of the Executive Board was to get all of the Board members including committee chairs to declare and sign conflict of interest statements and this has been accomplished.
The Executive Board will be focusing on several new tasks in the coming months. Several committees of the Society will be working jointly to develop guidelines for evidence-based clinical practice. This will pave the way to set standards for the practice of travel medicine. Other educational initiatives include: developing teaching tools in travel medicine e.g travel medicine slide sets, monograph on how to start a travel clinic, and interactive clinical case discussions, for example. The feasibility of having the Society run courses to help individuals prepare for the certificate of knowledge examination (CTH) is also being explored.
To increase web based services offered to members, a separate web editor position has been created. Applying for research grant awards - awards which will be offered annually - will soon be web-based. Each committee of the Society will also have a presence on the website. These committee websites will detail committee charters, membership, and activities to make it simpler for members to see the range of committee activities and to interact with queries and suggestions.
Blackwell Publishing will be publishing Journal of Travel Medicine (JTM) starting January 2006. This will increase visibility of the Journal due to their worldwide sales and marketing. It will be easier and quicker for authors to submit manuscripts via the new web based system. This is expected to improve the impact factor of the Journal. I strongly encourage you to publish your research in JTM. Also, as of January 2006, JTM will get a new cover that has been voted upon by the Executive Board. I sincerely hope that you will be pleased with the new look. Please see Committee report, page 5.
All of us know that the most vulnerable group of travelers is the VFR (visiting friends and relatives) travelers. The Migration and Refugee Health Committee of the ISTM will be focusing on travel medicine implications of VFR travel as their priority this year. Several educational initiatives of this committee will soon be featured on the web.
Studies have shown that only a fraction of travelers see travel health professionals before they travel. We feel a strong need to partner with travel industry professionals to spread the word about our specialty and how we promote traveler safety and well being. The upcoming World Summit for Peace through Tourism conference will serve as a forum to develop a relationship with travel industry groups, and together develop ways to educate the traveling public.
We continue to explore relationships with international bodies like the World Health Organization. With the passage of the international health regulations, ISTM members can help play a role in their own countries, making available relevant information about potential public health threats that may first emerge in travelers. We already have expertise in this area. Our own GeoSentinel surveillance network is effectively monitoring emerging health threats around the globe, and can quickly disseminate this information.
ISTM partners with nine European travel medicine societies to hold the North European Conference in Travel Medicine (NECTM) in Edinburgh from June 7-10, 2006, during our non CISTM year. There are many exciting topics from emerging infections to health risks in the Northern Europe and the Baltic region.
CISTM 10 will be held in Vancouver May 20 - 24, 2007. The Scientific committee and the local organizing committee are already galvanized into action to bring to you the best ISTM conference ever.
The relevance of our specialty continues to grow. This is a most important time to promote membership to your friends and colleagues. I look for suggestions from you as we move forward in a mutually beneficial relationship. Please help spread the word about the benefits of ISTM membership, the ISTM certificate of knowledge examination (CTH) and the very popular ISTM sponsored conferences.
I hope to see you in person in Edinburgh and in Vancouver. Please see the Calendar for further details.
With warm regards.
Prativa
