The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), founded in 1903, is a worldwide organization of scientists, clinicians and programs whose mission is to promote global health. Specific ASTMH goals include the health improvements of people worldwide, advancing research in tropical disease, fostering international scientific collaborations, supporting career development in tropical medicine, educating medical professionals, policy makers and the public about tropical medicine, promoting science-based policy public about tropical medicine, and finally, to recognize exceptional achievement in tropical medicine and global health. Peter Piot (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), who led the original Ebola virus discovery team in 1976 and conducted extensive studies of life-threatening diseases such as AIDS, presented the keynote address to kick off the 62nd Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. impact and science without evidence can be extremely dangerous, calling upon investigators to ignore the challenges and continue with the efforts to fight neglected infectious diseases and improve global human health. The following report covers highlights from the meeting.
