ASTMH 2023 Annual Meeting
18-22 November, 2023
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), founded in 1903, is the largest international scientific organization dedicated to reducing the global burden of tropical infectious diseases and improving global health. ASTMH achieves this by generating and sharing scientific evidence, informing health policies, fostering career development, recognizing excellence, and advocating for investment in tropical medicine and global health research1.
ASTMH 2023 Annual Meeting
The ASTMH 2023 Annual Meeting, held from October 18-22 in Chicago, brought together global health professionals to discuss advancements in tropical medicine and hygiene. Key highlights included the opening keynote by Ambassador John Nkengasong, who emphasized global health security, and special lectures by Dr. Kemi Ogundipe and Dr. Gagandeep Kang. The meeting featured a variety of sessions on topics such as malaria eradication, vector control, and clinical tropical medicine, alongside networking events and poster presentations. The event also honored the contributions of President Jimmy Carter and included a symposium on malaria eradication in his name. The meeting fostered collaboration and knowledge sharing among experts dedicated to reducing the global burden of tropical diseases.
My Role
At the ASTMH 2023 Annual Meeting, I participated as a presenter and attendee. My
role involved delivering an oral presentation on my accepted abstract on maternal near-miss on
October 21, 2023.
I actively engaged in scientific sessions focusing on childhood infectious diseases, AMR, and global
health, networked with academics and researchers, and shared insights and future plans with
colleagues from Emory University, CDC, and CHAMPS sites. Additionally, I attended a Gates Foundation
dinner to connect with global researchers. My involvement provided valuable knowledge and
connections to advance my research and scientific growth.
I am presenting at the ASTMH 2023 annual meeting
The Journey
Preparing a presentation for a global audience was a challenging yet rewarding experience. My research
focused on identifying the risk factors for near-miss conditions—cases where mothers narrowly survived
life-threatening complications during childbirth—among rural women from a subdistrict in Bangladesh. While
the abstract provided a foundation, the presentation required much more depth and effort to convey the
findings effectively. It needed to deliver a clear, impactful message while also being visually appealing to
the audience.
The initial draft of my presentation was prepared under the guidance of
Dr.
Mohammad Zahid Hossain
. Once in
Chicago, the presentation underwent further revision and refinement with the invaluable support of
Dr. Shams El Arifeen
and
Professor
Emily S. Gurley
, continuing until the evening before the presentation. Though intense,
the process taught me lessons and insights that were truly invaluable.
Dr Shams El Arifeen is guiding me
Professor Emily S. Gurley is reviewing the presentation
I am presenting (at the furthest corner!)
After the presentation with Dr Shams El Arifeen and Professor Emily S. Gurley
Reference:
- American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. About ASTMH [Internet]. ASTMH.org. 2024 [cited 2024 Nov 19]. Available from: https://www.astmh.org/about-astmh