December 01, 2023
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
Pasteur Network: Report on the Pasteur Network Annual Regional Meeting and ceremony for the 2023 Talent Award
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Report on the 2023 Pasteur Network Annual Meeting
The 2023 Pasteur Network Annual Meeting, organized jointly with the Institut Pasteur de Tunis, took place from November 19 to 21 and was attended by professionals from all the member institutes in the Pasteur Network, scientific institutions, public health institutions, multilateral organizations, civil society organizations and charities in the field of science and public health.
The focus of the meeting was global health priorities, especially climate-sensitive emerging infectious diseases, the R&D and innovation ecosystem, epidemic intelligence, antimicrobial resistance and mother-child health.
There were several highlights over the three days, starting with the opening ceremony on November 19 chaired by Hechmi Louzir and Samia Menif, respectively the former and current President of the Institut Pasteur de Tunis, and attended by Amadou Sall, President of the Pasteur Network and General Administrator of the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, as well as Stewart Cole, President of the Pasteur Network Foundation and the Institut Pasteur, Rebecca Grais, Executive Director of the Pasteur Network, Ali M'rabet, Tunisian Minister for Health. The ceremony continued with a presentation by Stewart Cole on "Tuberculosis - the forgotten pandemic" and a presentation on "Arabic medicine & Arabic civilization" by Dr. Rafik Boukhris..
A series of round tables and presentations were held on November 20 and 21, and participants were invited to reflect together on solutions related to the strategic priorities of the Pasteur Network, namely: (1) to strengthen epidemic intelligence and preparedness with a particular emphasis on climate sensitivity; (2) to support the research, development and innovation ecosystem in terms of critical diagnosis, vaccines and therapies; (3) to create multidisciplinary communities of knowledge; and (4) to foster fair and sustainable collaboration.
During the meeting, Pasteur Network representatives announced that Institut Pasteur de São Paulo, a former Pasteur-USP scientific platform and associate member, has become an active member of Pasteur Network.
To find out more about Institut Pasteur de São Paulo
Finally, the venue for the next Pasteur Network annual meeting has been announced. The Oswaldo Cruz - Fiocruz Foundation, a member of Pasteur Network, will host the event and collaborate in its organization. The gathering is scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
To find out more about Fiocruz
The event was attended by more than hundred people and was a resounding success. On the occasion of this high point in the life of Pasteur Network, Institut Pasteur de Paris praised the relevance of this format for exchange and shared governance, as well as the quality of the debates and projects presented.
- 2023 Talent Award presentation ceremony
During the Opening Ceremony of the Pasteur Network Annual Meeting 2023 on November 19th in Tunis, Dr. Ngu Abanda, a scientist from the Centre Pasteur in Cameroon received the Pasteur Network Talent Award 2023 from Stewart Cole, President of the Pasteur Network Foundation and President of the Institut Pasteur. The Talent Awards support the career development of young scientists to become future leaders within the Pasteur Network.
Dr Ngu Abanda obtained his Ph.D. in Tropical Medicine from the University of Hawaii in 2017. During his Ph.D. studies, he conducted research on factors contributing to poor treatment outcomes among Tuberculosis patients, especially children. He also evaluated the accuracy of new rapid molecular-based assays for the diagnosis of drug-resistant Tuberculosis.
Later on, Dr Ngu Abanda, to broaden his knowledge on the clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases, took up the position of microbiologist at the Public Health Laboratory of the Texas Department of State Health Services (USA). He contributed to set up a new molecular assay to detect Candida auris, an emerging fungal pathogen that is associated with nosocomial infections and considered a serious global health threat. During this postdoctoral period, he acquired solid experience in clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases.
