November 23, 2018
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
130 years of global health at the Institut Pasteur – A look back at the anniversary ceremony on November 13, 2018
On November 13, exactly 130 years after the Institut Pasteur was officially opened at a ceremony attended by the French President Sadi Carnot, on November 14, 1888, and a host of prestigious guests, the senior management decided to mark this anniversary by holding a high-level international conference on the theme "130 years of global health at the Institut Pasteur". We look back at a real highlight of this busy commemorative week, which also featured the Symposium of the Institut Pasteur International Network and the prize-giving ceremony for the Sanofi-Institut Pasteur Awards.
Drawing on the legacy handed down by Louis Pasteur and his colleagues, all of whom were pioneers in the concept of "global health", the Institut Pasteur held a conference on November 13 on the theme "130 years of global health at the Institut Pasteur" as part of its 130th anniversary celebrations. This was the perfect opportunity to look at the past and future efforts of the Institut Pasteur, together with all the institutes in its network, to support global health, especially in light of the challenge of emerging and re-emerging diseases.
"130 years ago, 600 people gathered in the Salle des Actes [for the inauguration of the Institut Pasteur]," began Jean-François Chambon, Vice-President Communications and Fundraising, in his opening address. And 130 years later, staff members joined prestigious partners and representatives of international organizations, governments, civil society and industry at this conference, with the aim of exchanging their views on the challenges facing global health, the problem of emerging diseases and the Institut Pasteur's role in the 21st century.
After introducing the conference by emphasizing that, after more than a century, the Institut Pasteur continues to uphold the values that drove its founder – "humanism, universalism, communication and perseverance" –, Institut Pasteur President Stewart Cole also reminded the audience of the spirit in which the Institut Pasteur International Network was set up, with the first institute opening in Saigon back in 1891, and the vital role of this network. Louis Pasteur and his colleagues were convinced that tackling infectious diseases required a multi-pronged approach that would combine research, public health, education and the application of results, both in laboratories and in the field, in every region of the world.
After this historical overview, Stewart Cole pointed out that "the incidence of emerging diseases has significantly increased in recent years", as illustrated by avian influenza, Ebola, Zika, chikungunya and West Nile virus, and that this trend is being compounded by "the re-emergence of some older diseases such as tuberculosis", as a result of various factors such as changing ecosystems, resistance to anti-infective treatments and the internationalization of trade. Tackling emerging infectious diseases has been identified as one of the three priorities of the Institut Pasteur's 2019-2023 strategic plan.
Read Stewart Cole’s Discourse (in French)
This event was an ideal opportunity to reiterate the excellence and commitment of the Institut Pasteur and its staff, worldwide, in these efforts. Jérôme Salomon, Director-General for Health in the French Ministry for Solidarity and Health, applauded the Institut Pasteur for its unwavering commitment: "I know just how much time and effort the Institut Pasteur's staff invest in tackling public health needs." He also particularly mentioned the International Network: "What other research institute anywhere in the world can draw on a network like the Institut Pasteur International Network?"
Read Jérôme Salomon’s Discourse (in French)
After these opening addresses, Elias Zerhouni, Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins University, former Sanofi Head of Global Research & Development and former Director of the National Institutes of Health, Soumya Swaminathan, Deputy Director-General for Programs at WHO, and Trevor Mundel, President of Global Health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, spoke in turn about the future challenges facing global health.
Read Trevor Mundel’s Discourse
A round table on emerging diseases was then held, with contributions from Dr. Yaping Zhang, Vice-President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dr. Emmanuel Baron, Executive Director of Epicentre, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Prof. Arnaud Fontanet, Director of the Center for Global Health at the Institut Pasteur, Dr. Amadou Sall, Director of the Institut Pasteur in Dakar, Dr. Anubis Vega Rua, Head of the Research Laboratory on Vector Control at the Institut Pasteur in Guadeloupe, and Prof. Wilson Savino, Vice-President of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz).
After the round table was concluded by Elias Zerhouni and Stewart Cole, Christian Vigouroux, Chairman of the Institut Pasteur Board of Directors, quoted French philosopher Denis Diderot to illustrate the personality and achievements of Louis Pasteur. "The Institut Pasteur bears the name of a genius." According to Diderot in his article on "genius" in the Encyclopédie des Lumières: "In arts, in science, in business, genius seems to change the nature of things; its character spreads over all it touches; and its enlightened vision soars high above the past and the present, illuminating the future: it races ahead of its century, which can but follow; it leaves far behind the reasonable criticism of those who, with their steady pace, never move beyond the uniformity of nature."
Read Christian Vigouroux’s Discourse (in French)
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, laureate of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Honorary President of the Institut Pasteur International Network, then took to the podium with some words of her own to celebrate this 130th anniversary. She welcomed the fact that "for the past 130 years, the Institut Pasteur's scientific innovations have helped improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of several diseases, benefiting people all over the world."
Read Françoise Barré-Sinoussi’s Discourse (in French)
Finally, Frédérique Vidal, French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Innovation, who had already graced the Institut Pasteur with her presence at the inauguration of the Titan KriosTM microscope earlier in the year, brought the conference to a close by describing the Institut Pasteur as a "visionary institute which has followed in the footsteps of its founder and stands at the forefront of technology, embracing experimental approaches and tackling the challenges facing public health." The minister also emphasized the notion of the Pasteurian spirit as defined by Emile Roux, citing it as follows: "The Pasteurian spirit is the scientific faith that gives ardor to the work, the imagination that inspires ideas, the perseverance that pursues them, the criticism that regulates them, and the experimental rigor that proves them ".
Read Frédérique Vidal’s Discourse (in French)
The event drew to a close with a cocktail reception.
See highlights of the event on the Institut Pasteur's social media pages and in live tweets
