The Task Force for Global Health, Inc.

Hot off the press ?? Our October Newsletter Dispatch reports on The Task Force for Global Health, Inc.'s Decatur Book Festival Open House which drew hundreds of attendees, highlights experts calling upon leaders and donors on #WorldPolioDay to help end polio and shares the story of how Dr. Kutjok is advancing new tools to fight river blindness. Read these updates and more: https://bit.ly/4hpLJsp #40YearsofTaskForce

November is National Native American Heritage Month in the United States. Join The Task Force for Global Health, Inc. in celebrating indigenous culture, ingenuity, and contributions to health and science. NIH Tribal Health Research Office (THRO) is hosting a variety of activities recognizing the importance of ensuring Native voices and vision are reflected in health data. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4eClVqh Photo credit: NIH Tribal Health Research Office

ICYMI: Big news in global health! Timor-Leste has eliminated lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem, as validated by the World Health Organization. Lymphatic filariasis causes painful swelling and can lead to disability. Timor-Leste’s success underscores the strength of collaboration and the dedication of communities, government, and private/public partners working to end this devastating disease. Learn more about this amazing success: https://bit.ly/3OivPTe. #beatNTDs #eliminateLF Mectizan Donation Program

Put your hands together ???? for the Roadmap for Women and Youth Development (RAWYOD), a youth-led Nigerian ???? non-profit working to build communities where women, youth, and children can thrive. RAWYOD started a project in January, 2024 with the goal of reducing hepatitis B incidence in Nigeria by raising awareness of hepatitis B birth dose (HepB-BD) and calling for its integration into routine immunization programs. Their work focused on the Yobe State region and engaged healthcare workers, pregnant women and women of childbearing age, key stakeholders and community members through creative communication materials and events focusing on HepB-BD. See more of RAWYOD's communication materials and discover the far-reaching impact of their project: https://buff.ly/4eDWZ1u

????Last week, November 14-17th,?Safety Platform for Emergency vACcines (SPEAC)?members participated in the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH)?in New Orleans.?? ?? Co-chaired by Drs. Eileen Farnon (The Task Force for Global Health, Inc.) and Polly Yap (Monash University),?the?session “Disease and Vaccine Safety Surveillance"?included abstracts regarding multipathogen disease surveillance approaches applied in LMICs as well as surveillance and response to AESI-X.? ?? On behalf of the?SPEAC?AESI-X Working Group?(@Barbara Law, Dale Nordenberg, Andy Stergachis, Rebecca Chandler, Robert T Chen), Eileen Farnon?delivered the presentation “Preparing for Vaccine Adverse Events of Special Interest-X (AESI-X): a standardized approach applied to novel vaccines.”? ?? ?? In collaboration with representatives from key stakeholder organizations (CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations), World Health Organization, FDA (FDA - La Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos), European Medicines Agency, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), the?SPEAC AESI-X Working Group?identified three categories of AESI-X, classified according to the novelty of the adverse event and knowledge of previous association with a vaccine. We also?created a checklist to obtain?the necessary baseline information for the Brighton Collaboration to begin work on a new AESI-X case definition. Our team held quarterly meetings with stakeholders to guide the drafting of an AESI-X Case Definition Preparedness Plan, which is now undergoing stakeholder review and will be disseminated more broadly in 2025.?Developing this consensus process ahead of the next AESI-X will facilitate rapid, harmonized safety assessments of new AESIs which may occur during implementation of?novel vaccines for priority pathogens and other?targets.?? ?? During the poster session Wan-Ting Huang, on behalf of the wider SPEAC team, presented the poster “Standardized Brighton Collaboration Case Definitions and Companion Guides on Adverse Events of Special Interest for Harmonized Safety Monitoring of Lassa Fever Vaccines,”?where she showcased the landscape analysis and a list of 19 AESIs that have been generated for #LassaFever vaccine as well as case definitions and companion guides.?? ?? ???We invite you to explore our AESI lists and landscape reviews by visiting?https://lnkd.in/esy_XEjA?

Last chance to register ?? Join The Task Force for Global Health, Inc., Africa CDC, and World Health Organization African Region for the EBS Signal Development for Community-level Surveillance of Novel Emerging Threats webinar today. This webinar will explore how signals can be effectively crafted for community-based surveillance systems to detect new and emerging public health threats. It will examine the balance of sensitivity and specificity in signal design, highlighting potential challenges that thoughtful design can help mitigate. Representatives from Nigeria and Sierra Leone will share their recent experiences in using community-based surveillance and signal strategies in response to M-pox, concluding with a Q&A discussion. Sign up now: https://t.ly/7LXBu Dernière chance de registre ?? Rejoignez The Task Force for Global Health, Inc., Africa CDC et World Health Organization African Region pour le webinaire Développement de signaux EBS pour la surveillance communautaire des nouvelles menaces émergentes aujourd'hui. Ce webinaire explorera la manière dont les signaux peuvent être con?us pour être utilisés dans les systèmes de surveillance communautaire des nouvelles menaces émergentes pour la santé publique. Il passera en revue les questions de sensibilité et de spécificité des signaux en fonction de leur conception, ainsi que les pièges qui peuvent être évités grace à une conception minutieuse. Le Nigeria et la Sierra Leone partageront leur expérience récente en matière de surveillance communautaire et de conception de signaux dans le contexte de la M-pox, et nous terminerons par une discussion sous forme de questions-réponses. Registre dès maintenant : https://t.ly/7LXBu

??TOMORROW on Nov. 20 The Task Force for Global Health, Inc., Africa CDC, and World Health Organization African Region are hosting the last webinar of the year: EBS Signal Development for Community-level Surveillance of Novel Emerging Threats. This session will explore how signals can be effectively crafted for community-based surveillance systems to detect new and emerging public health threats. It will examine the balance of sensitivity and specificity in signal design, highlighting potential challenges that thoughtful design can help mitigate. Representatives from Nigeria and Sierra Leone will share their recent experiences in using community-based surveillance and signal strategies in response to M-pox, concluding with a Q&A discussion. Register today: https://t.ly/7LXBu ??DEMAIN le 20 novembre The Task Force for Global Health, Inc., Africa CDC et World Health Organization African Region organisent le dernier webinaire de l'année : Développement de signaux EBS pour la surveillance communautaire des nouvelles menaces émergentes. Ce webinaire explorera la manière dont les signaux peuvent être con?us pour être utilisés dans les systèmes de surveillance communautaire des nouvelles menaces émergentes pour la santé publique. Il passera en revue les questions de sensibilité et de spécificité des signaux en fonction de leur conception, ainsi que les pièges qui peuvent être évités grace à une conception minutieuse. Le Nigeria et la Sierra Leone partageront leur expérience récente en matière de surveillance communautaire et de conception de signaux dans le contexte de la M-pox, et nous terminerons par une discussion sous forme de questions-réponses. Registre: https://t.ly/7LXBu

The Task Force for Global Health, Inc.’s “This Is My Story” is a series that features Task Force staff sharing about their global health career inspirations, what they’ve learned from the profession, and what they like most about it. Our most recent story features Kenya Casey, Deputy Chief Operations Officer. Hear more about her experience working at our organization: https://bit.ly/3UuiKd7

It's #WorldHepatitisTestingWeek! Testing is a critical component of hepatitis elimination. You can visit heptestweek.org for resources on getting tested for #HBV and #HCV and encouraging others to do the same.

Register today ?? The Task Force for Global Health, Inc., Africa CDC, and World Health Organization African Region invite you to the last webinar of the year: EBS Signal Development for Community-level Surveillance of Novel Emerging Threats on Wednesday, November 20. This session will explore how signals can be effectively crafted for community-based surveillance systems to detect new and emerging public health threats. It will examine the balance of sensitivity and specificity in signal design, highlighting potential challenges that thoughtful design can help mitigate. Representatives from Nigeria and Sierra Leone will share their recent experiences in using community-based surveillance and signal strategies in response to M-pox, concluding with a Q&A discussion. Learn more: https://t.ly/7LXBu Registre aujourd'hui?? The Task Force for Global Health, Inc., Africa CDC, and World Health Organization African Region nous vous invitons à notre dernier webinaire de l'année : Développement de signaux EBS pour la surveillance communautaire des nouvelles menaces émergentes le mercredi 20 novembre. Ce webinaire explorera la manière dont les signaux peuvent être con?us pour être utilisés dans les systèmes de surveillance communautaire des nouvelles menaces émergentes pour la santé publique. Il passera en revue les questions de sensibilité et de spécificité des signaux en fonction de leur conception, ainsi que les pièges qui peuvent être évités grace à une conception minutieuse. Le Nigeria et la Sierra Leone partageront leur expérience récente en matière de surveillance communautaire et de conception de signaux dans le contexte de la M-pox, et nous terminerons par une discussion sous forme de questions-réponses. Registre: https://t.ly/7LXBu