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More on the Forum on Microbial Threats
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The Forum was established to provide a structured opportunity for stakeholder discussion and scrutiny of criticaland possibly contentiousscientific and policy issues of shared concern related to research on and the prevention, detection, and management of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. The Forum's membership currently includes individuals from a wide range of disciplines and organizations in the public and private sectors, including the public health, medical, pharmaceutical, academic science, agricultural, and environmental communities.
In 2002, the complexities and challenges posed by infectious diseases and the corresponding trends that contribute to the emergence and reemergence of these threats continue to confound the world's public health, scientific, medical, pharmaceutical, and policymaking leaders. The vulnerability of populations in all nations has been increasingly recognized as a threat not only to personal health, but also to public safety, economic stability and development, and national and international security. The realities of the ever worsening HIV/AIDS pandemic, the unrelenting resurgence of once manageable diseases, such as tuberculosis, the emergence and spread of newly identified pathogens such as nipah and ebola viruses, and the introduction of biological terrorism in the United States serve as formidable reminders of the inevitable and unending evolution of infectious diseases and the consequent effects on humankind.
The activities of the Forum have continued to track these evolving challenges. Through public debate and private consultation, the activities of the Forum seek to facilitate discussion and inquiry into the most challenging and cross-cutting set of issues. Sessions of the Forum are designed to examine emerging as well as long-standing problems in light of the most recent or groundbreaking advances that may lead to further innovation or resolution. In recent years, the result of such cross-sector dialogue has fostered action toward the establishment of priority issues for infectious disease research and public health policy, the identification of issues that warrant further investigation, and opportunities for more effective collaboration between the private and public sectors represented on the Forum. Workshop reports of the Forum have highlighted and brought to the fore some of the most important infectious disease issues of the last decade. Through dissemination to public leaders, private industry, and policymakers, the summary reports have served as a useful decision-making tool and record of these innovative proposals and ideas.
With recently renewed commitments to and expanded resources for countering and eliminating infectious diseases--now more than ever--the Forum on Microbial Threats remains uniquely positioned and qualified to meet the growing needs for robust stakeholder dialogue and collaborative innovation to improve and secure the health of all populations.
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Last Updated: 9/02/2003, 09:22 AM
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