Dengue fever collaboration
By
A/Prof. Bu-Sung Lee, francis
(TEIN & SingAREN)
Ms. Helga Spitelar
(DANTE)
When did this all started ?
• Started at Maastricht, Netherlands in June
2013
– How can we look at a specific topic that might
have a global interest ?
– Dengue fever was suggested
– TEIN took on the task to kick-off with a dengue
fever workshop
Post TNC 2013
• How do we reach out to the community ?
• Techniques:
– TEIN governors (to get NRENs support)
– Global PR
– Websites
– International dengue fever projects
– Chance meetings with clinicians
Result
All the different contact avenues were
important.
• Some speakers were contacted and
recommended by NREN representatives
• Websites. Provide contact for “cold” call. Not
very successful.
• Global_PR group was instrumental
Finding the right platform
• TEIN*CC and APAN have worked together over
the years.
• Agreed to jointly hold a workshop:
– APAN meeting in Bandung, Indoensia provided the
venue and local logistics.
– TEIN*CC provided the funding support and
organizational support.
Technology
• Not all the presenters were on-site.
• VC for remote participation (ideal opportunity to show
how NRENs can facilitate collaboration and exchange costand time-efficiently)
• We use both H.323 and skype to support the
presentations.
• Issues
– Some sites were not familiar with the use of H.323
– Need to have a number of trial runs.
– Coordination to mute was an issue.
• Might use Vidyo, used by the Telemedicine group in the
future.
Dengue Fever – let’s stop it
(Medical WG session)
Organisers:
Molly Yap (TEIN*CC)
Helga Spitaler (DANTE)
Bu-Sung Lee, Francis(SingAREN)
20 Jan 2014
Bandung, Indonesia
Joint APAN-TEIN*CC Dengue Fever
Workshop
Objective:
The workshop set out to provide a forum for participants to share
experiences and best practices and to exchange
ideas around how to manage, prevent and fight this
infectious tropical disease.
Time
Program
1:00 pm
Welcome
1:10 pm
Part 1: Presentations
2:30 pm
Part 2: Round-table discussion
3:20 pm
Action items
3:30 – 4:00 Tea-Break
Bandung, Indonesia
Part 1: Presentations
– “Managing Dengue cases”, Prof. Leo Yee Sin, Director, Institute of Infectious Diseases
and Epidemiology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital; Clinical Director, Communicable Disease
Centre and Lead Principal Investigator, STOP Dengue TCR Flagship Programme
(www.stopdengue.sg) (Remote presentation)
– “Dengue: Climate Change, Evolution and Transmission “ by Dr. Raul Destura, Director,
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the UP National Institutes of Health,
Philippines
– “Dengue Fever: Surveillance, forecasting and response in Pakistan” Dr.Saleem M. Rana,
PhD Health Services Academy Cabinet Division, Government of Pakistan. Chak Shahzad,
Islamabad
– “Correlates of a Dengue Specific Immune Response” by Dr Neelika Malavige,
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences of the University of Sri
Jayewardenepura (USJ), Sri Lanka (Remote presentation)
– “Dengue fever in family practice: Misconception and misinterpretation". Dr. A. B. M.
Abdullah Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Professor of Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib
Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
– “Let’s get serious: STOP the ‘war’ on Dengue”, Prof. Sazaly Abu Bakar, Department of
Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine University of Malaya, Director WHO
Collaborating Center for Arbovirus Reference and Research Tropical Infectious Diseases
Research and Education Centre (TIDREC) (http://tidrec@um.edu.my)
Bandung, Indonesia
Part 2: Round-table
– Dr.Saleem M. Rana, PhD Health Services Academy Cabinet Division, Government of Pakistan.
Chak Shahzad, Islamabad
– Dr. Sonam Wangchuk Microbiologist/Chief Laboratory Officer, Public Health Laboratory
Department of Public Health Ministry of Health – Thimphu, Bhutan
– Dr. Basu Dev Pandey, MD, PhD; Infectious Disease Specialist & Dengue Specialist, National
Focal person for Dengue; Medical Superintendent; Ministry of Health Ramechap Hospital,
Nepal.
– Dr Rose Nani Binti Mudin Public Health Physician, Head of Vector Borne Disease Sector,
Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia
– Prof. Leo Yee Sin, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Lead Principal Investigator, STOP Dengue TCR
Flagship Programme (www.stopdengue.sg) (Remote).
– Dr. Raul Destura, Director, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at the UP National
Institutes of Health, Philippines
– Dr. A. B. M. Abdullah Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Professor of Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujib Medical University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
– Dr Neelika Malavige, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences of the
University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJ), Sri Lanka (Remote).
– Dr. Sheryl Maher, HE & Training Developer/Senior HE & Training Developer, OFFICE OF
LEARNING AND TEACHING, CHARLES DARWIN UNIVERSITY, Australia.(Remote)
– Dr. Asma Abdul Latif, Assistant Professor, Lahore College for Women University, Pakistan
– Dr. Nobuyuki Shimono, Director, Center for the study of Global Infection, Kyushu University
Hospital, Japan (Remote)
– Prof. Sazaly Abu Bakar, Department of Medical Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine University
of Malaya, Director WHO Collaborating Center for Arbovirus Reference and Research Tropical
Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC) (http://tidrec@um.edu.my)
Bandung, Indonesia
The Bandung workshop
• 5 clinicians/ researchers/public health officials
from MY, BD, PK, PH in person, 4 from SG, JP,
LK, AU remotely
• NREN reps also attended and provided insight
into what research networks are and how
NRENs can provide support
• Rep from APAN telemedicine working group
also attended
The Bandung workshop
• Dengue fever management & research has
national focus, but there is a need to collaborate
internationally to stop its spread
• Follow up activities to focus on specific topics
(dengue fever is multi-disciplinary) e.g. clinical
case management
• Network requirements differ, generally limited
bandwidth demands
– Videconferencing / webconferencing
– But also mathematic modelling to produce dengue
fever outbreak detection system
Bandung, Indonesia
Post-Dengue fever workshop
AARNet’s Annual
Report: Featured
Dengue Workshop
from an Australian
perspective
Following the Dengue
Workshop in Bandung,
AARNet contacted
leading researchers in
Australia to gain
better understanding
of networking needs
Rolling out the workshop model
Start regional,
then go global!
What have we learned ?
• We get better understanding as to how research
networking can help this ‘marginal’ user
community collaborate better in tackling this
global disease
• Scientific communities are usually not well aware
of the network.
• Global_PR community can help reach a wider
audience.
• Community-building
• Global case study
Moving forward
• How to keep the momentum?
• How can we maximize PR value of this
community building activities?
• How can we apply the experience/lessons
learnt to other topics and when reaching out
to other fairly unknown user communities?
Discussion
Discussion
• It affect us all.
• PR value to a marginal community. PR to
create greater Awareness.
• Other communities that can learn from this
experience. What are other areas ? Cultural.
• Provide them with tools. Eg videoconference.
• How do we engage and support them.