The 64th ITM Colloquium was a great success! We had a wonderful time hearing experts from all over the world discuss the global landscape of disease burden in the context of climate change. Whether you joined us in Kathmandu or online, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did!
We already can't wait for #colloq24!
64 years after the first ITM colloquium was held in Antwerp (Belgium) in 1959, and following an alternating series of successful congresses in Belgium and partner countries around the globe, we have the great honour to co-host this year’s important annual colloquium with the Nepal Health Research Council in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu. This will be a great opportunity to share knowledge, expertise and perspectives to discuss the global landscape of disease burden in the context of climate change.
Climate change has already had a significant impact on global health, with more effects on low- and middle-income countries such as Nepal, with rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events leading to a range of health issues. For instance, the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas has led to increased risk of water-borne diseases, as well as flooding and landslides, which can cause injury and death. The rise in temperatures has also contributed to the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, visceral leishmaniasis, as well as respiratory diseases like asthma and allergies. Additionally, changes in precipitation patterns have led to food insecurity and malnutrition, especially in rural areas where agriculture is the primary source of livelihood. Overall, the impact of climate change on health is significant, and urgent action is needed to mitigate its effects. The developments in Nepal may foreshadow the rapidly increasing threat of climate change as well as its indirect impact on health at global scale, and underline the need to provide climate-resilient health systems for an expanding world population.
Our goal is to gather scientists from around the globe and provide a unique opportunity to exchange information and to communicate research results upfront at the next UN Climate Change 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. At the ITM colloquium, you will meet scientists from diverse backgrounds as well as policy makers from around the globe that share a common interest to learn more about the consequences of climate change on global health and improve our adaptive strategies and resilience in the context of climate change.
The congress programme includes invited lectures from international outstanding experts on climate change impact research. The ITM Colloquium 2023 contains six sessions.
Together we will share expertise and knowledge, discuss the evidence, and stimulate new research ideas. We will provide opportunities to connect different health disciplines and sectors and invest in partnerships and platforms using interactive formats. We aim to engage the entire audience by exchanging experiences and visions with a World Café and a panel discussion with top experts.
We strongly believe that we will deliver a high-quality meeting which will surely be a memorable experience and shift your perspective about how to adapt to climate change and increase worldwide resilience.
Looking forward to welcoming you at the ITM Colloquium in 2023!
The physical event is fully booked, but you can also attend from the comfort of your home. All keynote sessions and some thematic sessions will be streamed online, so whether you're near or far, you will still be able to benefit from ground-breaking exchanges.
If you are attending online, we kindly ask you to register as well. You will receive more practical information (including the link to the online meeting space) closer to the event.
Registration closed
An account of the 64th ITM Colloquium in Kathmandu, Nepal
Learn from Nepalese researcher Meghnath Dhimal how they mitigate its effects
Entomologist Ruth Müller explains how she and her team prevent and control a global threat
Concerns about the interrelations between global environmental change and human health are giving prominence to a new field of scientific research and science-based projects subsumed under the label of ‘Planetary Health’ (PH). The field’s emergence is a very recent phenomenon, greatly influenced by a number of important actors in the fields of global health research and climate change. The emergence and current process of definition of the field provides a unique opportunity to study the broader phenomenon of global, interdisciplinary research in the Anthropocene epoch as it is unfolding. In addition, the researchers involved are placed at the centre of these changes, providing in situ access to the development of the field. We welcome contributions on a) bringing a systems perspective to global health research by studying the consequences of human activities over natural systems, b) a future- and action-oriented perspective, adding an element of urgency not present in earlier systemic approaches to disease prevention with a focus on processes that “shape the future of humanity and the Earth’s natural systems that define the safe environmental limits within which humanity can flourish”, c) link scientific visions of (un)desirable futures to an explicit globalist or planetary understanding of ecological and social processes and systems.
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (Nepal)
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium)
Nepal Open University (Nepal)
Dr Bipin Kumar Acharya is a health geographer with research interest on spatial epidemiology, health geography and population health. He holds PhD in GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) from the Chinese Academy of Sciences with specialisation in medical geography, M. Phil from University of Bergen, Norway and MA from Tribhuvan University, Nepal. During the PhD he extensively worked in geospatial modelling and mapping dengue distribution in Nepal. After PhD, he joined Sun-Yat Sen University, Guangzhou, China as an Associate Researcher and continued his work on climate sensitive disease including dengue and scrub typhus.
Dr Acharya is currently associated with Nepal Open University as a Visiting Faculty for MSc Geoinformatics Program for teaching geospatial programming and supports research capacity of the University. He is also associated with Nepal Health Research Council, Kathmandu as a Geospatial Health research consultant. His current research project includes “Projecting impacts of environmental and climate change on transmission dynamics of visceral leishmaniasis in Southeast Asia and implications for regional elimination”.
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium)
Dr Saleh Aljadeeah is a pharmacist with over five years of work experience in the humanitarian healthcare field. In June 2022, he completed his PhD in Drug Utilisation Research titled "Access to and use of medicines among Syrian asylum seekers and refugees in Germany and the population with government health insurance in Syria" (University of Bayreuth, Germany, in collaboration with Boston University, USA).
In August 2022, he joined the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp as a postdoctoral researcher and launched a research project on access to NCDs medicines in conflict-affected areas in Northern Syria, funded by the King Baudouin Foundation. His main field of interest is access to essential medicines in humanitarian settings, and health systems research with a focus on pharmaceutical policies.
Institute of Public Health Bengaluru (India)
Dr Nandini Velho, an ORA India Fellow and Adjunct faculty member at the Institute of Public Health Bengaluru, initiated and currently leads Canopy Collective. As a wildlife biologist, she has a decade of field experience, a PhD from James Cook University, Australia, postdoctoral experience at the Earth Institute, Columbia University, and previous faculty roles at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology.
She founded Canopy Collective. This multidisciplinary group comprises scientists, storytellers, and practitioners dedicated to addressing the science and educational needs of forest departments and indigenous communities in northeast India. This initiative involved collaboration with DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance and other partners to establish one of the first Planetary Health Interpretation Centers in India, situated at the Pakke Tiger Reserve. Dr Velho led a team of experts from various disciplines, including public health, forestry, wildlife, and veterinary care, in integrating One Health principles on the ground.
Her prior research in the Pakke Tiger Reserve revealed a high prevalence of malaria among forest guards, resulting in significant disease burden and reduced park management efficiency. These findings were incorporated into a ten-year tiger conservation plan, emphasising health measures for anti-poaching staff. Subsequent research focused on non-communicable disease risk factors and social inequality patterns within four protected areas, underscoring the importance of site-specific data collection.
The impact of climate change on infectious diseases has become a growing concern in recent years. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events have been shown to influence the transmission of many infectious diseases, including malaria, dengue fever, leishmaniasis, West Nile virus, chikungunya, scrub typhus…This session will bring together experts in the fields of infectious disease and climate science to explore the latest research on the complex relationship between climate change and infectious diseases. Discussions will focus on the ways in which climate change is altering disease patterns and the implications for public health policy and preparedness. The session aims to provide a platform for advancing our understanding of this critical issue, and stimulate new ideas and collaborations to address this urgent global health challenge
Ifakara Health Institute (Tanzania)
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium)
University of Nairobi (Kenya)
Mr James Wanjama Kabugu is a laboratory scientist with over 13 years of experience working in government and collaborating with research institutions. He is currently a PhD candidate (Tropical and Infectious Diseases) at the Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, and the Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases at the University of Nairobi. The current research aims to understand the transmission dynamics of Rift Valley fever (RVF), an infectious zoonotic disease, and its socioeconomic and public health impact on small-scale livestock farmers in Nyandarua County. This region was once considered a low-risk area for RVF disease.
He has a keen interest in working with disease vectors, and vector-borne and infectious diseases using a One Health approach. He completed his collaborative Master of Science in Tropical Animal Health (Global One Health) at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, and the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 2018 under the DGD scholarship.
He has investigated the association of RVF incidences and RVF vector distribution and abundance linked with rainfall variability in Nyandarua. In addition, he used Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) to detect pathogens from livestock blood that are of public and animal health importance. This work was funded by the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP).
Goethe University (Germany)
Dr Isabelle Kramer earned her PhD from the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, specialising on the cold tolerance of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes sampled along an altitudinal gradient in Nepal. Her doctoral research covered medical entomology, experimental ecology, public health and population genomics. Her subsequent postdoctoral role at Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine at the Goethe University focused on social science and public health, particularly through a stakeholder analysis of West Nile Virus prevention and control in Germany.
Currently, Dr Isabelle Kramer conducts research at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Belgium as well as the Goethe University in Frankfurt and is closely collaborating with the Nepal Health Research Council in Kathmandu. Her primary focus is understanding mosquito adaptation to climate warming and their potential responses to future climate change scenarios, with a specific emphasis on mosquitoes from Nepal and Germany.
Lutheran World Federation (Nepal)
Liza Nagarkoti holds a Master in Food and Nutrition and a BSc in Nursing. She has worked as an Emergency Nurse for more than six years. An impassioned Emergency Nurse hailing from Nepal, she is driven by a fervent commitment to unravel the intricate relationship between climate change and global disease burden. Her research delves into the complexities of this intersection, emphasising the heightened vulnerabilities of communities in developing countries and indigenous regions. Having witnessed preventable climate-related illnesses firsthand, her mission is to bridge the gap between awareness and actionable change.
Dhulikhel Hospital (Nepal)
Sneha Shrestha, Medical Laboratory Technologist, has worked as a research assistant in the Environmental Surveillance of Typhoid Project in Nepal, in both field and sample testing. Her research interests focus on surveillance methods for detecting disease-causing organisms in the environment, bacteriophages, and antimicrobial resistance.
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (Nepal)
Prof Dr Surendra Uranw is an epidemiologist with postgraduate training and a PhD in Public Health; expertise in epidemiological and implementation research in Visceral leishmaniasis in Nepal. He has been a public health professional for over 15 years with a career spanning across INGOs, consultants in reputed INGOs and academic institution. Currently, he is a senior public health professional, working as Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine. He is having varied research and field implementation experiences in the field of neglected tropical diseases.
He has led and coordinated several collaborative clinical and operational research projects in epidemiology of Visceral leishmaniasis in close collaboration and coordination with Government of Nepal, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population in Nepal. Over the last 15 years, he has been working to generate evidence to support the ongoing National visceral leishmaniasis elimination programme in Nepal. At present he actively involved in the Neglected Tropical Diseases- elimination of Visceral Leishmaniasis initiative in Nepal as a scientific promotor through Framework Agreement 5 DGD – ITM 2022-2026 in Nepal.
Climate change has direct and indirect impacts on mental health. These range from mild climate anxiety to effects of extreme weather including food insecurity, ethnic and and gender based violence, migration and neurobiological growth disorder. This session aims to give an overview of these challenges and should cover original work on mental health effects of climate change around the world. We are specifically interested in contributions about the effects of climate change in mountainous regions on food basket areas and food insecurity; specific examples of climate change induced violence and migration; climate change related effects on mental health of pregnant mothers and newborn children; and neurobiological effects of air pollution and overuse of pesticides on. The session aims to contribute to an overview of research opportunities to advance the field Climate Change and Mental Health.
HealthRight International (USA)
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium)
University of New York (USA)
Amelia Colliver is in her final semester of the Master's of Public Health (MPH) programme at New York University. She also holds a BA in Political Economics from the University of Puget Sound. She is interested in the epidemiology of mental health disorders, particularly the ways in which climate change and other macro-level social, political, and economic factors impact the prevalence of common disorders such as anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.
She is currently involved in two research labs at NYU: the Bunting Research Lab, which seeks to understand behavioural patterns among polysubstance users in New York State, and the Climate Health and Justice Lab, with whom she is helping to produce a scoping review on the health impacts of climate change on youth. At the ITM Colloquium this November, she will be presenting on her research conducted in Ladakh, India from her time as Fulbright-Nehru Research Scholar in 2022.
World Health Organization (Nepal)
Dr Kedar Marahatta is a National Professional Officer at the WHO Country Office for Nepal and has been supporting the government in strengthening the national mental health system through legal and policy reforms; partner coordination, resource mobilisation and integrating MH interventions at different policies, plans, programmes and services. Prior to joining WHO, Dr Marahatta was a faculty in Department of Psychiatry at Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lalitpur Nepal.
Dr Marahatta holds a MBBS and MD (Psychiatry) and has published various scientific papers in mental health systems and services in low-resource settings.
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium)
Dr Willem van de Put, medical anthropologist, is a research fellow with ITM in Antwerp and the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs at Fordham University in New York. He is active in international public health since 1989. He was general director of HealthNet TPO (1998-2016), co-director of the course Mental Health in Complex Emergencies at Fordham University since 2004, and founder of Culture4change, a platform for transformative change.
Global environmental changes (GECs) – energy, air pollution, and climate change; urbanization; food, nutrition, and agriculture; chemical contamination; and biodiversity loss – directly and indirectly affect health and the development of non-communicable diseases (NCD) through a web of complex pathways. GECs affect the life course: exposure of an individual (as from foetal life to adulthood) will not only lead to higher risks for said individual to develop NCDs but will also cause epigenetic changes in their chromosomes, increasing the NCD risks of their future generations. Conversely, healthcare for NCDs can also negatively impact the environment; cytostatic (anti-cancer) drugs excreted by cancer patients eventually affect (fresh)water organisms and biodiversity; inhaler propellants damage the ozone layer; monitoring devices contribute to solid wastes, etc. We welcome abstracts demonstrating the complex interrelationships between GECs and NCDs and, optimally, proposing strategic solutions.
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium)
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium)
USAID / SSBH (Nepal)
Kusumsheela Bhatta, an early career researcher from Nepal with a master's degree in Public Health and prior experience as a Research Officer, demonstrates proficiency in research, analysis, and community engagement. With a keen focus on public health decision-making and improving healthcare delivery, she currently serves as a Health Systems Officer for USAID's Strengthening System for Better Health Health Activity.
Recognised for her academic excellence, Kusumsheela has received research grants and achieved top positions in both undergraduate and graduate studies, earning the prestigious Presidential Gold Medal. Her drive lies in utilising research to achieve a meaningful impact, especially in underserved communities.
Institute of Public Health Bengaluru (India)
Dr Upendra Bhojani graduated as a dentist and transitioned to public health. He stays and works in India. He serves as a faculty at the Institute of Public Health Bengaluru and leads a Cluster on Chronic Health Condition and Public Policy. He holds the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance Senior Fellowship and recently completed a term as Director (2019-2023) at the Institute. He earned his master's degree in public health from the Deakin University (Australia) and PhD from Ghent University (Belgium) through a scholarship from the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp. His interests include political economy of health, chronic health conditions, commercial determinants of health, public policy and health equity.
SRM University of Sikkim (India)
Toms K Thomas is a graduate of Erasmus University (the Netherlands) and an alumni of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (Belgium), with more than 30 years of extensive experience in various public health domains, including health innovations, implementation research, digital health, monitoring & evaluation, public health training, teaching, among others. He currently works as Professor and Head of the School of Public Health at SRM University Sikkim.
Thomas published over twenty scientific articles and led many health innovations. He established two digital health startups in India and holds many prestigious awards, fellowship and national and international prizes. Recent grants awarded include the research grant by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) to conduct research in the area of economic burden of cancer patients (Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer and Lung Cancer) in the North East India, the grant from Software Technology Park of India (STPI) under Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India to implement a Digital Health Project, and a grant to develop a device to screen oral cancer using AI supported by the Department of Bio Technology (DBT).
Thomas is also a recognised PhD supervisor and currently supervises three PhD students. Apart from this, he also collaborates with many international universities on Public Health Research and Innovations.
There is a growing body of evidence linking climate change, child health and sexual and reproductive health (SRH). The climate crisis directly and indirectly affects women’s contraceptive use, fertility intentions, and pregnancy outcomes through increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defects. This ultimately worsens the maternal health outcomes, along with jeopardising progress on sexual activities. Additionally, climate change can lead to the spread of vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue fever, which can be particularly harmful to children. The realisation of child health, sexual and reproductive health is crucial for strengthening resilience and improving the adaptive capacity of vulnerable populations who are already experiencing the disproportionate impacts of climate change.
More evidence from national, regional and international levels are therefore important to address these issues. Hence, this conference calls for the abstracts on the links of climate change, child health and sexual and reproductive health to gather better evidence.
Nepal Health Research Council (Nepal)
Ipas (Nepal)
Gamal Abdel Nasser University of Conakry (Guinea)
Dr Alpha Ahmadou Diallo holds a PhD in Epidemiology-Candidate and various certificates in research, ethics and public health. He is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Conakry, Secretary General of the Health Research Ethics Committee and Member of the Research Commission on the Ebola epidemic. Dr Diallo is a consultant in the monitoring and evaluation of health programmes and has taken part in a number of international projects. He seeks collaboration through research networks focusing on public health issues, in particular epidemics, ethics and community health in conjunction with digital technology and innovation.
Martyrs University (Uganda)
Kiconco Penenah is a midwife, a young midwife leader, and an advocate for midwives and women of reproductive age, with more than 12 years of professional experience working at various health facilities in Uganda. She belongs to the National Midwifery Association of Uganda, an ICM member organisation.
She has been able to be part of initiatives aimed at enhancing maternity and child healthcare capability. She is passionate about sexual reproductive health Rights and midwifery. She looks forward to advancing her career and making more significant contributions to maternal and child health across the globe and as well as the midwifery profession.
Education history
- Midwifery science bachelor's degree from Uganda Martyrs University
- Islamic University's midwifery diploma
Accomplishments
Ipas Nepal (Nepal)
Khusbu Poudel is a climate advocate and development practitioner passionate about women-led climate justice. She has a master's degree in Environment and Natural resource from Kathmandu University. She has around eight years of working experience in programme development and management in the field of climate resilience, disaster risk management and gender in leading NGOs/INGos in Nepal. She works with Ipas Nepal as Programme Coordinator, leading the climate justice component integrating gender and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Her role as a climate specialist is to conduct research, lead initiatives, and develop business to close gaps on the intersection of climate change, gender and sexual and reproductive health and rights. She also supported as an advisory board member of y.lab (organisation working for youth's health) for the development of climate justice and SRHR frameworks, a guide for funders. She has expertise in preparing climate resilient, disaster management, gender policy and plans at government level.
Climate change is already impacting human health in multiple ways (direct and indirect). It also affects the capacity of health systems to manage and protect population health. In order to address health crisis of climate change, we must invest in adaptation measures, including in preparing health systems resilience, in universal health care, and in integrating health considerations into adaptation across other sectors through health in all polices . Strengthening of preventive public health functions, including climate resilience, is the best protection for the future. In 2015, WHO published the Operational Framework for Building Climate Resilient Health Systems. The Operational Framework describes ten functions of health systems necessary to increase climate resilience, implemented around the six building blocks of health systems that support the delivery of universal health coverage. Addressing climate change risks to population health and improving health system resilience requires proactive efforts and many countries have already started developing climate resilient health systems. In fact, at the COP26 in Glasgow, UK, there were a record number of events focused on health and more than 50 countries committed to the COP26 Health Initiatives to strengthen climate resilience and create low-carbon sustainable health systems. Paris agreement itself as a public health treaty and its preamble refers to health and the right to health. This year in December 2023 in Dubai, UAE, the COP28 Presidency has committed to deliver an official, Presidency-level health programme, including for the first time ever, an official Health Day at the COP ; an anticipated health ministerial meeting; and side events on climate change and health. Furthermore, with this health focus for COP in 2023, many more health organizations than ever before are paying attention to the COP28 in Dubai, and gearing up to play a role. We welcome abstracts on global and national response to address health risks of climate change which could be lesson learnt for other countries of similar settings.
University of Washington (USA)
WHO SEARO New Delhi (India)
University of Guyana (Guyana)
Dr Cecil Boston is an accomplished academic who currently holds the office of Dean, College of Medical Sciences, and Chair of the Committee of Deans at the University of Guyana.
Academically, he holds a BSc. in Medical Laboratory Sciences and a Diploma in Education (Science) from the University of Guyana. Dr Boston holds three master's degrees and a PhD, having studied at the University of Guyana, the University of the West Indies, and the University of Central Lancashire. With more than 40 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals at the academic rank of reader, his area of expertise includes diabetes, environmental and occupational health and safety, climate change and laboratory science. His research work is cited and presented at several local, regional, and international conferences, most notably the Caribbean Public Health Research Conference, the Global Symposium on Health Systems Research pre-conference, and the International Indigenous Nursing Research Summit.
Professionally, Dr. Boston serves as a research consultant to the Government of Guyana, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization.
Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes (Philippines)
Romelei Camiling-Alfonso is a public health physician committed to improving health systems through strategy dialogues that impact policy development, service delivery organisation, and advocacy. She provides technical assistance to the Philippine government through the Asian Development Bank BUILD UHC programme, focusing on climate-smart health facilities, and health facilities regulation reform and how it contributes to reorienting health systems towards primary care.
She has been instrumental in convening and steering the Health Professionals Alliance Against COVID-19, leading efforts on unified clinical algorithms, maternal and child health policies, and primary care integration. She helped establish the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians and served as an Alliance for Improving Health Outcomes board member.
She has been a scholar at the Asian Institute of Management Masters Innovation and Business programme and an alumna of the Emerging Voices for Global Health programme. She received her Master's in Public Health from the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, and her degree in medicine from the University of the Philippines, Manila.
Tribhuvan University (Nepal)
Dr Ganga Datta Nepal has professional expertise on Water Supply Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), climate change and public health in national and international contexts. During his academic and professional journey, he has worked with the Water and Sanitation System establishments particularly in Nepal, The Netherlands, Germany, the USA and The Philippines. He holds a PhD in Water, Climate Change and Public Health, a MSc degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, an MA in Rural Development, and a postgraduate degree in Urban Infrastructure Management.
Dr Datta has in-depth understanding of social, cultural, economic and gender-related challenges and social norms affecting water supply and sanitation promotion, through community mobilisation and business models through private sector involvement in Nepal.
CERRHUD (Benin)
Hashim Hounkpatin is a medical doctor and public health researcher with over seven years of dedicated research and practice at both subnational and national levels in Benin, spanning across more than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). His diverse research portfolio encompasses critical areas such as climate change adaptation and mitigation within the SSA’s growing urbanisation context, the advancement of universal health coverage and social protection, maternal health, health system strengthening, process facilitation, and persuasive advocacy.
Hounkpatin holds a dual Master of Science degrees, one in Public Health and another in Food and Environment Toxicology, each reflecting his commitment to multifaceted approaches in addressing health challenges. Furthermore, Hashim boasts an interuniversity diploma in e-Health, showcasing his dedication to harnessing technology for innovative healthcare solutions.
Goethe University
(Germany)
Prof Dr Bodo Ahrens, Ph.D in meteorology from the University of Bonn (Germany), had post-doctoral positions at the BTU Cottbus, HZG Geesthacht, and the University of Vienna, and senior scientist positions at the University of Vienna and the Institute of Atmospheric and Climate Science ETH. Since 2006, he has been Full Professor at the Institute for Atmosphere and Environment, Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main.
The research group “Mesoscale Meteorology and Climate” at Goethe University in Frankfurt (Germany), led by Bodo Ahrens, focuses on studying mesoscale hydro-meteorological and climatological prediction of the energy and water cycle in complex terrain. The group's primary interest lies in investigating land and sea-surface – atmosphere feedback processes, as well as complex interactions in transition zones. The geographical focus areas are the German Mittelgebirge, the Mediterranean and its mountain ranges (like the European Alps), and the African and Asian monsoon regions.
A list of the group’s journal publications is available at http://www.climtropy.de.
University of Melbourne
(Australia)
Prof Kathryn Bowen is a leading, internationally-recognised expert on the science and policy of sustainability (particularly climate change) and global health issues, with 20 years experience in original public health research, science assessment, capacity development and policy advice. She thrives on interdisciplinary, energetic and stimulating work environments where the emphasis is on implementing policy-relevant and evidence-based sustainability programmes. Bowen is regularly commissioned by international bilateral and multilateral agencies (e.g. WHO, UNEP, UNDP, ADB, GIZ, DFAT) to co-design solutions for sustainable futures. She works to empower colleagues and decision-makers and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to drive positive outcomes. Her career highlight to date has been her nomination by the Australian Government to be a Lead Author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Health Chapter.
University of Washington
(USA)
Dr Kristie L. Ebi, Ph.D., MPH is a Professor in the Center for Health and the Global Environment in the School of Public Health, University of Washington. She has been conducting research on the health risks of climate variability and change for more than 25 years. Her research focuses on estimating the current and future health risks of climate change; designing adaptation programmes to reduce those risks; and quantifying the health co-benefits of mitigation policies. She has provided technical support to multiple countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific in managing climate change-related risks. She was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 6th assessment cycle, including the special report on warming of 1.5°C and the human health chapter for Working Group II.
Her scientific training includes an M.S. in toxicology and a Ph.D. and a Master of Public Health in epidemiology, and two years of postgraduate research at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She edited fours books on aspects of climate change and has more than 250 peer-reviewed publications.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
(USA)
Jonathan Patz, MD, MPH, is Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor & John P. Holton Chair of Health and the Environment and, from 2011-2022, served as inaugural director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His faculty appointments are in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and the Department of Population Health Sciences.
Dr Patz co-chaired the health report for the first Congressionally mandated US National Assessment on Climate Change and for 15 years, served as a lead author for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) – the organisation that shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. Some of his other awards include: the Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellows Award; shared Zayed International Prize for the Environment; Fulbright Scholarship; American Public Health Association’s Homer Calver Award for environmental health leadership; Case Western School of Medicine Alumni Special Recognition award; Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars; Chanchlani Global Health Research Award; and elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Professor Patz has taught and conducted research on the health effects of climate change and global environmental change for nearly 30 years, and currently directs the university's Planetary Health Scholars Program. He has published over 200 science publications and several textbooks on these subjects.
WHO SEARO New Delhi
(India)
Dr Suman Rijal is a physician from Nepal and has been working as Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases of World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia Region since April 2021.
Prior to this, he worked as Director of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) of the South Asia Regional Office, New Delhi (India) from 2014 to 2021 and as Professor of Medicine at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan (Nepal) from 1997 till 2014.
He completed his medical training at the University of Calcutta (India) and in the United Kingdom and he was conferred his PhD in Health Sciences from Ghent University (Belgium) in 2006.
Dr Rijal has been working in the field of communicable diseases, particularly neglected tropical diseases, for the last 25 years. He was the pioneer for visceral leishmaniasis research in Nepal, which included epidemiological studies, validation of diagnostic tests and community interventional trials and drug efficacy trials. Partnering with academia, research organisations and national programmes and policy makers has been a principal model followed to make an impact. Some of the achievements include: the clinical development of new treatments in kala-azar and PKDL, the evidence generated for single dose liposomal amphotericin to replace miltefosine as first-line treatment in South Asia, and establishing the National Reference Center for Kala-azar in Nepal and the Tropical and Infectious Diseases Centre at BPKIHS, Dharan (Nepal), in partnership with ITM, Antwerp (Belgium).
He has published more than 125 articles in peer reviewed journals.
University of Oslo
(Norway)
Prof Ernst Kristian Rødland, MD, PhD, ID specialist, is a Senior Medical Officer at the Division of Climate and Environmental Health at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH). He is also an Associate Professor at the Centre for Sustainable Healthcare Education at the Medical Faculty at the University of Oslo (Norway). Rødland has a particular interest for, and significant knowledge on, planetary health – how human exploitation of natural resources has become the biggest threat to human health globally.
University of Maryland
(USA)
Dr Amir Sapkota is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Maryland, School of Public Health (UMD-SPH), College Park, Maryland. He received his PhD from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and post-doctoral training from the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France. His research focuses on the impact of climate change on human health, with a particular emphasis on enhancing community resilience. Currently, he is leading a multinational consortium to develop an early warning system for diarrheal diseases in the Asia Pacific Region.
The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp (Belgium) is a centre of expertise that initiates collaborations and functions as a mediator between research and policy makers. At ITM, we want to leverage our longstanding reputation to bring research expertise together to tackle health challenges and claim our place as a global centre of expertise, working on health for all. By organising the ITM Colloquium we aim to bring experts together from around the world to discuss the most pressing questions in tropical medicine and international health. The ITM Colloquium functions as a forum to share scientific progress and discuss collaborations.
The Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) in Kathmandu (Nepal) is a national apex body of Government responsible for providing scientific study and quality health research in the country. NHRC cooperates with the Ministry of Health, non-governmental agencies, private sectors and other relevant ministries to provide consultation, assistance and advice in all matters related to health research, policies and health care services. The council promotes research through research training and grants. NHRC hosts national summits of health and population scientists annually and has also hosted several regional and international conferences. NHRC is pleased to host the 64th ITM Colloquium in collaboration with ITM in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Chief Research Officer
Nepal Health Research Council (Kathmandu)
Dr Meghnath Dhimal is an Environmental Health Scientist with over 18 years of experience working in Nepal, Maldives, Timor-Leste and Germany. Currently, he works as a Chief/Senior Research Officer at Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) Government of Nepal. He completed his PhD in Geo-sciences (Environmental Health Sciences) from the Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany in 2015 under a German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD) scholarship. He has led several research projects on environmental health, climate change and health, non-communicable diseases, neglected tropical diseases, burden of diseases and health systems research in Nepal. Recognising his contribution in the field of climate change and health, he has received number of awards including “Young Scientists Award of the Year 2015” by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), Winner of New Voices in Global Health Programme at World Health Summit 2017, Outstanding Health Research Award 2018 from NHRC and National Science, Technology and Innovation Award of Health Sector 2022 from Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Government of Nepal. He serves as a member of various national and international organisations including a contributing author of IPCC’s Sixth assessment report 2022, member of Expert Group on Environment Determinants of Health and Climate Change in WHO South East Asia Region, member of Health Effects of Heat Interventions Advisory Committee at the Wellcome Trust, UK, member of Lancet Commission on Sustainable Health Care and member of steering committee of Future Earth Health Knowledge Action Network.
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (Dharan)
Dr Narayan Raj Bhattarai is an additional Professor and Head of the department, department of Microbiology at B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan, Nepal, the premiere health science institution of the country. By education and training, he is a microbiologist with special training in molecular epidemiology on Vector borne diseases like visceral leishmaniasis. Dr Bhattarai has obtained his PhD degree from University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium with the support from Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Antwerp, Belgium. He has guided PhD and master students at BPKIHS since 2009 and contributed various scientific publications in the field of Kala-azar, antimicrobial resistance, leprosy, febrile syndrome, malaria, tuberculosis etc. Dr Bhattarai was involved in various European Commission (EC) funded projects like Kalanet, Kaladrug, Nidiag and institutional collaborative activities with ITM-DGD through FA3, and FA5 in Nepal. In addition to his scientific contributions, Dr Bhattarai is so far holding the position of governing council member of BPKIHS, Dharan, nominated by health ministry of Nepal.
Department of Public Health
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Dr Kristien Cloots is a medical doctor by training working as an epidemiologist in Belgium since 2016. Her main areas of interest include surveillance systems and transmission dynamics, with a focus on diseases in an elimination setting. Her work focuses mostly on Neglected Tropical Diseases, with an emphasis on visceral leishmaniasis and more recently also leprosy. At present, she is working as a researcher at the Public Health Department of the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Belgium, in the unit of Mycobacteria and Neglected Tropical Diseases.
Policy Research Institute (Kathmandu)
Dr Mandira Lamichhane Dhimal is an Associate Research Fellow at Policy Research Institute (PRI), a think tank of the Government of Nepal. She completed her PhD from Goethe University (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) in 2018. Mandira is a recipient of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Scholarship, one of the prestigious scholarships from Germany, to conduct her PhD study. In her PhD dissertation, she used gender perspectives on the health impacts of environmental and climate change in Nepal. She completed her master’s degree in Sociology from Purwanchal University, Nepal. As a returning expert of CIM/GIZ Germany, she worked for three years (2018-2021) as a research and social development advisor for Nepal Pollution Control and Environmental Management Centre. She also serves as a visiting faculty of sociology of health and medical sociology in different universities in Nepal. She has contributed as consultant/social scientist to various research institutes in Nepal including at Nepal Health Research Council. Her areas of expertise include climate change and health, gender equality and social inclusion, sociology of health, qualitative research, implementation research and policy research. She has more than ten years of experience in research and teaching in various universities in Nepal. She has published a book entitled “Gender Dimensions of Health Impact of Climate Change in Nepal: A Comprehensive Empirical Study”, two book chapters, two policy briefs and more than two dozen articles in national and international journals.
Department of Clinical Sciences
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Dr Laurens Liesenborghs is an infectious disease specialist and researcher specialised in emerging infectious diseases and humanitarian medicine. He has a broad scientific background and experience in several key domains of emerging infectious disease research, including animal models, preclinical drug development, virology, vaccinology, microbiology, clinical trials and epidemiology.
During his PhD, he developed a new preclinical mouse model to study the pathophysiology of infective endocarditis. Afterwards, he specialised in emerging viruses, by working for Doctors without Borders in a Lassa Fever project in Sierra Leone and conducting postdoctoral research in the BSL3+ lab of the University of Leuven. There, he helped to develop a hamster model of COVID-19 and worked on testing antivirals and a vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2.
Currently, he is Assistant Professor and Unit Head of Clinical Emerging Infectious Diseases at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) and a member of ITM’s multidisciplinary Outbreak Research Team. His current research interest mainly concerns mpox. Already before the global outbreak started, he was leading a One Health project on MPXV transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition, he is currently conducting several research projects on MPX in Belgium, including a study on asymptomatic presentation, a close follow-up of high-risk contacts and several studies on MPXV diagnostics. He is also involved in a large European platform trial on MPX therapeutics.
Besides mpox, his main research topics include outbreak research, COVID-19 and viral hemorrhagic fevers, with ongoing projects in Belgium, DRC, Burundi, Guinea, Ghana and Ethiopia.
Senior Research Officer
Nepal Health Research Council (Kathmandu)
Dr Bishnu Marasini started his research career at the Central Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, and later joined Kathmandu Model Hospital, Patan Hospital, and Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) for research. His MS and PhD research focused on drug discovery, bio-assay, disease modeling, and computational biology resulting in some publications and a patent. Furthermore, he served as a Head of the Department of Biotechnology at National College of Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. His team is the pioneer in the development of a bio-assay system/ lab in Nepal. He is a recipient of the TWAS-UNESCO Award, Health Research Award, etc. He was honored by the honorable president, prime minister, governor of the province as well as chief minister of Nepal for his contribution to the education and research sector. Moreover, he is a reviewer, editor, and editor-in-chief of some journals. Currently, he has been working at Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) as a senior researcher looking into infectious diseases including COVID-19.
Department of Biomedical Sciences
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Prof Anna Rosanas-Urgell is a Professor and Head of the Malariology Unit at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium. She is a molecular epidemiologist and geneticist with over 19 years of experience in researching Plasmodium parasites. She completed a MSc in Experimental research at the University of Barcelona and a MSc in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, followed by a PhD in Genetics (University of Barcelona). Her postdoctoral work at the University of São Paulo and the Hospital of Tropical Medicine in Manaus focused on investigating P. vivax spleen evasion mechanisms and monitoring the malaria surveillance system in the region.
In 2007, Prof Rosanas-Urgell joined ISGlobal in Barcelona and the Institute of Medical Research (IMR) in Papua New Guinea, where she supervised field and the molecular work for a longitudinal cohort study to investigate the burden of infection and disease caused by P. vivax. In 2009, she became Head of the Molecular and Epidemiology Unit at IMR, where she developed and led the malaria molecular epidemiology program, focusing on the association of red blood cells polymorphisms with malaria susceptibility and the epidemiology of P. falciparum and P. vivax. In 2012, Prof Rosanas-Urgell was appointed Head of the Malariology Unit at the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp.
Fundamental research questions at the core of Prof Rosanas-Urgell’s unit continue to be solidly grounded in field-research providing a rare bridge between in vivo and in vitro studies. Current activities span Plasmodium research in Africa, South America, South-East Asia and Oceania. By using state-of-the-art molecular and cell biology technologies, Prof Rosanas-Urgell’s unit aims to gain understanding on how malaria parasites (P. falciparum and P. vivax) adapt to the environment for parasite evasion and survival. The unit focus on how host factors such as genetics, exposure to drugs and immunity can modify individual risk and modulate parasite decision to replicate or reproduce. The unit uses genomic epidemiology studies to investigate how parasite adaptation (through selection pressure on parasite phenotypes) is moderated at the genomic and transcriptomic level. In complementarity with this and closely connected to the ongoing disease-elimination efforts, the unit aims to contribute to the development of innovative surveillance tools and improved strategies.
Tribhuvan University (Kathmandu)
Prof Dr Reshma Tuladhar, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. She has been involved in teaching over the past 20 years. Her area of research is focused in viruses especially dengue with respect to vector borne diseases. She has investigated the association of climate factors with dengue incidences and dengue vector abundance linked with climate change. For this research she received Women Science and Technology award presented by Nepal Academy for Science and Technology. She was part of the team in a recently accomplished research on the wastewater based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Nepal funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She is the recipient of Fulbright Fellowship and Floyd Summer Research Fellowship at Indiana University, Bloomington, USA in 2008, and the research fellowships at Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany in 2019. She is a member of organization such as Fulbright Alumni Association, American Society of Microbiology as a contributing member, Nepalese Society of Microbiologists, Organization of Women in Science in Developing countries (OWSD). She has over 40 publications in International and national journals.
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (Dharan)
Prof Dr Surendra Uranw is an epidemiologist with postgraduate training and a PhD in Public Health; expertise in epidemiological and implementation research in Visceral leishmaniasis in Nepal. He has been a public health professional for over 15 years with a career spanning across INGOs, consultants in reputed INGOs and academic institution. Currently, he is a senior public health professional, working as Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine. He is having varied research and field implementation experiences in the field of neglected tropical diseases.
He has led and coordinated several collaborative clinical and operational research projects in epidemiology of Visceral leishmaniasis in close collaboration and coordination with Government of Nepal, Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population in Nepal. Over the last 15 years, he has been working to generate evidence to support the ongoing National visceral leishmaniasis elimination programme in Nepal. At present he actively involved in the Neglected Tropical Diseases- elimination of Visceral Leishmaniasis initiative in Nepal as a scientific promotor through Framework Agreement 5 DGD – ITM 2022-2026 in Nepal.
Department of Clinical Sciences
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Dr Steven Van Den Broucke is an internist and infectious diseases specialist. He worked abroad with Médecins Sans Frontières for several years in Zimbabwe in an HIV-TB project, in Pakistan in an emergency and hepatitis C project, in DR Congo in a conflict zone, in Guinea in an Ebola virus study and in Kenya for the set-up of a non-communicable diseases project. He joined the Institute of Tropical Medicine in 2012 to work as a physician in the travel clinic and in the HIV-STI clinic and he lectures on a wide range of topics in tropical medicine. He is involved in several research projects on tropical diseases. He works as part-time emergency medicine physician.
Director
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Executive Chief
Nepal Health Research Council (Kathmandu)
General Manager
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Event Manager
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
Management Assistant
Institute of Tropical Medicine (Antwerp)
| Time | Activity | Additional info |
|---|---|---|
| 16:00-17:00 | Registration with tea/coffee | |
| 17:00-17:10 | Welcome Remarks | Dr Pradip Gyanwali, NHRC |
| 17:10-17:15 | Official inauguration of the colloquium/conference | Chief Guest |
| 17:15-17:25 | Remarks from ITM Director | Prof Dr Lut Lynen |
| 17:25-17:30 | Remarks from Representative of Ministry for Forest and Environment, Nepal | Dr Budhhi Prasad Paudel, Joint-Secretary |
| 17:30-17:35 | Remarks from Secretary, Ministry of Health and Population | |
| 17:35-17:40 | Remarks from Hon. Member of National Planning Commission, Nepal | |
| 17:40-17:50 | Remarks from Chief Guest Hon. Minister for Health and Population, Government of Nepal | Mr. Mohan Bahadur Basnet |
| 17:50-18:00 | Objectives of ITM Colloquium and overview of programme | Prof Dr Ruth Müller |
| 18:00-18:05 | ITM Scientific Excellence Award ceremony by ITM Director & ITM Head of Board of Governors | Prof Dr Lut Lynen Dr Jo Bury |
| 18:05-18:25 | Keynote presentation | ITM Scientific Excellence Awardee |
| 18:25-18:35 | Q&A | |
| 18:35-18:45 | Closing Remarks | Prof Dr Gehanath Baral, Chairman, NHRC |
| 18:45-21:00 | Cultural Programme followed by dinner |
| Time | Activity | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00-9:00 | Registration + Welcome coffee | ||
| 9:00-10:45 | Keynotes - Bagmati Hall | ||
| 9:00-9:35 | Keynote + Q&A | Bodo Ahrens | Climate Change Hotspots |
| 9:35-10:10 | Keynote + Q&A | Ernst Kristian Rødland | Consequences of climate change and disrupted natural systems on health |
| 10:10-10:45 | Keynote + Q&A | Suman Rijal | Uncovering the Complex Relationship Between Infectious Diseases and Climate Change: Implications for NTDs and VBDs in SEAR and Mitigation Efforts |
| 10:45-11:10 | Coffee break | ||
| START PARALLEL SESSIONS A & C | |||
| 11:10-12:30 | SESSION A - Climate Change and Planetary Health | ||
| A1: Intro by session chairs | Basudha Khanal Ruth Müller |
||
| A2: Presentation | Bipin Kumar Acharya | Climate change and its impact on spatial and temporal distribution of visceral leishmaniasis transmission risk in Nepal | |
| A3: Presentation | Saleh Aljadeeah | Pharmaceutical waste in the environment: a neglected threat | |
| A4: Presentation | Nandini Velho | Co-production efforts for establishing a Planetary Health Interpretation Center in Pakke Tiger Reserve: a multidisciplinary and participatory approach | |
| A5: Session discussion and summary | Basudha Khanal Ruth Müller |
||
| 11:10-12:30 | SESSION C - Climate Change and Mental Health | ||
| C1: Intro by session chairs | Nawaraj Upadhaya Willem van de Put |
||
| C2: Presentation | Willem van de Put | What do we talk about when we talk about Mental Health and Climate Change? | |
| C3: Presentation | Amelia Colliver | Distress and wellbeing in Ladakh’s changing environment | |
| C4: Presentation | Kedar Marahatta | Climate crisis and coping: a mental health perspective | |
| C5: Session discussion and summary | Nawaraj Upadhaya Willem van de Put |
||
| END PARALLEL SESSIONS A & C | |||
| 12:30-13:30 | Lunch | ||
| 13:30-15:00 | World café | ||
| 15:00-15:30 | Coffee break | ||
| 15:30-17:30 | SESSION B - Uncovering the Complex Relationship Between Infectious Diseases and Climate Change | ||
| B1: Intro by session chairs | Emmanuel Kaindoa Anna Rosanas-Urgell |
||
| B2: Presentation | Liza Nagarkoti | Understanding the global landscape of disease burden in the context of climate change | |
| B3: Presentation | Isabelle Kramer | Genomic profiling of climate adaptation in Aedes Aegypti along an altitudinal gradient in Nepal | |
| B4: Presentation | Surendra Uranw | Shifting of transmission dynamics of visceral leishmaniasis in Nepal: potential impacts of climate change | |
| B5: Presentation | James Wanjama Kabugu | Rainfall variability and Rift Valley fever: the new trend in disease emergence in a low endemic area of Nyandarua | |
| B6: Presentation | Sneha Shrestha | Detection of Salmonella Typhi bacteriophages in surface waters as a scalable approach to environmental surveillance | |
| B7: Session discussion and summary | Emmanuel Kaindoa Anna Rosanas-Urgell |
||
| 17:30-19:00 | Reception + social dinner | ||
| Time | Activity | Speaker | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00-9:00 | Registration + Welcome coffee | ||
| 9:00-10:45 | Keynotes | ||
| 9:00-9:35 | Keynote + Q&A | Jonathan Patz | Actions on the climate crisis offer major and immediate health benefits |
| 9:35-10:10 | Keynote + Q&A | Kathryn Bowen | Global and regional health impacts of climate change |
| 10:10-10:45 | Keynote + Q&A | Amir Sapkota | Climate change, extreme weather events and chronic diseases – how do we adapt as a society? |
| 10:45-11:10 | Coffee break | ||
| START PARALLEL SESSIONS D & E | |||
| 11:10-12:30 | SESSION D - Addressing Non-communicable Diseases and Climate Change | ||
| D1: Intro by session chairs | Grace Marie Ku Diana Sagastume |
||
| D2: Presentation | Upendra Bhojani | Tobacco’s huge impact on environment: a wicked problem requiring intersectoral action | |
| D3: Presentation | Toms K Thomas | Climate change led vulnerability and disruptions in treatment access to cancer patients in Sikkim in North East India | |
| D4: Presentation | Kusumsheela Bhatta | Factors associated with heat stress and its health effects among people of Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City, Nepal | |
| D5: Session discussion and summary | Grace Marie Ku Diana Sagastume |
||
| 11:10-12:30 | SESSION E - Climate Change, Child Health and Sexual and Reproductive Health | ||
| E1: Intro by session chairs | Gehanath Baral Jagadishwor Ghimire |
||
| E2: Presentation | Khusbu Poudel | Impact of climate change on gender and sexual and reproductive health and rights in Khutiya and Banganga river basins: findings from a mixed method | |
| E3: Presentation | Kiconco Penenah | The impact of climate change on the well-being of pregnant and postpartum women in Uganda: a case study of Ntoroko District | |
| E4: Presentation | Alpha Ahmadou Diallo | Impact of climate change on maternal and child health and well-being in West Africa | |
| E5: Session discussion and summary | Gehanath Baral Jagadishwor Ghimire |
||
| END PARALLEL SESSIONS D & E | |||
| 12:30-13:30 | Lunch | ||
| 13:30-14:30 | Poster Bazar | ||
| 14:30-16:30 | SESSION F - Global and National Response to address Health Risks of Climate Change | ||
| F1: Intro by session chairs | Kristie Ebi Suman Rijal |
||
| F2: Presentation | Cecil Boston | Assessing policies for a climate-resilient health system in Guyana: a comprehensive mixed methods study | |
| F3: Presentation | Romelei Camiling | Climate change in health agenda: review of health sector policies in the Philippines | |
| F4: Presentation | Ganga Datta Nepal | Climate Resilient Water Safety Plan (CR-WSP): a tool for public health based target | |
| F5: Presentation | Hashim Hounkpatin | How are health systems in sub-Saharan Africa adapting to protect human health from climate change threats? | |
| F6: Keynote, session discussion and summary | Kristie Ebi | National and global responses to manage the health risks of climate change | |
| 16:30-17:00 | Break | ||
| 17:00-17:30 | Farewell + Young researcher award | ||
| 17:30-18:30 | Farewell reception | ||
Kathmandu Marriott Hotel is a five-star contemporary hotel in the Nepalese capital, only 4km from the international airport. The spacious hotel combines modern design with local creativity and offers excellent service and deluxe amenities. Situated in the heart of the city near top shopping, dining and attractions, Marriott offers a perfect location within walking distance of all the tourist highlights.
Marriott offers more than 750 sq. m of meeting rooms and event spaces. The modern meeting rooms have state-of-the-art audiovisual technology and high-speed internet access. The hotel also takes a fresh approach to dining experiences, so during your conference breaks, you will enjoy superb catering.
You can find more info about the 64th ITM Colloquium meeting rooms here.
Manakamana Marg, Naxal
Kathmandu 44600
Nepal
Contact
+977 015970300
kathmandu.marriott@marriott.com
www.marriottkathmandu.com
More practical info about the venue will follow.
To make your ITM Colloquium experience as pleasant as possible, we have pre-blocked a number of rooms at the Marriott and the Fairfield by Marriott Hotel at special prices. Please note that you are under no obligation to book a room in the partner hotels and can make your own booking arrangements.
Relax in the conference hotel and retreat to your spacious, well-appointed hotel room at the end of the day.
More info on the hotel website.
Located in the vibrant Thamel district and at a 15-min walking distance from the conference venue, this hotel offers everything for a productive and relaxing stay. We will provide a shuttle service between the conference venue and the hotel at the beginning and the end of the conference days.
More info on the hotel website.
We are always open to explore new partnership opportunities. For inquiries, please contact colloquium@itg.be.
