Ebola and Other Emerging Infectious Disease Threats

Infectious diseases such as Ebola travel rapidly across national borders. One out of four deaths annually worldwide are due to infectious illnesses and more than 40 new ones have emerged since 1972 alone. On December 10, 2014, the Embassy of Italy and New America will convene a conference on “Ebola and Other Emerging Infectious Disease Threats: Prevention and Preparedness.”

The conference will explore what is known about these infectious diseases, what must be done to prevent and contain their spread, and how science and technological innovations can play an innovative role in that regard. The goal of this event is to provide an insightful exchange of perspectives and knowledge about the status of current infectious disease outbreaks (Ebola, Marburg, Chikungunya), focusing on global public health preparedness to address these illnesses for humanitarian, economic, and national security purposes.

Participants:

Welcoming Remarks:

Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero
Italian Ambassador to the U.S.

Rear Admiral Susan Blumenthal M.D.
Moderator, Senior Fellow, New America Former US Asssitant Surgeon General

Featured Speakers:

Anthony Fauci, M.D.
Director, NIAID, National Institutes of Health

Ted Koppel
Award Winning Journalist

Jacob Kumaresan M.D., Dr. PH
Executive Driector, WHO Office at the United Nations, NYC

Francisco Becerra Posada, M.D., Dr. PH
Assistant Director, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)

Lyle Peterson, M.D., M.P.H.
Director, Division of Vector Borne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC)

Dennis Carroll, Ph.D
Special Assistant for Global Health Security, USAID

Alicia Jackson, Ph.D
Director, Biological Technologies Office, DARPA, DOD

Professor Giuseppe Ippolito
National Institute of Infectious Diseases "Spallanzani" Rome

Professor Maria Rita Gismondo
HEad, Microbiology Lab, L.Sacco Hosptial, Milan