Health Impact on Developing Countries of Genetic Blood Disorder 'Cooley's Anemia' Highlighted at New York Academy Conference

Main Category: Blood / Hematology
Article Date: 10 Mar 2005 - 0:00 PDT


Meeting March 17-19 in Orlando to Present Latest Data, Advances -

Cooley's anemia (thalassemia major) is posing an increasingly serious public health problem for developing countries, especially those of Asia-a problem compounded by poverty, new epidemics of infectious disease, and recent natural disasters.

According to Sir David J. Weatherall, M.D., of the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford, UK, a better appreciation of the true health burden of thalassemia is necessary in order to convince governments of the disease's future impact, economically as well as epidemiologically. Cooley's anemia, an inherited life-threatening blood disorder, requires regular transfusions and extensive ongoing medical care.

Sir Weatherall is the keynote speaker at an international conference March 17-19 in Orlando, Florida, sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with the Cooley's Anemia Foundation. In his talk, he will address the types of research that is moving forward to determine the most effective ways of managing the disease and how partnerships-international as well as among the third world countries--can help control it.

The conference-to be held at the Hilton in the Walt Disney Resort-will focus on the latest advances in the understanding and treatment of this disease. It will bring together leading specialists to consider the kinds of dramatic improvements in diagnosis, prevention of complications and treatment since the last major symposium on the disease, held in 1997 and also sponsored by the Academy and the Foundation.

On the conference agenda are more than 50 talks and workshops, including:

-- Thursday, March 17, 9:30 AM: The Challenge of Thalassemia for the Developing Countries, Sir David Weatherall

-- Thursday, March 17, 10 AM: Changing Patterns of Thalassemia Worldwide, Elliott Vichinsky, M.D., Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland, California

-- Friday, March 18, l:30 PM: Preimplantation Genetics: Improving Access to Stem Cell Therapy, Anver Kouliev, M.D., Reproductive Genetics Research and Education Center, Chicago, Illinois

-- Saturday, March 19, 8:45 AM: Health Policy and Chronic Disease, Gargi Pahuja, M.P.H., Thalassemia Action Group, New York, New York

A full program and selected abstracts are available at nyas.org/programs/conferences.asp

The conference was organized by Elliott Vichinsky of Children's Hospital and Research Center, Oakland, CA, and Jayne Restivo, Cooley's Anemia Foundation, Flushing, NY.

NOTE: Reporters wishing to attend this conference or arrange interviews should contact: Fred Moreno, 212/838-0230, x230 or fmoreno@nyas.org

Founded in 1817, the New York Academy of Science is an independent nonprofit organization of more than 22,000 members worldwide dedicated to serving science, technology, and society.

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