Global Typhoid Challenges in Focus at International Conference in Rwanda

KIGALI, Rwanda, Dec. 05, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 13^th International Conference on Typhoid & Other Invasive Salmonelloses gets under way today in Kigali, Rwanda, with nearly 350 researchers, healthcare professionals and policymakers meeting to find ways to address the urgent challenges of typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses.

The three-day conference, hosted by the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), housed at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, is the largest convening of the typhoid research community. Titled "Catalysing Change: The Urgency of Expanding Impact-Driven Solutions," it will feature 95 oral presentations and 120 poster presentations exploring opportunities for preventing and combating typhoid and invasive non-typhoid salmonella disease (iNTS).

Typhoid is a bacterial infection contracted through the consumption of food or beverages contaminated with Salmonella Typhi. There are an estimated 9-24 million cases of typhoid fever globally each year, leading to more than 110,000 deaths.

"These meetings have consistently fostered research collaborations and knowledge exchange that have been instrumental in advancing important progress within this field," says Dr. Denise Garrett, Vice President, Applied Epidemiology at the Sabin Vaccine Institute. "Our aim is to address the current challenges in typhoid and iNTS control and prevention, discuss impactful tools and potential solutions, and collectively explore approaches to forge a pathway forward."

Urgent issues in typhoid and iNTS control include:

• Escalating drug resistance, limiting treatment options for typhoid patients.
• The impact of climate change and extreme weather events, contributing to typhoid spread.
• Need for improved diagnostics to assess disease burden and to facilitate decision-making for the introduction of the typhoid vaccine into national immunization schedules.
• Need to improve water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, such as water treatment or filtration, installation and management of sanitation systems, and education on proper handwashing to prevent the transmission of typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses.

The conference is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and will run through December 7.

For more information about the Coalition against Typhoid, visit: https://www.coalitionagainsttyphoid.org

For media inquiries: [email protected]

About the Sabin Vaccine Institute

The Sabin Vaccine Institute is a leading advocate for expanding vaccine access and uptake globally, advancing vaccine research and development, and amplifying vaccine knowledge and innovation. Unlocking the potential of vaccines through partnership, Sabin has built a robust ecosystem of funders, innovators, implementers, practitioners, policymakers and public stakeholders to advance its vision of a future free from preventable diseases. As a non-profit with three decades of experience, Sabin is committed to finding solutions that last and extending the full benefits of vaccines to all people, regardless of who they are or where they live. At Sabin, we believe in the power of vaccines to change the world. For more information, visit www.sabin.org and follow us on X, @SabinVaccine.

Sabin leads research projects generating estimates of the burden of enteric fever around the world and conducts typhoid vaccine immunogenicity, effectiveness, and impact studies. Sabin's Surveillance for Enteric Fever in Asia Project (SEAP) tracks enteric fever in Bangladesh and Nepal to establish disease burden and the potential impact of vaccines. Additionally, Sabin leads the Sero-epidemiology and Environmental Surveillance (SEES) project, which has developed and validated sero-surveillance tools to rapidly estimate the burden of enteric fever in community settings.

About the Coalition against Typhoid (CaT)

The Coalition against Typhoid (CaT), based at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, works to prevent typhoid and other invasive salmonelloses through research, education, and advocacy. With more than 800 members, the Coalition acts as a catalyst in the global health community to coordinate partnerships, convene decision-makers, and advocate for sustainable solutions, including access to next-generation vaccines and clean water. The Coalition, formed in 2010, is guided by a multi-stakeholder steering committee. It is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Media Contact:
Monika Guttman
Media Relations Specialist
Sabin Vaccine Institute
+1 (202) 621-1691
[email protected]

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/edaaf20e-0b8f-4647-80a0-fa5995adacc3