Asia Dengue Voice & Action Group (ADVA)

The Asia Dengue Voice & Action Group (ADVA) was officially set up in 2013 with a mission to identify opportunities to make practical recommendations in dengue-related areas such as improving surveillance and laboratory capacity for dengue disease confirmation with other relevant dengue initiatives, including V2V (vaccine to vaccination) and the Dengue Vaccine Initiative.

ADVA advocates for a collaborative approach to sharing surveillance data and relevant information to ensure the success of dengue prevention through vaccination across regions. ADVA also reinforces the importance of a united front against dengue, and presents a collaborative model for joint effort in the region to prevent the disease through the introduction and implementation of dengue vaccination.

The group has formulated recommendations with an ultimate aim of translating the science of dengue vaccination into messages for policy makers, general public and health care workers.

Global Dengue and Aedes-transmitted Diseases Consortium (GDAC)

Four leading institutions at the forefront of dengue prevention and control—the
International Vaccine Institute (IVI), the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) of
the Johns Hopkins University, the Partnership for Dengue Control Foundation (PDC) and
the Sabin Vaccine Institute have formed a new global alliance, which is named the
Global Dengue and Aedes-transmitted Diseases Consortium (GDAC). This new
partnership will integrate approaches to fight dengue and other Aedes-transmitted
diseases including Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever.

GDAC will be working closely with the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide
scientific evidence to facilitate comprehensive Aedes-transmitted disease control,
incorporating research and public health projects, technical meetings and consultancies,
regulatory and policy support, financing frameworks and communications and advocacy.

The key objectives of this alliance is to accelerate innovation and application of
vaccines, vector control, antivirals, clinical management, therapeutics, diagnostics and
surveillance, and licensure and post-marketing oversight of vaccines. In addition, GDAC
will focus on strengthening social mobilization, advocacy and capacity building. It will
continue its members’ work with vaccine early adopter countries to develop integrated
control strategies specific to those countries. GDAC will work with all stakeholders to
develop strategies designed to prevent outbreaks caused by other viruses transmitted
by Aedes mosquitoes. With its global presence in Asia, America and Europe, GDAC will
build a common agenda to lead the new era of Aedes-transmitted diseases prevention
and control.

Website: https://www.gdac-dengue.org/

SEAMEO TROPMED Network

SEAMEO TROPMED Network is the regional cooperation network for education, training
and research in tropical medicine and public health, which is parked under the
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education. The Network aims to become and international
forum for development in health and is working towards developing the capacity of
institutions and individuals in delivering quality healthcare. This network serves as a
focal point in higher education and research in tropical medicine and public health.

The objectives of SEAMEO TROPMED are centred on training healthcare workers,
supporting research on endemic and emerging diseases and advocating relevant health
policies in order to empower communities with knowledge and encourage the use of
tools for disease prevention thus minimizing the economic burden of health.

Website: http://seameotropmednetwork.org/index.html

Fondation Merieux (FMx)

The Mérieux Fondation is an independent family foundation with public interest status
and is committed to fighting, in the field, the infectious diseases that affect developing
countries by building capacities, particularly in clinical laboratories.

With its network of laboratories, the foundation’s work is focused on diagnosis, an
essential aspect of patient care and an indispensable tool for disease surveillance and
control. Taking a global health approach, the foundation also works in the field to help
the most vulnerable, with a strong emphasis on mothers and children.

The Mérieux Fondation help the most vulnerable populations, particularly mothers and
children, gain fairer access to healthcare. From its very beginning in 1967, the Mérieux
Fondation has united public and private sector partners around a common mission.
Active today in over twenty countries, the Foundation works to strengthen the skills of
healthcare professionals in the field to ensure its programs have a long-lasting impact. It
catalyzes local and international initiatives to help the most vulnerable populations gain
fairer access to healthcare.

The Mérieux Foundation works closely with Fondation Christophe et Rodolphe Mérieux,
an independent family foundation under the aegis of the Institut de France, sharing the
same public health goals.

Website: http://www.fondation-merieux.org/partnership-for-dengue-control

The International Society for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ISNTD)

The ISNTD is an independent organisation providing a multidisciplinary global platform to an international network of individuals working in the fields of Neglected Tropical Diseases, diseases of poverty and global development.

The aim of the ISNTD is to focus on and highlight the research and programmes of colleagues and organisations worldwide, to ultimately have an impact on the health and prosperity of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable, while sharing the goal of reaching sustainable healthcare provision & poverty reduction in the developing world.

The ISNTD believes that this goal cannot be achieved without strengthening the ties between all the parties already involved in NTD alleviation and addressing the socio-ecological and socio-political context of NTDs, in order to achieve not only the cure but also the prevention of NTDs with true and sustainable local leadership.

As a result, the ISNTD has developed a vibrant, proactive and international Membership base and facilitates the development of concrete partnerships throughout its network and activities.

Website:https://www.isntd.org/about-isntd

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (ISSN 2414-6366) publishes authoritative and original articles, critical and systematic reviews, editorials, perspectives, short communications, commentaries, book reviews, letters to the editor and Special Issues on all aspects of tropical medicine and infectious disease. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. There is no restriction on the length of the papers. The full experimental details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced. There is, in addition, a unique feature of this journal:

We accept studies showing meaningful but negative results. While there are many journals that focus on tropical medicine and infectious disease studies, none of them actively accept negative results. As a result, most negative data do not end up in the public domain, even if the data were meaningfully negative and the study was well-designed. By accepting such negative results, our journal encourages scientists to share these data, so that they will not need to repeat experiments that somebody else has already done.

The scope of the journal includes, but is not limited to:
• Clinical tropical medicine
• Tropical public health
• Tropical infectious diseases
• Parasitology and entomology
• Bacteriology, mycology and virology
• Epidemiological and social science studies
• Chemotherapy and pharmacology
• Immunology
• Disease prevention, control and elimination
• Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases
• Emerging public health threats
• Global health and One Health

Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/tropicalmed

Dengue Prevention Advocacy Malaysia (DPAM) is Malaysia’s first independent dengue prevention advocacy group, jointly established by eight professional bodies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), alongside several esteemed medical experts with a keen interest in dengue.

DPAM was officially launched on 21st June 2023, in conjunction with the ASEAN Dengue Day. The group is led by the Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA), Malaysian Society of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases (MyICID), Malaysian Society of Infectious Diseases and Chemotherapy (MSIDC), and Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association (PPPKAM), in collaboration with the Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine (MSPTM), Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health Kuala Lumpur (APACPH-KL), and Rotary International District 3300.

DPAM aspires to synergise efforts by various stakeholders in assisting the Ministry of Health (MoH) Malaysia to achieve its national and global dengue targets through the strengthening of dengue prevention, control and management initiatives in Malaysia. These objectives encompass an annual 5% reduction in dengue cases, maintaining a case fatality rate (CFR) below 0.2% by 2026, and ultimately reducing the CFR to 0% by 2030, aligning with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) target.

DPAM’s scope of interest is comprehensive, covering epidemiology, integrated vector management, environment, patient care, laboratory, and vaccines. The group intends to contribute through healthcare professional education & communication, public education & communication, local research, guideline recommendations, as well as policy recommendations. As highlighted in DPAM Resolution Paper, which was released during the group’s launch, DPAM will emphasise its efforts on the following key strategies:

  • Empowering healthcare professionals through educational activities
  • Rallying the support of relevant stakeholders to conduct consistent and sustainable public education and awareness initiatives
  • Engaging relevant stakeholders to advocate for adequate financial allocation on key activities such as vector control and research
  • Conducting dengue-related research in collaboration with other stakeholders
  • Assisting/supporting MoH in the development or revision of guidelines
  • Dissemination of research findings through media to mobilise whole-of-society action against dengue.

For any enquiries or further information please contact us at secretariat@dpam.org.my.