The Neglected Tropical Diseases and Poverty Connection
The Negelcted Tropical Diseases are the most common diseases of people living in extreme poverty. More than one billion people are affected globally, including impoverished Christian-majority countries of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Through programs of mass drug administration we have made a big dent in terms of reducing their global prevalence, in some cases up to 50 percent or more, but there is still an enormous amount of work that remains. Moreover, we have seen the rise of several new vector-borne NTDs such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, leishmaniasis and schistosomaisis. The rise of these diseases has been especially acute in Latin America, Southern Europe and in the conflict zones of the Middle East. However, we have also seen an uptick in the Southern United States. Efforts are underway to develop new vaccines for these conditions, many of which are under development at the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine where Houston’s own, Peter Hotez, MD, PhD serves a dean. Come hear Dr. Hotez speak at the M3 Conference. Register today!
Disaster Response – Kelly Sites, RN
Kelly Sites has been a nurse for 20 years and has served on the front lines of medical missions in hostile environments under brutal conditions. She has served in Liberia for two deployments working with Ebola. She’s also served on medical missions in the Philippines, Vanuatu, Tanzania, Rwanda, Haiti during the Cholera outbreak, Ecuador, and most recently in Iraq.
During our 2017 M3 Conference Kelly Sites will share about her incredible work in the missions field and what drives her to redeploy.
I will share why I keep going back to disasters and serving others following natural disasters such as earthquakes and Tsunamis, deadly outbreaks such as Ebola and Cholera, caring for refugees, traveling to high-risk terrorist countries, and many other difficult deployments. – Kelly Sites, RN
Kelly and her husband of 23 years, Chuck, live in Michigan and have twins who are now in college. To hear Kelly’s message, Disaster Response from a Nurse’s Perspective: Why I Keep Going Back, register here for the 2017 M3 Conference.
Connect with others. Be inspired. Find your mission.
Welcome to 2017!
We’re officially four days into 2017, which means we’re only about two months away from the 2017 M3 Conference!
Have you registered yet? If not, now is the time! We have a lot of exciting speakers, exhibitors, and sponsor for everyone to learn about. Don’t have a medical background? No worries! All that is required to attend is a heart to serve others and make the world a friendlier place and your saying “Yes!” to wherever, whenever, and however you can serve.
The 2017 M3 Conference is not something you want to miss!
Connect with others. Be inspired. Find your mission.
Medical Bridges – Giving Health and Hope
The United States medical community generates approximately $9 billion of surplus product annually. These supplies are unused or unopened but because the items are considered to be outdated by U.S. standards they are replaced with new materials. At the same time, communities across the globe are in desperate need of medical equipment and supplies.
Dr. Patricia Brock Howard and Dr. Margaret Goetz helped to establish Medical Bridges in the late 1990’s after traveling to El Salvador on a medical mission. Medical Bridges was formed as a recycling program to provide unused medical equipment and supplies — everything from x-ray machines to band-aids, to qualified healthcare providers who needed them. Every individual who receives medical care because of a Medical Bridges donation is a testament to the power of giving—of giving health and giving hope.
You’ll have the opportunity to connect with Medical Bridges and more of our 2017 exhibitors at our M3 Conference, this February. If you haven’t registered yet, click here to register now.
Connect with others. Be inspired. Find your mission.