The UCF College of Medicine’s annual global health conference on Jan. 16 will focus on neglected tropical diseases – the most common diseases of the world’s poor.

College of medicine students organize the conference each year in an effort to raise awareness and improve health worldwide. The conference is open to all health professionals – physicians, researchers, nursing, pharmacy, public health and medical students. A portion of the proceeds will support END7, a worldwide organization seeking to eradicate the seven most neglected tropical conditions.

The event will include simulations and workshops including:

  • Narrative patient interviews conducted in Spanish
  • Demonstrations of how to diagnose tropical diseases with the help of College of Medicine standardized patients – actors who portray people suffering from illness
  • Interactive patient experiences with simulation technology

    • Keynote speaker for the event is Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi, associate dean of the Baylor National School of Tropical Medicine, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, and director of the vaccine product development laboratories of the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development.

    Registration for non-UCF students is $25 and $5 for UCF students; $5 from each registration will be donated to End7. The organization works to raise funds for eradicating neglected tropical diseases, noting that just 50 cents can treat and protect a person against all seven of the world’s most common tropical conditions for up to one year.