ISTM Members in the News
Annelies Wilder-Smith is the editor of WHO's "International Travel and Health 2007." She is a frequent lecturer at ISTM
conferences and has served on several ISTM committees. She lives in Singapoe.
Between September 2006 until February 2007, she was based at WHO Headquarters in Geneva to coordinate the revision of "International Travel and Health 2007". She has returned to Singapore and is now coordinating revisions for the 2008 edition.
In Singapore, she is an associate professor at the National University, module coordinator on global health issues and communicable diseases for the masters in public health prgramme, and Director of the Travellers' Screening and Vaccination Clinic at the National University Hospital. She is also a Technical Advisor to WHO for travel-related issues at the International Health Regulations Secretariat and is Adjunct Associate Professor at the Centre for International Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
She is editor or co-editor of many books on travel medicine-related subjects, including: Travel Medicine - Tales Behind the Science; Manual of Travel Medicine and Health, (3rd edition); Travel Health Guide for International Travellers; and "How to Take a Medical History in Chinese." She has published 65 scientific papers in international peer reviewed journals.
Annelies is a Dutch physician. She is a graduate of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, did a Masters in International Health at Curtin University, Perth, Australia, and obtained a PhD in International Health from the University of Amsterdam. She has worked in China, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Switzerland, Germany and elsewhere.
Other positions that she holds include Editorial Consultant to The Lancet, Associate Editor for the Journal of Travel Medicine, Advisor to GeoSentinel, co-chair for the scientific committee for the Asia Pacific Conference in Melbourne in February 2008, consultant to various NGOs in Asia, research consultant to The Leprosy Mission, and Medical Director for a Community Health Project amongst coastal fishermen in South India.
Nebojša Nikolic, Croatia, is the new President of the International Maritime Medical Health Association (IMHA). He was elected at
the 6th general meeting of the Association held in Esbjerg, Denmark. In the ISTM, Nebojša serves on the ISTM Host Country committee.
The IMHA is an international association concerned with all aspects of maritime health in order to improve the health of seafarers. The Association promotes scientific research, assesses work- and health-related risks, and evaluates treatments. IMHA serves as a source of information for governments, shipping companies and other professional organizations, including the WHO and the International Maritime Organization. They work closely with these organization by exchanging data, helping with preparing reports and guidelines, and coordinating maritime health initiatives.
Nebojša is a lecturer of Maritime Medicine at the Faculty of Maritime Studies and the Faculty of Medical Studies of the University of Rijeka, Croatia. He is a Master of Science in maritime medicine and has published more than 70 scientific papers and two books on maritime medicine-related subjects. He is a member of the editorial boards of several international scientific journals, member of scientific committees, and invited speaker at international conferences on maritime and travel medicine. In 2005, he chaired the 8th International Symposium on Maritime Health in Rijeka, Croatia.
Nebojša is an active sport sailor and the Chairman of the Medical Committee of The Croatian Sailing Federation and member of the Medical Commission of the International Sailing Federation.
Presently the IMHA is involved in a program to help protect the rights and dignity of seafarers who are infected with HIV/AIDS. The IMHA position is that this illness is a workplace issue that should be treated like any other serious illness or condition on board a vessel. The occupational exposure risks of HIV infection at sea are limited to the treatment of injuries and there are well established precautions to avoid these. There should be no discrimination against seafarers on the basis of real or perceived HIV status. HIV infection is not a cause for termination of employment at sea and persons with HIV-related illness should be able to work for as long as medically fit.
