National Press Club to Host 'NEWSMAKER' Media Briefing on Global Health and the 'Infections of Poverty' - Neglected Tropica...( WASHINGTON June 30 -- The follow...),Health

WASHINGTON, June 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following event release was issued by the National Press Club:

Wednesday

July 16, 2008

10 a.m.

Zenger Room

National Press Club

Tommy Thompson

Former Secretary, US Department Health and Human Services

Tommy G. Thompson, former Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services, will discuss his new role in the global health arena, the fight against neglected tropical diseases, and the importance of "global medical diplomacy."

The leaders of the G-8 nations are expected to put NTDs on a global health agenda when they meet in Japan in July. Earlier this year, President Bush announced a $350 million initiative to combat these diseases, and challenged the G-8 partners to contribute $650 million to control and eliminate NTDs in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

More than one billion people are afflicted with tropical diseases such as river blindness, hookworm, snail fever, and elephantiasis. There are also thousands of poor Americans (including in the post-Katrina Mississippi Delta) affected by these bacterial, parasitic and congenital infections. Experts say that these diseases can be treated for about 50 cents per person per year.