Theme: Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases in Asia Pacific

Dates: Next program scheduled for early 2009.  Please check the website for updated information or email Susan Kreifels at kreifels@eastwestcenter.org if you want to be placed on an announcement email list.

Program Summary:  The East-West Center Health Journalism Fellowships program includes two weeks of travel and dialogue that focus on infectious diseases in Asia. Journalists meet with medical and public health specialists both inside and outside of government; community leaders; farmers and businesses; journalists and others to learn how Asian countries are dealing with infectious diseases. Discussions will focus on avian flu, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, dengue fever and other infectious diseases and public health issues that are of regional and global concern. Through dialogue and field visits in both urban and rural areas, journalists will learn firsthand lessons that can be drawn in preventing pandemics. At the University of Hong Kong, specialists will focus on health issues in China and how Hong Kong has prepared to contain infectious diseases since the SARS epidemic.

Funding: East-West Center with program support from the University of Hong Kong

Who Can Participate: U.S. and Asia Pacific health reporters and editors or journalists who have a keen interest in health issues. Participants must have at least five years of working journalism experience and will be chosen by application and invitation. Anyone interested in future programs should contact Susan Kreifels. See contact information below.