"MalTra Week" - an innovative intervention strategy in Ethiopia
From November 5-11, 20,000 health workers and volunteers
walked through the western Amhara region of Ethiopia, treating approximately 10 million people for blinding trachoma and malaria. Implemented by the Amhara Regional Health Bureau, and supported by the Lions Clubs of Ethiopia and The Carter Center, MalTra Week is also supported by ITI through its management of the Pfizer donation of Zithromax®. Read a blog about MalTra Week here. New Deputy Director Joins ITI Team 
Colin L. Beckwith has joined the ITI team as our new Deputy Director and will co-direct the strategic planning, development, and implementation of ITI operations. An experienced manager of regional and national programs in Latin America and Africa, Colin will be in charge of ITI's technical and financial operations as well as supervise program staff and associates, both at Atlanta headquarters and overseas. He will oversee the management of the annual Pfizer donation of Zithromax® to beneficiary countries, including support to the supply chain logistics of the donation and programming growth projections. Learn more about Colin's experience here. Keeping ITI Expanding Online  We are pleased to welcome Bill Nigut to the ITI team. As Communications Assistant, Bill will be responsible for expanding ITI's online presence. He'll be creating and updating content not only for our website but also the related websites, The Trachoma Atlas and the International Coalition for Trachoma Control so that the latest information on trachoma is coordinated and kept fresh. Bill will also manage our growing social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and beyond. So if you're already following us online, or are soon to join that swelling crowd, learn more about the guy who's keeping you up-to-date. Global Trachoma Strategy, Maps and Atlases
at Tropical Medicine Conference 
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) held its annual conference in December 2011 in Philadelphia and invited ITI's Director Dr. Danny Haddad to present on 2020 INSight, the new global strategic plan on how to eliminate blinding trachoma by 2020. The audience of scientists, clinicians, and program professionals who are working on prevention and control of infectious and other diseases listened intently to the plan's call for urgent action, country ownership of trachoma control programs, and the integration of efforts thought coordinated partnerships and local interventions that are tailored for each country. You don't have to be a scientist to view Dr. Haddad's presentation on 2020 INSight here. ITI and the END Fund 
ITI's Director Danny Haddad has been asked to join the Technical Advisory Board of the END Fund, a private philanthropic fund that supports the effective delivery of interventions that reduce the prevalence of the seven most common neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in sub-Saharan Africa. The END Fund builds awareness and mobilizes resources in support of NTD efforts, with the ultimate goal of securing US$100 million. It prudently stewards the financial resources secured and directs these funds to national NTD programs with maximum opportunity for impact, working in close collaboration with governments and the best local health organizations to scale-up treatment to those most at risk. Dr. Haddad joins other NTD and global health experts who review technical proposals to ensure grant recommendations are in-line with best practices and programs are achievable.
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