Birthplace to Tropical Medicine in Brazil, Bahia will host the 58th MEDTROP

It will be a great opportunity to come closer to the most relevant studies on tropical diseases that are being carried out by tropicalists from Bahia, Brazil and the world

Between September 10 and 13 Salvador will host the largest multidisciplinary event in Tropical Medicine in Latin America. The 58th edition of the Congress of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine (MEDTROP 2023), which has as its theme “Challenges for Tropical Medicine in the 21st century: how to face them“, will be held in the modern beach-front Convention Center, located in Boca do Rio, next to the beautiful Armação beach. The event will include a broad and current scientific program, preserving and encouraging the meeting of professionals with different backgrounds, with the main objective of proposing multidisciplinary solutions to the main diseases that affect the Tropics.

It was in this land of mysteries, charms and love that, around 1860, a group of foreign doctors based in the Province of Bahia, dedicated themselves to the practice of medicine aimed at researching the etiology of tropical diseases that affected the poor populations of the country, especially slaves, who were later known as Bahian Tropicalist School. This group, who contributed to the reformulation of the hitherto accepted model of the Brazilian classification of diseases, argued that most diseases were universal, but that humidity and heat increased them, as well as particularizing them. To them, diseases in the Tropics were associated with poverty, poor nutrition, absence of sanitation, as well as precarious living conditions of slaves.

These “tropicalists” developed works considered pioneer for the time that culminated in discoveries related to hookworm, filariasis (elephantiasis), and “ainhum”, also known as spontaneous dactylosis (a rare disease that occurs mainly in Afro-descendant males). “In addition, their research contributed to promote debates about parasitology, and some diseases such as beriberi, tuberculosis, leprosy, dracunculosis and maculo (diarrhea that affected new slaves). Their works also shed light on pathology research, and were considered predecessors of experimental medicine, which would be established in Brazil by the sanitary doctor Oswaldo Cruz and the Federal Serotherapeutic Institute, in Rio de Janeiro, on the threshold of the twentieth century.

The Chair of MEDTROP 2023, Dr. Mitermayer Galvão dos Reis recalls that in the twentieth century, Manuel Augusto Pirajá da Silva, born in Camamu, Bahia, contributed in a remarkable way to Tropical Medicine with his studies on schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, syphilis and mycoses, carried out at Hospital Santa Isabel. “He was the one to identify the existence of a second species Schistosoma, which he initially called Schistomum americanum and later, according to the scientific nomenclature rules of priority, Schistosoma mansoni. He was also the one who demonstrated that Brotas’ button was an injury caused by Leishmania.”

Dr. Reis also highlights the Bahian couple, Sonia and Zilton Andrade, who made outstanding contributions in the study of the anatomopathological aspects of tropical diseases, with greater emphasis on Chagas disease and schistosomiasis, in addition to the Bahians Juliano Moreira, Gonçalo Moniz, Otávio Mangabeira Filho, Rodolfo Teixeira, Vanize Macêdo, as well as the Bahians in spirt, Aluizio Prata, Ítalo Sherlock, Heonir Rocha, Thomaz Cruz, Lain Pontes de Carvalho, among others, who also contributed greatly to the advancement of knowledge about tropical diseases.

“MEDTROP 2023 will be an opportunity to learn about the most relevant studies on tropical diseases that are being carried out by tropicalists from Bahia, Brazil and the world. The cheerful and warm people of Bahia are proud to host for the 5th time the Congress of the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine. We aim for the congress participants to not only experience the scientific and technical knowledge, but also to enjoy all the unforgettable cultural experience that Bahia can offer, with its art, music and cuisine, in our beloved city of Salvador, a source of pride for Bahia and Brazil”, concluded the congress Chair.

As in previous editions, other satellite events take place simultaneously with MEDTROP: the Annual Meeting on Applied Research in Chagas disease and Annual Meeting on Applied Research in Leishmaniasis (ChagasLeish 2023), 10th National Workshop of the Brazilian Tuberculosis Research Network REDE-TB and 8th Brazilian Social Forum to Combat Infectious and Neglected Diseases. The program also includes pre-conference courses, round tables, mini-conferences, conferences, open themes for oral and poster presentations. The site is already up: https://www.medtrop2023.com.br/medtrop2023.

Heritage of humanity, land of Caymi, Caetano and Gil, Bahia has the color of axé, black pride, waters and coziness. Bahia of happiness, capoeira and music. Bahia of all saints, pelourinho and vatapá. Bahia of poetry, medicine and tropicalists awaits you with open arms at MEDTROP 2023. No one can resist such temptation. Come and participate in this great opportunity to expand your knowledge and get to know incredible places. Hail to the people of Bahia, hail to #MEDTROP2023, hail to Senhor do Bonfim.