We just returned from hosting the Tropical Disease Forum in Santa Marta in collaboration with our partner organization Tropical Health Foundation.  Beautiful location full of contrast and a reminder of why we want to contribute to decreasing tropical diseases in developing countries.  The idea of hosting the forum in Santa Marta was to give the local economy a bit of help after the Caribbean coast was devastated by floods in 2010.  We also tried to help the local scientists and physicians as they would benefit from not having to spend extra money traveling somewhere else within Colombia.

We are very glad we hosted the forum in Santa Marta.  It was pretty evident that the effects of the floods left a big gap in the economy of the region and thousands displaced from their homes.  Thanks to the contributions from our sponsors we were able to offer complimentary registration to 20 participants from the Universidad del Magdalena, 12 from the Universidad de Cordoba, 10  from the Universidad de Antioquia, 10 from the Hospital Universitario del Valle, a few public health participants and we were able to bring excellent speakers to the forum.

Needless to say, the infrastructure in the region is still precarious. People in Santa Marta have to work very hard everyday to make a living but perhaps it is the lack of infrastructure what maintains pristine some of the beaches in the area.

We experienced everything visitors to tropical regions experience: long flights, delays in scheduled, delayed luggage and rain but we also experienced the beauty of the beach, the many shades of blue of the ocean and the sky, tropical music,  food and weather.

We remained healthy during the trip, we sprayed insect repellent every day and did not fall prey of dengue or malaria or any other infection thanks to bottled water.  It was explained to us that Santa Marta has a good water treatment plant but the pipes and plumbing throughout the city are old and not in good shape and therefore drinking water is still an issue.  With all the flooding, I can see how the pipes would be easily contaminated.

The first day of the forum, we experienced  a 30 minute delay because the auditorium was not ready. It was not the University’s fault. A rodent decided to die in the air conditioning duct and needless to say, it would have been unhealthy and unpleasant to host the talks in the main auditorium.

We moved to a smaller auditorium were communication was easier. The air conditioning in the room was excellent and we were very grateful we had it because it is extremely hot this time of the year. I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason even if it is not apparent to us at first and I think that the smaller auditorium worked even better than the larger one.

We hosted the talks without incidents and it was amazing to see how engaged our audience was.  We were also able to recognize Dr. Ivan D. Velez and the Program for the Study and Control of Tropical Diseases for their dedication and contributions over 25 years to research in tropical diseases.

Our keynote speaker during the first day, Dr. Lisa Brumble from the Mayo Clinic, delivered a remarkable comprehensive lecture regarding infectious diseases and natural disasters and shared her experience in Haiti after the earthquake that recently devastated the island.  We had a total of 16 speakers during the two day forum and each one of their lectures was excellent and we all learned a lot from their presentations. For some of us, it was an eye opener. For some others, it was a reminder of all the work that needs to be done.

Our coffee breaks were delightfully sweet. We had Colombian coffee and the ladies that served all of us, brought it in trays holding individual cups of hot coffee with a smile on their faces and personalized attention.

Going out to lunch was challenging because the local restaurants are not equipped to handle large crowds and we had about 20-25 people in our party each time.  What impressed me the most was that even though they did not have the infrastructure to do it, they really tried to provide a good service.  Their staff had a smile on their faces and the table they assigned to our big party was impeccable. If you are in the area and want to experience good local food, try Mil Carnes and Muelle 8. It is worth it. The food was delicious.

Our hotels were also very nice. The GHL Costa Azul in Santa Marta treated us like we were part of their family. The Irotama hosted some of our speakers and participants and they also experienced excellent service and attention.  The Park Hotel was excellent and their personalized attention really made a difference.

The second day of the forum, it rained at lunch time. Our 2 hour lunch break turned into a 4 hour ordeal trying not to get stuck in the flooded streets downtown.  In a way, we experienced a sample of what the local residents experience every day. Imagine telling your boss that you are going to lunch and not being able to get back to your job until two hours later? Imagine trying to pick up your children from daycare or school… only to find flooded streets everywhere.  What a difficult life.  The streets have no drains. There is no place for rain water to go.  It seems the solution would be so simple but it would require money  and there are other problems and priorities that the city needs to take care of.

As we sat in the van looking outside, we witnessed what seemed to be the never ending flood.  People in Santa Marta are the nicest people you will ever meet. They keep their smiles while holding their shoes in their hands wading water up to their knees and waists in some places.  Children, adults, elderly… everybody was affected but they all managed to go on with their  lives with smiles on their faces.

By the time we arrived at the University, we were surprised that the crowd was still waiting for us. Under these circumstances, in other parts of the world, there would have been no audience left but the people from Santa Marta and the region really want to make a difference in their lives through education.  Another interesting observation, they really admire scientists and they recognize them in public. World known, Colombian Dr. Manuel E. Patarroyo was the speaker in the afternoon and everybody welcomed him and wanted his autograph. Dr. Patarroyo delivered an outstanding lecture on malaria vaccine development.

We continued the forum, and around 6:30 pm when it was already dark, power went out.  In an amazing display of human perseverance,  the audience started turning on their cellphones and we continued with the light provided by each one of the screens and the light from one of the speaker’s flashlight until the power returned.

No one left during the power outage. Not a single soul. Remarkable will to learn against all adversity.

We learned valuable lessons during this experience. The most valuable of all perhaps to stay with us forever is that the human spirit is capable of overcoming all adversity and that a little bit of help goes a long way to make a difference in many lives. We also learned that hosting scientific events in developing regions of the world with precarious infrastructure is not only possible but more importantly beneficial to many and extremely rewarding.

Thanks to all who participated and traveled from other countries and other regions of Colombia to attend the forum. Thanks to our sponsors, hotels, the Universidad del Magdalena and other institutions that participated. We hope that you enjoyed the lectures,  landscape and human interactions as much as we did.  It was worth the effort.

THANK YOU!!!!!

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