JCU professor receives international honour

This special membership in ASTMH is conferred in recognition of outstanding accomplishment by an “individual not an American citizen who has made eminent contributions to some phase of tropical medicine and hygiene,” said Joel Breman, President of ASTMH. It is awarded only after careful consideration by the ASTMH Distinguished International Fellow Committee and approval by the ASTMH Board of Directors.

Tropical medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with health problems that occur uniquely, are more widespread, or prove more difficult to control in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

The ASTMH has nearly 3000 members and Prof Leggat’s presentation as a Distinguished International Fellow was held at an Awards Ceremony overnight on the first day of their major Annual Meeting, which is being held virtually for the first time in their 117 year history.

"It is a great honour for me and recognition of how far we have come in Australia in tropical medicine", Prof Leggat said. "It is a particular highlight, after a year of confronting and dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic," he added. He wished to thank all involved particularly his nominators.

Professor Leggat, who has worked in tropical medicine for more than three decades, is Professor and Co-Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Vector-borne and Neglected Tropical Diseases in the College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences at JCU. He is also President of The Australasian College of Tropical Medicine - the equivalent professional organisation in Australia.

Professor Leggat is a highly respected medical educator. He helped to found the popular Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Master of Public Health courses at JCU in 1992, which have emerged as key courses of one of the largest postgraduate public health programs in Australia.

Further information on the JCU postgraduate courses is available at https://www.jcu.edu.au/courses/study/public-health-and-tropical-medicine

Further information on the ASTMH is available at https://www.astmh.org/

Images of Professor Leggat available here.