The Directorate of Health is pleased to announce that Dr. Alison P. Footman will be a visiting specialist at the Centre of Communicable Disease Control from August 27 to September 25. Her visit is made possible through the Fulbright Foundation, which each year enables American experts and scholars to work abroad on specific projects in collaboration with local institutions.

Dr. Footman is a specialist in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and currently serves as the Senior Program Manager for STIs at AVAC, a New York–based non-profit organization that leverages its global partnerships to accelerate equitable delivery of effective HIV prevention options. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of the American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association and the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research.

Dr. Footman holds a doctorate in health education and health promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, School of Public Health and a master’s degree in the epidemiology of microbial diseases from Yale University, Connecticut. Following her doctoral studies, she conducted research on HPV vaccination at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

The purpose of Dr. Footman’s visit is to provide external expertise to the Chief Epidemiologist on the high incidence of chlamydia and rising incidence of gonorrhea and syphilis in Iceland in recent years. She will also engage with stakeholders both within and outside the health sector, including representatives of community organizations.

The project will focus on:

• Reviewing possible causes of the recent increase in STIs

• Strengthening prevention and access to testing

• Enhancing communication with stakeholders and the public

• Improving strategies for information dissemination

The expected outcomes of this collaboration are to increase understanding of the factors contributing to STI transmission, promote more targeted and effective prevention measures, and strengthen long-term cooperation between key stakeholders.

The Chief Epidemiologist