Today, IAMAT, the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers, is a great resource, providing up-to-date information and guidance for globetrotters. But pre-internet, how did healthcare providers warn neighbouring countries about infectious disease? How did travellers properly educate themselves on the necessary precautions before visiting high-risk areas? What did travellers do if the doctor in the destination country didn't speak the same language? 

As one of the founders of travel medicine, Dr. Vincenzo Marcolongo established IAMAT in 1960, and dedicated the organization to helping both healthcare providers and travellers access the best possible care, wherever they may be in the world. When Dr. Marcolongo died in 1988, his wife, Assunta Uffer-Marcolongo, took over and continued the work of protecting travellers from infectious disease.

In this special episode of the ISTM podcast, our team visits Assunta Uffer-Marcolongo in Toronto to provide our audience with an exclusive look at the evolution of travel medicine from a key participant in its early years, including rare looks at some of the first infectious disease maps, drawings, and questionnaires that shaped how we treat infectious disease today. 

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