COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.,
Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/
-- Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTCQB: CBIS), a U.S. Company
specializing in cannabis formulation-based drug development and
related consulting, today announced the appointment of Cannabis
Science President & CEO, Raymond C.
Dabney as Vice Chair of the newly launched Constituency for
Africa (CFA) Africa Healthcare
Infrastructure Committee. ( www.cfa-network.org )
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Constituency-for-Africa/347822291974589
)
Mr. Dabney joins Dr. Roscoe M. Moore
Jr. (retired US Assistant Surgeon General) who is Interim
Chair of CFA and also Chair of the Africa Healthcare Infrastructure
Committee, along with 13 others consisting of individuals with
extensive experience working in or with Africa in the public and private sectors.
Among them is Dr. Julius Garvey, an
accomplished board certified surgeon specializing in the diagnosis
and treatment of cardiovascular disease, the son of the
accomplished Marcus Garvey Jr., and
also a pan-Africanist, and Prof. Allen
Herman, an independent public health consultant who was the
founding Dean of the National School of Public Health, Medical
School of Southern Africa in
South Africa.
The committee held its inaugural meeting on February 5, 2015 at the African Union Mission to
discuss its charge from CFA President, Mr. Melvin Foote, and to approve a minimum program
of work. Building on the successful model by CFA of using Town Hall
formats and commissioning lectures to highlight priorities, The
Committee approved a plan to hold the Africa Healthcare
Infrastructure Forum & Brainstorm Session on February 6 at the African Union Mission and to
establish five standing subcommittees on EDUCATION, AGRICULTURE,
FOOD SECURITY, TECHNOLOGY & COMMUNICATION, LEADERSHIP,
POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT & POLICY, and HEALTHCARE INFRASTRUCTURE to
develop and sustain programs in these areas.
The Africa Healthcare Infrastructure Forum & Brainstorm
Session was held on February 6, 2015
at the African Union Mission in a historic event graced by a
Keynote speech by award-winning Actor and Social Entrepreneur,
Jeffery C. Wright, who spoke
passionately and intimately about the devastation of the Ebola
epidemic on healthcare services in Africa and, recalling Albert Einstein's definition of insanity, doing
the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,
he called for a new approach borrowing from the model used in the
Marshall Plan, which worked in Europe after the second world war.
The meeting was addressed by Ambassador Salum Amina Ali (Ambassador AU Mission) as host,
5 panelists, including Mr. Robert
Mallet (President Accordia Global Health Foundation), Ms.
Jessica Rookwood (President of
International Health Advisors), Mr. Donald
Shriber (Deputy Director for Policy and Communication,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), Dr. Pernessa Seele (Founder and CEO, The Balm in
Gilead, Inc) and Mr. Gregory
Simpkins (Senior Director, US House of Representatives,
Sub-committee on Africa), and 5
respondents, including Ms. Julia
Royall (Global Health Information Specialist), Dr.
Gloria B. Herndon (CEO GB Herndon
& Associates), Dr. Julius Garvey
(Garvey vascular Specialists), Dr. Arikana Chihombori (Chair,
African Disorders Health Initiative, African Union) and Mr.
Raymond C. Dabney (Chairman Board of
Directors, Cannabis Science Inc., and the Cannabis Science
Research Foundation).
The Africa Healthcare Infrastructure Forum & Brainstorm
Session, coming on the heels of the 24th meeting of the
African Union and the unprecedented international response to the
Ebola epidemic, is poised to play a unique and catalytic role to
radically transform the global health agenda of Africa from one that lurches from one crisis
response to another crisis response to one that is built on health
system strengthening, engagement of African communities and
professionals, and long-term training and infrastructure
investment.
Cannabis Science and the Cannabis Science Research
Foundation, through its Chairman Raymond C. Dabney, is pleased to be associated
with this historic session, and with the work of CFA, and to join
the African Union and partner institutions to re-shape the debate
and implementation healthcare reform and investment in Africa. Agreeing with keynote speaker,
Jeffrey C. Wright, that the
responsibility of healthcare lies with local governments in
Africa, thus healthcare system
strengthening. Mr. Dabney believes and re-affirmed that Cannabis
Science and the Cannabis Science Research Foundation would
respond with urgency and seriousness of purpose, the Africa to support long-term efforts to rebuild
Africa's healthcare infrastructure
along the priorities established by the Africa Healthcare
Infrastructure Committee. This work will include education and
training to replace workers lost in epidemics such as the HIV/AIDS
and the Ebola epidemics, revitalization of agriculture, and
leadership training. The legacy of the Ebola epidemic in
Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia should not be a Cassandra Curse, but a
vibrant partnership to do what is possible so Africans can manage
and deliver health to their own peoples – in other words build the
wealth of Africans by supporting the health of its
peoples.
"A healthy and vibrant Africa
is good for everybody. Imagine the potential of untapped resources
of Africa making their fair share
contribution to the global economy, including in agricultural
production, drug manufacturing and distribution. It is a big
market; it is a big supplier. I am personally honored to have been
invited to serve on the CFA Africa Healthcare Infrastructure
Committee," said Raymond C.
Dabney. "We have begun the process of bringing
influential private and public stakeholders together, as was
clearly evident at the historic session at the AU mission, to
identify and begin closing the gaps in Africa's infrastructure and health
systems." Mr. Dabney was impressed by all the attendees and
presenters he spoke to who were clearly eager to turn the page,
break the cycle of crisis management to long term solutions. One
good example of a long-term solution is the creation of the African
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, described by Ambassador
Salum Amina Ali, to train and equip
African front line workers to detect, respond and stop epidemics in
their tracks. Another is the establishment, supporting and
sustaining African health centers of excellence, such as the
Infectious Diseases Institute in Uganda, described by Mr. Mallet.. "Clearly a
lot is possible and there is no need to re-invent the wheel" said
Mr. Dabney. "But it will take will, focus, determination, and a
willingness to engage Africans, but it is possible."
Goals of the CFA African Healthcare Infrastructure
Committee
Following a very positive response to the
committee's initial activity of the Africa Healthcare
Infrastructure Forum & Brainstorm Session at the AU Mission,
committee plans a fact-finding trip to Africa to visit successful models, such as the
Infectious Diseases Institute, the African Field Epidemiology
Network - AFENET model (http://afenet.net/), and regional
organizations such as the East African Community to discuss
initiatives and partnerships with African government and business
leaders. The African Site Visit will be headed by the Mr.
Dabney in his capacity as Vice-Chair of the African Healthcare
Infrastructure Committee and Mr. Melvin
Foote to explore opportunities to develop projects and
deploy boots on the ground for projects discussed. The immediate
projects will focus on identifying areas of immediate collaboration
with the consortium of businesses already engaged to support
education and training, food security through agriculture and
sanitation, technology and telecommunication, leadership and policy
training, and specific health infrastructure issues. The imperative
of initial partnerships will be to create jobs and build skills to
support the African Health care infrastructure
initiatives. "This imitative makes sense for Cannabis
Science, which clearly would like to understand more about the
potential of growth the company in Africa", said Mr. Dabney. Cannabis Science is
seeking new regions to develop business for low-cost cannabis-based
therapeutics, which could also meet the acute shortage of pain
medications along with many other critical ailment treatments in
Africa.
About Cannabis Science, Inc.
Cannabis Science, Inc.,
takes advantage of its unique understanding of metabolic processes
to provide novel treatment approaches to a number of illnesses for
which current treatments and understanding remain unsatisfactory.
Cannabinoids have an extensive history dating back thousands of
years, and currently, there are a growing number of peer-reviewed
scientific publications that document the underlying biochemical
pathways that cannabinoids modulate. The Company works with leading
experts in drug development, medicinal characterization, and
clinical research to develop, produce, and commercialize novel
therapeutic approaches for the treatment for illnesses caused by
infections as well as for age-related illness. Our initial focus is
on skin cancers and neurological conditions.
Forward-Looking Statements
This Press Release includes
forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of
1934. A statement containing words such as "anticipate," "seek,"
intend," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "project," "plan," or
similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Some or all of the events or results anticipated by these
forward-looking statements may not occur. Factors that could cause
or contribute to such differences include the future U.S. and
global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's
reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development
of cannabis-based drugs. Cannabis Science, Inc., does not undertake
any duty nor does it intend to update the results of these
forward-looking statements.
Cannabis Science, Inc
Raymond
C. Dabney
Director, President & CEO, Co-Founder
raymond@cannabisscience.com
Tel: 1.310.650.3788
Chad S. Johnson, Esq.
Director, COO & General Counsel
www.cannabisscience.com
Tel: 1.888.889.0888
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SOURCE Cannabis Science, Inc.