AWGLA’s meeting - 2007

AWGLA’s seventh annual meeting in Bogotá 2007

The AWGLA’s seventh annual meeting was immediately after the “First Andean Congress of Anaemia”, organized by the AWG Colombia (President: Prof. Dr. Hoover Canaval).

The congress’ program embraced different topics related with anaemia in multiple specialties. A trip from the basic science to the Clinical practice in the different aspects of anaemia in general and, it could be said that the iron’s deficiency topic was constant during the most part of this splendid meeting.

During the intense scientific sessions, intense and attractive discussions were created about specific topics of interest. Remarkable lectures by acknowledged speakers illustrated the great audience who was in a fine and elegant environment.

It is worth to highlight the adequate and laborious organization of the congress which was in perfect harmony with the scientific level of the conferences.

The seventh AWGLA’s annual meeting was developed this time in Bogota, Colombia, with the presence of 15 participants representing the AWG’s Latin American team.

Interestingly, the AWGLA’s meeting this year presented certain different aspects compared with similar previous meetings. For the first time, the meeting counted with the assistance of both chairman physicians of each country and the corresponding representatives from the pharmaceutical companies.

Other interesting point of the AWGLA’s meeting was the presence of two invited professionals from the anaemia working group in Spain. Those were presidents Dr. Elvira Bisbé and Professor Manuel Muñoz, both with their elegant high quality presentations provided high level information in their presentations.

It is important to clarify that many countries presented new presidents for the new period of two years. Most of them with enthusiasm and their best intentions of organizing continuous activities for this period in each country.

At the beginning of the meeting, Professor Hoover Canaval presented an update of his last period as president of the AWGLA, and then Professor Toblli continued who assumed as new president of the AWGLA and presented his project for the period.

Each new president developed the new plan for 2007, some of them showed the continuation of projects started the last year, while others presented their new programs. During the meeting promising and stimulating actions were discussed within the audience and resulted in a number of positive coincidences.

Moreover, a preliminary report of brochures series addressed to the general public was presented, in order to inform, using a simple language, the importance of anaemia in different situations. The topics in the notebooks were: 1-Anaemia in chronic renal failure, 2-CRAS, 3-Anaemia in pregnancy, 4-Anaemia in children and teenagers, y 4-Do I have to know about anaemia? These publications will be supported by the AWGLA on the whole with the local or international society corresponding to the particular topics.

Dr. Juan Diego Romero, in a brief but eloquent presentation, presented the IRON CLUB LA to the audience. This new organization will be involved in the basic science related with anaemia and research about iron metabolism. During other period of the meeting, Dr. Romero informed the situation of the AWGLA’s journal giving its details. In the other hand, in order to maintain a regular frequency in our journal, Dr. Romero warned the presidents about the big importance of the permanent delivery of manuscripts to the AWGLA’s journal. Finally, the future Alliance with AWG-Spain was commented in relation with a next publication on the whole (Iberian-American Journal of Anaemia) for the year 2008.

During the meeting, an explanation of new sections in the AWGLA’s web page was provided mainly by Mr. John Mulford, technical responsible of it, together with Professor Toblli’s comments.

In summary, both events, the annual AWGLA’s meeting and the First Andean Congress of Anaemia in Bogotá, contributed to maintain a high level in information, research and education about anaemia in general and iron deficiency particularly in Latin America. This positive and altruist action supported by all members and participants of the AWGLA is essential improving quality of life in Latin America’s population.

Professor Jorge E. Toblli

President AWGLA (2007-2009)