Professor Emin Kansu,Chair of Council,and Professor Sabri Kemahlı, Secretary General, European and African Division, have attended the 43rd Annual Conference of the Nigerian Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NSHBT). The meeting was held in Kano, the second largest city of Nigeria on 21-24 August 2017. Professor Kansu had two lectures as 'Future Outlook on Cancer Therapy: Precision Medicine' and ‘Late Effects of Allogeneic HSC Transplantation and Chronic GVHD’. Professor Sabri Kemahlı's talk was on 'Hemovigilance and Blood Safety'.Professor Andreas Greinacher from Germany was the third guest speaker and his talk was on ‘Transfusion Safety: Pathogen Inactivation’.
The meeting was attended by about 100 Nigerian Hematologists.
Being the most common and serious problem of the country, sickle cell disease was given a high priority in the programme.
One session was devoted to the experiences and wishes of some patients/patient organizations such as Sickle Cell Community, Hemophilia Foundation and a cancer survivor. They have provided valuable information about the current problems of these patient groups. For example, despite being one of the most important problems of the country, hydroxyurea was not supplied by the Ministry of Health but was being donated to the patients by a telecom company.
The interest and enthusiasm of Nigerian haematologists and their devotion for the well-being of their patients despite many unfavourable conditions of the country was remarkable.
The Nigerian Journal of Hematology, as the official journal of the Society, was launched during the Congress. An introductory message by Professor Lucio Luzzatto, the foundation president of NSHBT, appeared in this first issue of the journal. Professor Emin Kansu is serving as an editorial advisor.
The ISH booth has received much interest and 44 membership applications were received in one day. This was the highest number of applications that was ever received during a national congress. In addition to that the applicants were eager to pay their dues immediately.
In summary the attendance of ISH representatives to the Annual Conference of the NSHBT has been very useful to observe the current status of interest in hematology and some of the obstacles experienced by Nigerian hematologists.
Professor Aisha Kuliya Gwarzo, Professor Akanmu, Dr. Marcus Inayama and Professor Enosaleae were most welcoming for us. professor Kansu and Professor Kemahlı have expressed their sincere thanks for their invitation and warm hospitality.
We believe reaching countries with limited resources through their national meetings and/or journals should be one of the priorities of ISH, as it is usually very difficult for them to attend meetings in Europe or Americas. We, as the European and African Division of ISH have so far attended the national meetings of the member societies in Abu Dhabi (Pan-Arab Hematology Congress), Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon and finally Nigeria.
Professor Sabri KEMAHLI,M.D.
Secretary-General, ISH-EAD
