International experts from across the United States, Chile and Italy recently joined local speakers including renowned nephrologists from across China and Hong Kong at the 3rd Nephrology Update Meeting, West Lake Forum in Hangzhou, China. Translational lectures reviewed recent advances in renal physiology, pathophysiology of electrolyte alterations, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, renal replacement therapy and...
Following a license issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the ISN Programs can now be extended to support training activities in nephrology for doctors in Iran. On September 10, 2013, OFAC issued Iran with a general license E (GL E) under the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), with respect to certain...
The ISN Renal Disaster Relief Task Force (RDRTF) has released its latest update on supporting doctors in Nepal after the earthquake hit the region. According to ISN RDRTF Chair Wim Van Biesen, the situation has stabilized and there is a sufficiently functional dialysis service. Thanks to the Nepalese Society of Nephrology patients are being dispersed...
According to reports from ISN RDRTF Chairman Wim Van Biesen, there are Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) casualties in three main hospitals in Pokhara, 150 kilometers Northwest of Kathmandu. There are nephrology services at the Western Regional Hospital (27 patients), Gandaki Medical College (30 patients) and the Manipal Teaching Hospital (15 patients). In these centres,...
Following the earthquake in Nepal, Wim Van Biesen, Chairman of the ISN Renal Disaster Relief Task Force (RDRTF), has sent out the first communication report. According to this report, local nephrologists are well prepared and are currently helping the chronic patients and managing the additional crush syndrome and acute kidney injury (AKI) patients. Some dialysis units have...
The 10th Conference on Kidney Disease in Disadvantaged Populations was held from March 17 to 18, 2015 in Cape Town, South Africa as a satellite symposium following the ISN World Congress of Nephrology 2015. As part of the symposium, a moderated panel discussion on research development for young investigators working in low-resource, global health...
During the World Congress of Nephrology, 100 cuffed peritoneal dialysis catheters were donated to the Saving Young Lives program in Africa. Half of these were custom-made pediatric peritoneal dialysis catheters, and they were used at the Clinical Skills training program that took place at Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town just before the congress. Nephrologists...
The recently concluded World Congress of Nephrology in Cape Town was by all accounts a resounding success. The opening ceremony was fabulous with great interactive entertainment and fantastic inspiring addressees by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu and Editor of the Lancet Richard Horton. Of note, South Asia has done fabulously well in this meeting. There was a...
The developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa are under threat by an emerging epidemic of kidney disease. Populations are no longer solely affected by ‘diseases of poverty’ such as HIV/TB/malaria but also ‘diseases of affluence’ such as diabetes and hypertension. Disease is often asymptomatic until end-stage disease develops requiring expensive treatment options such as transplant or...
South African surgeon Elmi Muller carried out the first "HIV positive to positive" kidney transplants, giving hope to the country's growing number of HIV kidney patients. As more HIV positive patients are living longer thanks to breakthroughs in treatment, many show signs of other diseases including HIV nephropathy. Up until recently, these patients were not eligible...
