ISN founder Jean Hamburger rightly recognized the need for an international forum and started the ball rolling for a truly world congress tailored to the nephrology community. After much success in Hong Kong in June 2013, ISNs World Congress of Nephrology is heading to Cape Town, South Africa from March 13 to 17, 2015. This is a special occasion as it is the first time the World Congress of Nephrology is held in Africa.
The underlying themes of sustainability and diversity are highlighted across an exciting program and will foster many educational exchanges. The World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) 2015 is a unique opportunity to share views on a wide variety of nephrology topics related to patients suffering from kidney disease globally.
Key highlights of WCN 2015 include:
- A mix of cutting edge medical science notably in plenary lectures and educational courses that meet the unmet needs of countries around the world. It is the first time that educational tracks run over the full Congress.
- French and English CNE sessions reflecting the diversity of Africa making new knowledge more easily accessible.
- Cutting edge medical progress translated at the bedside for major disorders of Africa and emerging countries such as hypertension, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, pregnancy related disorders, water-related disorders and infectious diseases.
- A special session on hemorrhagic fevers including Ebola and Hantavirus infections.
- Lectures showing that the genetic revolution has entered real life and already influences diagnostic strategies.
- Strong emphasis on pediatric disorders with several sessions intermingling issues common to adult and pediatric nephrology.
- And much more…
Allied Health Professionals Symposium
For the first time at a WCN, an Allied Health Professionals Symposium will take place on Friday March 13, 2015 from 8.45am to 4.45pm in recognition of these crucial members of the CKD treatment team. The program includes updates on AKI for nurses (including talks on recognizing pre-renal failure for nurses, an important topic where doctors are absent and where no dialysis facilities exist) and the important aspects of CKD-MBD from a nurses perspective. Since vascular access is the very lifeline of dialysis patients, coverage of this topic has been included for the benefit of the very people who use the lifelines daily – i.e. the nurses.
News on Ebola
We are aware that there are some concerns about traveling to Africa due to the Ebola outbreak. We would like to confirm that the outbreak is limited to just three West Africa countries, which are over 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) away from South Africa and that South Africa remains free of Ebola infection.
South Africa has closed its borders to travelers from these countries and is perfectly organized to prevent the spread of Ebola. We take this matter seriously and there is no reason whatsoever to be concerned about traveling to South Africa at this point. We will continue to monitor information provided by CDC and post any updates on the WCN 2015 website. CLICK HERE for further information.
Registrations
Special early bird registration rates are available for ISN, South African Renal Society (SARS), African Association of Nephrology (AFRAN) and Renal Care Society of South Africa (RCSSA) members, Allied Health Professionals, and non-Members. Early registration fees are available until December 14, 2014. It is recommended to register as early as possible to ensure availability and benefit from significant savings. CLICK HERE to register.
For more information about WCN 2015, please visit www.wcn2015.org.