It was with a warm and joyfull sense of humor that Archbishop Desmond Tutu welcomed participants to South Africa. “Is there a doctor in the house?,” he asked as he praised ISN for its efforts in bringing all medical communities together to fight kidney disease. Breaking down all barriers to achieve better care for patients everywhere.

Two years in the making, the ISN World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) welcomed 3,578 participants, representing 124 countries. It was the first time the meeting took place in Africa. A fitting choice, the theme “sustainability and diversity” was present in all discussions.

Almost 200 expert speakers participated in a ground-breaking program for what has become the leading biennial educational event in international nephrology. Just over 1,500 abstracts were accepted for poster presentations and moderators were on hand to discuss 65 poster presentations.

This meeting was a chance to exchange knowledge with nephrology communities worldwide. ISN awards were handed to those who are changing nephrology.ISN Programs awards rewarded participants for their dedication to improve kidney research and care in developing regions,by working with doctors and centers in the developed world. A poster session, supported by the Japanese Society of Nephrology, showcased this success.