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ISN was well represented at the ISN-EMAN Update Congress in Nephrology, held in Dubai from December 13 to 16, 2017. The organisation was flawless, under the leadership of Mona Al-Rukhaimi, Congress President, President of the Emirates Medical Association Nephrology Society (EMAN) and previous Chair of the ISN Middle East Regional Board and Executive Committee member (2015-17).

This augurs well for ISN’s second Global Kidney Health Summit, which will be held in neighboring Sharjah in March 2018, and the ISN World Congress of Nephrology (WCN) 2020 that will be held nearby in Abu Dhabi in April 2020.

ISN was represented by John Feehally (Chair, ISN Programs), Fred Finkelstein (Chair, ISN CME Program Committee), Mohammad Ghunaimat (Chair of the ISN Middle East Regional Board), Shahrzad Ossareh (Deputy-chair of the ISN Middle East Regional Board), Tushar Vachharajani (ISN Councillor & Chair of ISN Interventional Nephrology Committee), Elena Zakharova (ISN Councillor), Rumeyza Kazancioglu (ISN Councillor) and David Harris (ISN President).

ISN has 541 members in this region. Most of them come from two of its collective societies in Iran and Jordan.

The sophistication of the pre-congress courses and the scientific program, which covered all aspects of nephrology, showed how the United Arab Emirates and other well-resourced countries in the Middle East have the knowledge and expertise to support advancement of nephology in lower-income countries within and bordering the region.

However, the challenges for the region are enormous, with some of the world’s highest recorded temperatures, and more importantly some of its most dangerous conflict zones.

During the opening ceremony Riyad Said was also honored as the latest recipient of the ISN Middle East Pioneer Award.ISN Pioneer Awards honor the ‘unsung heroes’ of nephrology, rewarding doctors who have carried out extraordinary efforts to advance nephrology in a specific country or region. Find out more, HERE.