We find ourselves in the middle of the year 2012 and I would like to inform you of the activities that we have carried out during the first semester and the coming events, which we are working on.
The Directory met during the SLANH Congress held in Cartagena de Indias in April, also where the 2nd Latin American Forum of Ethics and Transplant successfully took place. This event held more than 120 assistants of Latin America and other guests from North America, enhancing the high teaching qualities of the exponents and the developing topic.
The Directory had the opportunity to meet again on the first days of June, during the American Transplant Congress in Boston .There we met with the ASTS Board, with whom we agreed to establish a relationship in order to cooperate in mutual support among both societies, with this, stimulate and favor the formation and traineeship of our young professionals. The next meeting is programmed during the TTS's Congress between the 15th to the 19th of July in Berlin.
In June Dr. Jose Toro organized the VI Extension Course that was to be held in the city of La Paz, Bolivia. This course relied on important teachers from Argentina and Chile, who were to present interesting topics for development about Transplant in that country. Unfortunately due to a complex situation government wise this activity was suspended days before it was carried out.
As for the grants, the STALYC Improvement Scholarship and postulations closed on June 30th.Thank you to all the interested applicants of this year.
The winner of the TTS/STALYC Scholarship was Dr. German Aleman, graduate in Biology in the Science Faculty of the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM) and candidate for Doctor in Biomedical Science for the Autonomous National University of Mexico's F.D Institute of Biomedical Investigation, who will fulfill his internship in September through to November of this year, in the Transplant Investigation Center of the Harvard Medical Faculty, Boston MA.
On the other hand we are working on our next XXII Latin-American and Caribbean Congress, that will take place in November 2013 in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, and from this moment on as President together with Dr. Domingo Casadei, Director of the Scientific Committee of the Congress, and Dr. Oscar Imvemtarza, as President of the Argentinean Transplant Congress, extend the invitation to all of you, to schedule this event and count with your presence. We also invite the member Societies, to join us and take part with an active participation of this activity.
Together with Dr. Mireya Ortiz, General Secretary ,are working hard to conform the Specialties Committee dedicated to Transplant, as established in the x Article of our Societies statute.
The aim to constitute these committees is for every specialty to have direct representation with the Directory, encouraging development in the Latin American area, to conduct recommendations on specific themes, encourage scientific activities in the region, join groups that work separately in order to create consensus on different topics, participate on the Web and collaborate actively in the Societies events: Courses and Congress.
The committees that are been confirmed are:
- Renal Transplant
- Intra-thorax Transplant; Heart, Lung; Heart-Lung
- Liver Transplant- Multi-visceral
- Kidney –pancreas Transplant, Pancreas.
- Pediatric Transplant
- Infectious in Transplant
- Nursing in Transplant
These committees will be formed by specialized doctors from different countries that count with up to date transplant programs and to whom our invitation has been extended. The members will be renewed every two years.
We've also received an invitation from Dr. Manuel Arias, President of the Spanish Society of Transplant (SST),who has shown interest in working with the transplant community of Latin America to collaborate in the activities of interest for both societies. During the II Congress of the SST, held from the 23rd to the 26th of June, that took place in Madrid , both Dr Toro and I participated in a Presidents Meeting with the aim to establish the basis to work together.
Our Website is progressing, been a constant way of communication with member countries. We need though, mayor cooperation from all societies that confirm the STALYC. The Website belongs to all of us and is there for all of you, to issue all the information that you consider convenient and also to publish events that take place in Latin America and the Caribbean.
We remind you that the Latin American Transplant Records have been published on our Website for you to see.
I ask for the Transplant Community and scientific Development's support in order to keep working towards the patient's benefit.
Our best wishes for success and prosperity in the second semester of 2012.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Roberto Tanus