Communications and Publications Division (CPD) of the IFCC
Editor: Tahir Pillay, MB ChB, PhD, FRCPath (Lon), FCPath (SA)
Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
E-mail: enews@ifcc.org

International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

N° 2 – March 2018

In t h is issue A new IFCC Division: the Emerging Technologies Division (ETD)3 The IFCC Curriculum, Phase 1 – now available for download

4 Vaccination: a public health issue5

 New IFCC Distinguished Award: "Gérard SIEST-Biologie Prospective Award 2020"6

 IFCC - Task Force Young Scientists (TFYS)

8

 Clinical Chemistry Trainee Council

9 NEWS FROM REGIONAL FEDERATIONS AND MEMBER SOCIETIES In memory of Prof. Giovanni Ceriotti (SIBioC)

11

 News from the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQCML)

12 News from Pakistan: Meeting report (PAP)15 2nd EFLM Strategic Conference, 18-19 June 2018, Mannheim (DE)16 In memory of Professor Dr. Ad P. Jansen (EFLM)

17

 IFCC's Calendar of Congresses, Conferences & Events18

A new IFCC Division: the Emerging Technologies Division (ETD)by Sergio Bernardini
IFCC ETD Chair
University Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
The IFCC is proud to announce the formation of a new Division,
the Emerging Technologies Division (ETD).
The IFCC Executive Board has endorsed the creation of a new
functional unit responsible for the translation of emerging anddisruptive diagnostic and data analysis procedures from academic
laboratories to clinical laboratories. The Emerging Technology
Division (ETD) is fully functional from January 2018.
ETD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Sergio Bernardini (IT) – Chair
Paolo Fortina (US) – Vice-Chair
Ronda Greaves (AU) – Secretary
Damien Gruson (BE) – Member
Markus Roessler (Roche D. GmBH) – Corporate Member
Peng Yin (Abbott D) – Corporate Member
Maurizio Ferrari (IT) – Consultant
Larry Kricka (US) – Consultant
Prof. Sergio Bernardini

ETD RESPONSIBILITIES:ÂÂ The application of emerging technologies and methods including innovative mass spectrometry, high-throughput genotyping techniques and data analysis to clinical diagnostic protocols focused on Precision Medicine;ÂÂ Defining for each emerging technology the clinical needs and criteria of education of specialists in Laboratory Medicine;ÂÂ Defining for each emerging technology and method the appropriate infrastructure and laboratory organization;
ÂÂ Defining for each emerging technology and method pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical processes necessary for clinical laboratory applications;ÂÂ Defining for each emerging technology and method quality programs and certifications required tomeet criteria for accreditation up to ISO15189 standard;ÂÂ Assess the clinical value of each test with regard to addressing unmet clinical need.
FOUR COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN FORMED WITHIN THE ETD:ÂÂ Committee-Advanced Paediatric Laboratory Medicine – C-APLM Committee Oversight: Dr. Ronda Greaves (AU)ÂÂ Committee-Healthy Longevity Laboratory Medicine- C-HLLM - Committee Oversight: Prof. Sergio Bernardini (IT)ÂÂ Committee-Omics Applications in Laboratory Medicine – C-OPLM Committee Oversight: Prof. Paolo Fortina (US)ÂÂ Committee on Mobile Health and Bioengineering in Laboratory Medicine – C-MHBLM Committee Oversight:
Dr. Damien Gruson (BE)For more details and information on the IFCC Committee on Emerging Technologies, visit the website at:
http://www.ifcc.org/ifcc-emerging-technologies-division/.

3

The IFCC Curriculum,
Phase 1 – now availablefor
download
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The IFCC Curriculum is a guide for IFCC member societies in their development of syllabuses for postgraduate trainl y,
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ees in laboratory medicine, appropriate for use in their own countries. It is also intended to provide a resource fortrainees in planning their private study in preparation for academic and professional qualifications which lead toformal recognition of expertise and status as experts and leaders in the field of laboratory medicine.
Curriculum

1.
Laboratory
Organisation &Management

Laboratory
procedures &principles

SeniorManagement

2.
Blood
Sciences
ClinicalChemistry &Immunology

Analytical3.
Microbiology

4.
Molecular
Genetics

Haematology

ClinicalInstrumentation& methodology

Analytes

Calculations

ClinicalChemistry

Immunology

TDM &Toxicology

ClinicalChemistry &Immunology

TDM &Toxicology

Summary of curriculum design. The sections covered in version 1 of the curriculum are shown in blue.
The yellow cells indicate areas of the curriculum to be developed as part of future versions.

TheVERSIONSIFCC Curriculum - phase 1, is intended to provide the laboratory medicine expert with comprehensive knowledge of the science and medicine on which the specialty is based, and with an aid to enable the provision of asafe, efficient and high quality service for laboratory users. The curriculum is designed to provide a framework
for learning both practical and theoretical components through which this expertise can be achieved. Other disciplines within laboratory medicine will follow in due course.
Click here to download the IFCC Curriculum4Vaccination: a public health issue
by Bernard GougetCounselor for Public Health FHF
President-Human Health Care Committee on Accreditation -COFRAC
Chair-IFCC Nominations Committee
General Secretary of the International Francophone Federationof Clinical Biology and Laboratory Medicine (FIFBCML), SFBC International Committee
For many of us, it will soon be ‘flu season. ‘Flu (influenza) vaccines are
the first step to take before winter, without forgetting other proceduresthat can reduce propagation. ‘Flu vaccination prevented 39% of hospitalizations for confirmed ‘flu in the elderly for the winter of 2015-2016 inEurope. More particularly, vaccination reduced the ‘flu hospitalization rateof diabetics by 62%, people with lung disease by 60% and those with heartdisease by 36%. Nevertheless, the low efficacy of the ‘flu vaccine, particularly in the elderly, seems to call into question the strategies deployed forseveral years. Two hypotheses could explain it: the appearance of mutations or a reduction of immune response brought about by vaccination.
Analysis of data according to the date of vaccination shows that vaccine efficacy versus A(H3N2) was null four months after vaccination. Efficacy versus A(H1N1) remained stable throughout the entire season and there wasonly a slight decrease at the end of the season versus influenza B. In response to a request of the European Medicines Agency to provide efficacy
data by type of vaccine and by brand, it was shown that adjuvant vaccines
Bernard Gouget
appeared to be more effective. Even though, with the current vaccines, thereal-life efficacy is rarely greater than 50%, we should continue to assess vaccine efficacy for the purpose of diversified prevention, based, in particular, on vaccination, hand hygiene, wearing masks, and in some situations,prophylactic antivirals.
A recent study showed that in France alone, a quarter of healthcare professionals are “covered” with very strong
disparities between the medical and paramedical professions. There is an issue of the credibility of public action. The efficacy of vaccination in people responsible for the frail elderly in institutions remains controversial.
But the benefit of this so-called altruistic vaccination of healthcare professionals to prevent the transmission of‘flu to residents shows, according to a Cochrane meta-analysis, that health professional vaccination reduces allcause mortality in residents by 30%. As a health care professional, one must be extremely clear and as factualas possible, by saying that immunization primarily serves to protect oneself. It would be a shame not to set an
example as a caregiver, given that several indicators raise concerns about a reduction in the number of children
properly vaccinated.
There is a non-negligible risk of seeing the return of serious diseases, such as diphtheria or tetanus. Lower
vaccine coverage would also allow apparently milder pathogens to spread more widely during epidemics. Furthermore, Prof. Agnès Buzin, the new French Minister of Health, is going to extend mandatory vaccinations foryoung children. Today to be admitted into nursery school, kindergarten or elementary school, three vaccines arenecessary (against diphtheria, tetanus and poliomyelitis). In 2018, eleven will be mandatory. Vaccines for pertussis, Haemophilus influenzae b, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcus C, pneumococcus and hepatitis B will
Article continued on next page5

be added to the three above. This is a shock measure,planned for a limited duration, which may be five toten years.
The objective is to improve coverage, especially formeasles; Europe has been observing a resurgencesince 2008 (24,000 cases). Italy has gone further,making 12 vaccines mandatory in June and Germany,
without establishing mandatory vaccination, now requires proof of a paediatric consultation on vaccination to enroll a child in school. Although complications
remain rare, as soon as the first thousand people are
infected, drama is inevitable, especially among themost frail in the population, such as those whose immune defences are reduced or infants who have notyet been vaccinated. This is true. But is mandatory
vaccination really the solution?
In Europe, only twelve countries have mandatory requirements for at least one disease and fifteen confine
themselves to recommended vaccines, for coveragethat varies greatly depending on the country and thedisease concerned. For 90 years that aluminium has
been used as a vaccine additive, it has become theideal scapegoat: autism, MS, it is suspected of being aneurotoxin and triggering autoimmune reactions in asmall part of the population, although the causal relationship is not resolved. In the country of Pasteur,
we talk about vaccines with devotion or hatred, but

factual discourse is non-existent. On both sides, weare asked to believe, while we want to understand.
It is time to abandon the myths and fears and abandon simplified and generalized discourse on vaccination. Each vaccine has different issues and distinct advantages and disadvantages.
Faced with uncertainty, we are more easily manipulated, especially via the Internet. The lack of information leads to over-interpreting the risks that exist, likefor all medicines. But they remain very low: on theindividual scale, there is little to fear from vaccines.
Adverse reactions are much less frequent than thosereported for conventional medicines.
Vaccination is still one of the pillars of our societies
today: it allows us to benefit from this global microbial celebration that is life. In combination with hygiene
and antibiotics, it has increased our life expectancy bythirty years and, in one century, reduced the risk ofseeing children die before their first birthday by twenty-five fold. It deserves better than polarized and cartoonish debates. However, with regard to the benefit
for the general population, it is necessary to continue
to study each vaccine meticulously, one by one, without preconceived ideas, with only the tools of reading
scientific articles and epidemiological, pharmacovigilance, sociological and economic data.

New IFCC Distinguished Award:"Gérard SIEST-Biologie Prospective Award 2020"
Every three years, at the IFCC WorldLab Congress, eight IFCC Distinguished Awards are given to laboratory medicine professionals in recognition of their outstanding achievements, publicizing their exceptional research andcontributions to medicine and healthcare, and encouraging the global advancement of clinical chemistry andlaboratory medicine.
During the 23rd IFCC WorldLab Durban 2017, and in honor of the memory of Professor Gérard Siest, the ninth
IFCC Award was created under the initiative of Jean-Pascal SIEST, Biologie Prospective President (http://www.
biology-prospective.org) and Professor Howard Morris, ex-chair of the IFCC Awards Committee and current IFCC
President (2018-2020).
This award will recognize a young medical biologist scientist, clinician or outstanding researcher under the ageof 40, whose research has contributed to the advancement of pharmacogenomics and precision medicine. The
work may include basic research or/and applications in clinical medicine or clinical biology, as well as standardization, quality management, regulatory evaluation or therapeutic use.
Article continued on next page

6

The agreement signed between IFCC and Biologie Prospective stated that the laureate will receive a prize of
5,000 euros endowed by Biology Prospective.
Biologie Prospective organization is an association 1901, founded in 1969 with the objective of promoting research and development in biological, pharmaceutical, clinical, pharmacological and toxicological sciences, theorganization of quality control and professional training sessions for private and public medical laboratories.
The first IFCC Award “Gérard SIEST-Biologie Prospective 2020” will be presented at the 24th International Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC WorldLab Seoul 2020) held at the Coex Congress
Center, Seoul, Korea in May 24-28, 2020.
For more information:
ÂÂ email the IFCC technical secretariat: ifcc@ifcc.org; orÂÂ visit Biologie Prospective: www.biologie-prospective.org.

L-R: Prof. Howard Morris, IFCC President, ex-Chair IFCC Award Committee;
Jean Pascal Siest, Biologie Prospective President;
Carole Roediger, Assistant;
Dr. Bernard Gouget, Chair IFCC Nominations Committee (2016-2017).

7

IFCC - Task Force Young Scientists (TFYS)ACBICON – 4-6 Dec 2017, King George Medical College, Lucknow, India
by Pradeep K. Dabla
Chair, IFCC-TFYS
IFCC-TFYS organized an educational symposium andthe 3rd ACBI-IFCC TF-YS Award, supported by the organising committee of the 44th National Conferenceof ACBICON-2017, at King George Medical College,
Lucknow, India. The symposium carried the themeof “Leadership Skills: Essential for Career & Organisational Success”. The sessions were chaired by
Prof. Maurizio Ferrari (President IFCC), Dr. Bernard
Gouget (IFCC NC Chair) and Dr. Elizabeth Frank (APFCB-CC Chair).
Today it is not enough to be a great scientist. Conversely, science excellence combined with leadershipis vitally needed. There is a gap of leadership skills
among young scientists because science education focusses on individual achievement whereas innovation
requires collaboration. Firsthand experience of leadership must come from place of education then secondly

at the workplace environment. So, this symposium
was focused to share experience and education from
IFCC, APFCB & ACBI leaders for young scientists.
Prof. Howard Morris initiated giving insight to challenges & responsibilities while explaining how to prepare for leadership. These challenges are an invitation
to rise to another level, to test yourself and improvein the process.
Prof. Tomris Ozben continued, citing examples, while
explaining contribution of women in development ofTurkey. She emphasized the strong presence of women and their contribution in society.
Dr. Praveen Sharma described how critical thinking is important for building good judgment. Criticalthinking is self-disciplined, self-monitored and problem-solving thinking.

IFCC-EB & ACBI Members at Party Lawn. IFCC President, Prof. Ferrari is the second from right.
Article continued on next page8

Dr. Pradeep K. Dabla said that effective team working
and leadership is an essential ingredient for organisational success. Successful teams can help transforman organisation, increase outputs and deliver on organisational objectives.
At the end, the session was open for young scientists
and participants to interact with world leaders to solve
their queries. IFCC-TFYS is thankful to the organizing
committee of ACBICON-2017, especially to Prof. Abbas Mehdi and the leaders of the IFCC, APFCB & ACBI
for sharing their views and facilitating understandingof “Leadership Skills” for future leaders.
The “ACBI-IFCC TFYS” Young Scientist Awards- 2017
was conducted on 5th Dec 2017. The five young scientists from all over India, covering all zones of ACBI
were selected from the number of nominations submitted on the basis of their research work.

The five selected young scientists presented their original research papers and were awarded with cash prize
INR-5000 and certificate supported by organising committee ACBICON-2017.
The session was chaired by Prof. Rajiv Ranjan Sinha,
Secretary ACBI and Dr. Pradeep K. Dabla, Chair, IFCCTFYS. The five scientists were Dr. Neelam Lakha, Dr.
Anchal Trivedi, Dr. Joseph Dian Bondu, Dr. Rakchna M.
and Dr. Abhra Ghosh.
These awards created a good example of advocacy foryoung scientists, and an opportunity for standalone
sessions.
IFCC-TFYS is thankful to all our senior members,
IFCC, APFCB, ACBI and to the Chair of the Organising
Committee ACBICON 2017 Prof. Abbas Maehdi for
their immense support in conducting the TFYS sessions
successfully.

Clinical Chemistry Trainee Council
by Nader Rifai
Founder of CCTC programme
Ann Gronowski
Co-Chair, CCTC programme

In 2011, the journal Clinical Chemistry launched a web-based, andfree-of-charge, educational initiative for laboratory medicine trainees
and their mentors entitled Clinical Chemistry Trainee Council (CCTC)(www.traineecouncil.org). Its mission is “to be the primary educational resource for laboratory medicine trainees world-wide”.
This program is currently available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese,
Portuguese, Turkish, and French. The CCTC is an AACC program that is
primarily funded by the organization and Boston Children’s Hospital; aneffort toward the democratization of education. Nader Rifai is the founder of this programme and co-chairs it with Ann Gronowski.

Nader Rifai

The website contains a wealth of information, some of which are fromthe journal Clinical Chemistry and others are developed specifically forthis program. The materials include:
Article continued on next page9

1. Clinical Case Studies: educational in nature and in addition to theactual case, it includes commentary from two experts in the field(n=120, downloaded 1.3 million times)
2. Q&A articles: virtual roundtable discussions among a group of
experts about a hot topic (n=105, downloaded over 550,000 times)
3. Guide to Scientific Writing: a series of 14 articles (downloaded over
600,000 times)
4. Inspiring Minds: twenty interviews with world famous scientificleaders in laboratory medicine
5. Podcasts: 10-minute interviews with leaders in the field about animportant article or issue in laboratory medicine. (n=400, downloaded
over 1.7 million times)
6. Journal Club: a set of slides that accompanies an article from Clinical
Chemistry to be used in journal club discussions (n=84, downloaded
over 1.1 million times)
7. Pearls of Laboratory Medicine: a curriculum-based and peerreviewed series of 10-15 min lectures about a particular analyte
or a diagnosis spanning all disciplines of laboratory medicine including clinical chemistry, hematology,
coagulation, microbiology, immunology, transfusion medicine, biochemical genetics and moleculardiagnostics. A team of junior specialists faculty members are responsible for determining the curriculumfor each discipline and soliciting, handling the review process and editing each Pearl. Currently, 152 Pearls
have been posted with a goal of completing 300 by 2019; they have been downloaded over 75,000 times
Ann Gronowski

8. Webcasts: lectures by leading international scientists. Moving toward providing courses such as that
prepared by Dr. Julie Buring of Harvard Medical School; 7-hour course on study design
9. Question Bank: our most ambitious undertaking that was launched in late 2013; over 3000 peer-reviewed questions in all aspects of laboratory medicine can be accessed via the web or mobile devices
using the RoundPoint software. The program keeps track of the progress of the trainees and issues
certificate when completing a course successfully. Questions are ranked in the level of difficulty andgrouped by topics. Two question formats are provided, multiple-choice format for those seeking examination in the US and Royal College of Pathologists format for those seeking examination in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. A team of junior faculty members from the different disciplines in laboratory
medicine is responsible for soliciting, reviewing, editing and ranking each question.
Although the CCTC is still a relatively young programme, it has >11,000 registrants from 153 countries; ~25% ofregistrants are from the US and ~40% are from emerging and developing countries. The CCTC has establishedpartnerships with almost 30 international federations and associations in laboratory medicine, including IFCC,
that believe in its value to their trainees. According to Dr. Graham Beastall, the former President of the IFCC, “Itis essential that laboratory medicine specialists are trained to be able to convert laboratory data into knowledge
that will benefit patients. The CCTC is a unique international programme that delivers this outcome”. These
Partners are promoting the CCTC among their trainees and providing input toward the type of programmes andeducational materials their trainees need so the CCTC can help them to achieve their goals.
We encourage all trainees in laboratory medicine and their mentors to take advantage of this free of charge resource
and register to gain access to these materials by going to www.traineecouncil.org. It takes less than one minute!!

10NEWS FROM REGIONAL FEDERATIONS AND MEMBER SOCIETIESIn memory of Prof. Giovanni Ceriotti (SIBioC)
by Francesco Salvatore
Honorary Member of SIBioC
Giovanni Ceriotti was one of the fathers of Laboratory Medicine, both as a science and in terms of practice in Italy. Thanks to Professor Ceriotti, Laboratory
Medicine passed from the cellars of hospitals anduniversity clinics to take its rightful place as a true
discipline. Indeed, he promoted the essence of Laboratory Medicine as a Science and Practice, autonomously distinct in its intrinsic rationale and in daily
practice.
According to this approach, Ceriotti always ensured
that the medical demands be the driver of the discipline. Since then, the increasingly more relevant contribution to diagnostics that Laboratory Medicine has
acquired among the signs of medical semeiotics has
proved to be the best way to provide added value toclinical medicine.
Giovanni Ceriotti was also an excellent teacher,thanks to the precision of his language and use ofcatchphrases, and also through his books on Clinical
Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry. Notably, he advocated scientific and methodological rigour throughthe Giornale di Chimica Clinica that soon became an
example of an important contribution to the interProf. Giovanni Ceriotti
national agora in this field even though it was firstpublished in Italian. He was also among the founders of the Society, which in my opinion is the most importantSociety devoted to Laboratory Medicine in Italy, namely the Società Italiana di Biochimica Clinica e Biologia
Molecolare Clinica (SIBioC) which, with his example and contributions, paved the way to the many achievementsthat have been reached and are gratifying the same Society.
At the international level he helped, together with a few others, to bring Italy to the frontiers of knowledge andto increase its international presence and interactions. This long-standing approach recently led to the contemporary election of Italian scholars as President and Secretary General of the International Federation of Clinical
Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC), the most important international organization in this field.
Following in Giovanni Ceriotti’s footsteps will help younger scholars to ensure the success of a discipline that isincreasingly more relevant for science and for daily clinical practice.

11

News from the Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine(SEQCML)The XI National Clinical Laboratory Congress (Labclin 2017)
ÂÂ Working with information generated by laboratories using artificial intelligence tools is considered a great future opportunity for the sector
ÂÂ In this year’s edition, special attention was
paid to communication.
The XI National Clinical Laboratory Congress (Labclin
2017) was organized by the Spanish Society ofLaboratory Medicine (SEQC ML ), the Spanish
Association of Medical Biopathology-Laboratory
Medicine (AEBM) and the Spanish Clinical Laboratory
Association (AEFA) in Malaga from 15-17 November
2017. The aim was to exchange experiences andpromote professional and human relationships, andupdate knowledge. This is one of the most importantcongresses in the national health scene based on
number of attendees.
The theme was “The patient as the center of actions
and technology, protagonists of Labclin 2017” andwas focused on:ÂÂ Greater participation with physicians is necessary for the development of adequate protocols and clinical pathways, and in the approach tocomplex cases

The clinical laboratory evolves at the speed of technological development, which implies that it is in continuous advancement. This leads to many challenges- such as advances in technology, the study of circulating tumor DNA, the automation of processes suchas microbiology and the management of analyticalsystems at Point of Care - and, therefore, a process ofconstant updating is needed.
“In scientific matters we have a leading-edge program-- we will discuss the new advances in cardiovascularbiomarkers, updates in diabetes, and the use of circulating tumor DNA, among many other issues of interest. It should be noted that very important figures inthe scientific field will be involved, so our expectations
for learning are very high,” explained Dr. Maria Luisa Hortas, member of the SEQCML and the ScientificCommittee of the Congress, in an announcement prior to the event.

A view of the Trade Fairs and Congress Center of Málaga (FYCMA)
Article continued on next page12

According to the expert, “our scientific program gathers together the latest news, trends, and leading research, and as a result the Congress has become anational benchmark for the sector.”
She continued: “In addition, within the training programme, we look for activities that contribute topractical excellence on a day-to-day basis. For example, we address training related to ISO 15189 accreditation, or the seminar “What is a clinical case:guidelines for its development”, which will be given
by Dr. María Dolores Martín Escalante, director of theInternal Medicine Unit of Costa del Sol Hospital andvice president of the Andalusian Society of Internal
Medicine (SEMI), who is also editor of the international journal “Revista Española de Cases Clinicos de
Medicina Interna (Reccmi) [Spanish Journal of ClinicalCases in Internal Medicine]”.
For her part, Dr. Pastora Rodríguez Vázquez, memberof the SEQCML and the Organizing Committee of theCongress, declared prior to the event that this year’s
programme would emphasize key topics of laboratory

medicine such as the evolution of day-to-day practices, accreditation, perspectives in organic pathologies,
new technologies or applications, new medical strategies, and translational research, always taking into
account that the patient is at the center of these activities, efforts, and discussions.
“So,” she added, “we will discuss the most current issues in the field of laboratory medicine, which is always in expansion, and we will have extraordinary
speakers, both national and international, towards
that end.” It should be highlighted that the scientific programme was carried out with the participationof more than seventy moderators and speakers, who
presented new aspects of basic science and clinicalpractice, and explored new challenges for laboratory
diagnosis.
“As an important new item, in this edition we have tried
to give greater visibility to communications. Therefore, the Scientific Committee will select -- according to the strict established criteria of quality, theme
and form -- up to eighteen of the projects received for

I. Caballé (SEQCML President), R. Calafell (AEFA President), S. Prieto (AEBM President),
M.L. Hortas (Scientific Committee President) and F.J. Mérida (Local Committee President)
Article continued on next page13

oral presentation during the symposiums“, noted Dr.
Rodríguez prior to the Congress.
“In fact, one of the main conclusions we obtained in
the satisfaction survey from the last edition was theneed to strengthen the presence of oral presentations. That is why we have worked on this with special
attention for this edition of the Congress. This year,
2017, we have selected 30 oral communications, ofthe 1,059 papers presented, to be presented during
the corresponding sessions, either within the symposia or within the award space”, explained Dr. Hortas
prior to the event.
“We know the important contribution that these papers represent for the positioning of our collective” explained the expert – “for the strengthening of thepillars of our congress and for the enrichment of thescientific community. For this reason, we will continue
working to increase the visibility of all those projects
that, under the strict quality standards that correspond to our discipline, result in the enrichment of ourscientific resources.”“In addition to the projects and oral presentations,this year we are looking forward with special interest
to some topics such as the challenges of personalized
medicine, new developments in cardiovascular disease, Point of Care management, and new diagnostic
opportunities originating in the laboratories, such as
circulating tumor DNA”, noted Dr. Rodríguez.
Dr. Hortas explained that “this year, technology will
be a great protagonist, because it is what is making

the clinical laboratory advance so quickly.” She noted that “working with information generated by laboratories using artificial intelligence tools is a great
opportunity.”
THE PATIENT AS THE FOCUS OF ALL PRIORITIES“All our services have to be patient-centered. Hencethe need to improve and augment the relationshipbetween the laboratory and doctors,” emphasized
Dr. Hortas.
In this line, Dr. Rodríguez stated that “although therelationship between the two groups is getting better,what is necessary is greater participation with doctors
in the development of appropriate protocols and clinical pathways, and in the approach to complex cases.
We have to make ourselves more visible, more present and accessible to doctors.”
About the SEQCMLThe Spanish Society of Laboratory Medicine (SEQC ML )-founded in 1976-now includes more than 2,000 professionals and its main objective is to bring together all scientists interested in the field of Clinical Laboratory practice, promote the dissemination of scientific and technicalpublications, organize meetings, courses, and congressesof national and international character and cooperatewith other scientific societies. Likewise, the Society wants
to contribute to studying and recommending standardized
methods and establish guidelines and recommendations
for training in the field of Laboratory Medicine. For more
information: www.seqc.es.

News from the IFCC Website
Diagnóstico in Vitro - Febrero 2018
Enjoy the contents of the new DIAGNÓSTICO IN VITRO February issue. Empezamos
con nuestro primer número de la revista electrónica DIV para el año 2018 ynuestra meta es hacerla cada vez mejor para ustedes. Deseamos presentar en larevista Diagnóstico In Vitro las buenas noticias para los profesionales y amigos
de nuestra región de Iberoamericano, junto con los artículos de investigación
en las Ciencias del Laboratorio. In this issue the IFCC WG-IANT confirms its
commitment to advance excellence in laboratory medicine for better healthcare
worldwide in Latin America.
										Read more

14

News from Pakistan: Meeting report (PAP)
40th Annual Conferenceof Pakistan Association of Pathologists
by Hafsa Majid
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
The 40th Annual Conference of Pakistan Associationof Pathologists (PAP) was held at the Sindh Instituteof Urology and Transplantation (SIUT), Karachi from
14-18 December 2017.

sessions, covering a wide range of topics ranging frominnovations in techniques, developments in field of
pathology in Pakistan, transplantation, challenges in
infectious diseases and updates in anatomic pathology.

Prior to conference, twelve preconference workshops
related to various fields in Pathology were conducted.
Two workshops were conducted for Chemical Pathologists: ‘Quality Control Procedures’ and ‘Interpretationof Biochemical Genetics Results’ attended by trainees
and consultant chemical pathologists from around thecountry (picture).

In the chemical pathology sessions, 12 free papers
and 33 posters were presented by trainees and consultants including Pakistan Society of Chemical Pathologists (PSCP) members from all over Pakistan.
Young researchers were encouraged for their active
participation and best oral and poster awards were
presented to 12 young researchers from different areas in the closing ceremony. The conference was attended by more than 1000 participants from aroundthe country. The conference provided a concise andpractical overview of latest advances in the field oflaboratory medicine.

For the conference high quality scientific programme
pertaining to haematology, histopathology, microbiology, immunology, molecular and chemical pathology were arranged. Conference included 5 plenary
sessions, 14 symposia and 10 free paper presentation

Participants at Chemical Pathology Symposia ‘Metabolic Medicine’ at PAP 201715

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
Chair:
Michael Neumaier, Germany
Eric Kilpatrick, UK-Qatar
Wytze Oosterhuis, The Netherlands
Klaus Pantel, Germany
Sverre Sandberg, Norway
Ana-Maria Simundic, Croatia
Ian Watson, UK

2nd EFLM Strategic Conference

THE END OF LABORATORYMEDICINE AS WE KNOW IT?
Handling disruption of Laboratory Medicine
in digital health18-19 June 2018
Mannheim (DE)With the auspices of

EFLM thanks the following
companies for the kind andunconditional support

The conference will consider the
impactthat
theon-going
digitalization of technologies and adigitalized society will have on the
medical laboratory in future healthcare. We contend that such changes
enable Digital Health that will be
disruptive for Laboratory Medicine
as we know it, because they willchange our capabilities to compile,
integrate and visualize complex
diagnostic data as well as providing
the opportunity for radical changes
to diagnostic health strategies.
With the digital revolution spreading
into every realm of modern medicine,
we will experience a democratisationof health care, i.e. a comprehensive
data usage not just being in thehands of health care professionals,
but also in the patients´. Indeed, acentral concept of digital healthmedicine is patient empowerment
as demonstrated by key words like“electronic health record”, “patient
access”, “health apps”, “wearable
health tech” etc. In this rapidlychanging health care environment,
Laboratory Medicine must redefine
its positions, not only acting in its
classical role as provider of laboratory
results, but also adopting new roles
and responsibilities in the clinicaldialogue.

Download the full leaflet with the detailed scientific programme
and general information at www.eflm.eu

16

In memory of Professor Dr. Ad P. Jansen (EFLM)
by the EFLM Executive Board
On 24 January 2018 Prof. Dr. Ad Jansen passed
away at the blessed age of 94.
Prof. Jansen was one of the icons of clinicalchemistry in its very early days. His work is invaluable for our profession in the Netherlands andalso in Europe.
Ad Jansen was closely linked to the foundingof NVKC, one of the oldest societies for clinicalchemistry in the world. He also founded in 1974
SKML, one of the first NEQAS organizations.
He realized that international co-operation isparamount to harmonize across borders and inparticular in the six countries of the European
Communities at that time.
He started co-operation in quality control withcolleagues in UK, France, West-Germany, Belgium and Ireland.
Prof. Jansen was also founder of EC4. The founding meeting took place in The Netherlands on
May 6, 1977. The aim was to reach a sectorial directive for clinical chemists for mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence
Professor Dr. Ad P. Jansenof formal qualifications in clinical chemistry inorder to overcome possible discrimination of clinical chemists of non-medical origin. It still forms the basis of
the work of EFLM Profession Committee.
Prof. Jansen was admired for his vision. Much of his work has still great impact on the practice of laboratory medicine and the organization of it at national and European scale but we are remembered for who we are as muchas for what we do, and in addition to his many achievements, Ad Jansen was one of the nicest people you could
ever wish to meet.
His friendliness, amiability and open mind next to his boundless energy made him a very beloved person. The
memory of him is kept with respect and love.

17

IFCC's Calendar of Congresses, Conferences & Events
Calendar of IFCC Congresses/Conferences
and Regional Federations' Congresses

Apr 18 - 21, 2018

15th Arab Conference of Clinical
Biology and Laboratory Medicine

Ramallah, PS

Jul 2 - 4, 2018

1st IFCC, EFLM, AFCB Conference“Laboratory Medicine: Meeting theneeds of Mediterranean Nations”

Rome, ITMay 19 - 23, 2019

IFCC - EFLM EuroMedLab 2019

Barcelona, ES

Sep 11 - 13, 2019

COLABIOCLI Regional Congress 2019Panama, PA

Nov 17 - 20, 2019

APFCB Regional Congress 2019

Jaipur, IN

May 24 - 28, 2020

XXIV IFCC WorldLab - Seoul 2020

Seoul, KR

May 16 - 20, 2021

XXIV IFCC - EFLM EuroMedLab Munich 2021

Munich, DE

May 21 - 25, 2023

XXV IFCC - EFLM WorldLab EuroMedLab - ROME 2023

Rome, IT

Calendar continued on next page18

Calendar of events with IFCC auspices
Mar 15 - 17, 2018

College of Chemical Pathologists of Sri Lanka
Annual Academic Sessions 2018

Colombo, LK

Mar 16 - 17, 2018

23rd Annual Conference and Continuing Professional
Development (ACCPD)

Bahir Dar, ET

Apr 18 - 21, 2018

The 10th International Palestinan Conference of Laboratory Medicine
and the 15th Arab Conference of Clinical Biology

Ramallah, PS

May 9 - 12, 2018

2nd Congress of Romanian Association of Laboratory Medicine

Bucharest, RO

May 9 - 12, 2018

9th Congress of the Croatian Societyof Medical Biochemistry & Laboratory Medicine

Zagreb, HR

May 23 - 25, 2018

14th EFLM Symposium for Balkan Region

Belgrade, SRB

May 23 - 25, 2018

21st Serbian Congress of Medical Biochemistry
and Laboratory Medicine with international participations

Belgrade, SRB

May 24 - 25, 2018

XVI Meeting of the SEQCML Scientific Committee

Madrid, ES

Jun 3 - 6, 2018

CSCC 2018 Annual Conference

Ottawa, CA

Jun 6 - 8, 2018

Focus 2018 - Annual Meeting of ACB

Jun 12 - 15, 2018

XXXVI Nordic Congress of Clinical ChemistryJun 18 - 19, 2018

2nd EFLM Strategic Conference“The end of Laboratory Medicine as we know it?
Handling disruption of Laboratory Medicine in digital health”

Jun 21 - 22, 2018

7th International Symposium on Critical Care Testing and Blood Gases

Manchester, UK
Helsinki, FIMannheim, DE
Antibes, FR

Jun 30 - Jul 3, 2018 International Society for Enzymology Conference

Naxos, GR

Jul 13 - 14, 2018

Turning Science Into Caring (TSIC)

Shanghai, CN

Sep 26 - 29, 2018

15th Annual Meeting of the German Society for Clinical Chemistry
and Laboratory Medicine - The foundation for diagnosis and therapy

Mannheim, DE

Sep 30 - Oct 3, 2018

Santorini Conference “Systems medicine and personalised health& therapy” - “The odyssey from hope to practice”.

Santorini, GR

Oct 3 - 5, 2018

26th BCLF Meeting and 6th National Congress of MSMBLM

Skopje, MK

Oct 30, 2018

International Conference on Laboratory Medicine"LABORATORY MEDICINE: 25 YEARS ON"

Padova, IT

19

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Publisher
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