enews
International Federation of Clinical Chemistry
and Laboratory Medicine

Communications and Publications Division (CPD) of the IFCC
Editor: Katherina Psarra, MSc, PhD
IFCC Office, Via C. Farini, 81
20159 Milano, Italy
E-mail: enews@ifcc.org

news

№ 7/8
July/August 2023

1

enewsIn this issue
Editorial
Message from the eNews Editor

4

The voice of IFCC
Message from the IFCC President

5

Point-of-Care Testing: Home, Hospital and Beyond

7

Hyperautomation in healthcare: prerequisites and challenges for health12

managers
TF-OSLM call for study

14

IFCC Professional Scientific Exchange Programme (PSEP):

15

my experience at Harvard Medical School and at the Teaching Hospital the
Massachusetts General Hospital - US
IFCC Abbott VLP: My Participation in the XIV Congreso Uruguayo de Bioquímica,

19

Montevideo, May 11-13, 2023

Contribute to IFCC eNews
Introducing the Eleven New Best Practices Receiving Global Recognition

22

Through the UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Awards
IVD best practice for maximizing value with the IFCC

24

News from Regional Federations and Member Societies
Extraordinary Assembly of the Latin American Confederation of Clinical26

Biochemistry (COLABIOCLI) at the 48th Congress of the Brazilian Society ofClinical Analysis
Recognising the importance of the child in laboratory medicine

29

Climate Change in Pakistan and Role of Clinical Chemistry Laboratories

33

Green Lab Reflections: Insights from My Diary35

The 14th Conference of the Romanian Association of Laboratory Medicine

37

Romanian Association of Laboratory Medicine

392New IFCC Members
LaborTeam and United Robotics

40

IFCC’s Calendar of Congresses, Conferences & Events
IFCC and Regional Federations events

44

Corporate Member events with IFCC auspices

45

Other events with IFCC auspices

46

3

Editorial
Dear colleagues
I hope you are enjoying your holidays. I am imagining you at theseaside or under a tree in the countryside relaxing and resting as you
deserve.
Well, it is hard to believe that you are thinking of your emails but, let’shope, that if you do, you are running into this issue of the eNews.
And you see that something has changed. It is a brand-new format
created by the new IT company, DIGIWEDO. It is the same company
that created the new website and we do hope that you like this newenvironment.
It would be really great if you send us your opinion. We are looking
forward to it.
In this issue IFCC President Prof Khosrow Adeli is inviting all of us to
the WorldLab2024 in Dubai, explaining to us what to expect from thisgreat event.

Dr Katherina Psarra,MSc, PhD, eNews Editor

In this issue more reports from Rome can be found like the one
about the PointOfCare satellite meeting. POCT seems to be more
and more a part of everybody’s life, and at the same time more andmore connected to the lab life. I found in this article even the word
flow Cytometry mentioned, which is my area of work and I was very
surprised. Go through this article and you will know a lot more about
POCT and the future. And then Prof János Kappelmayer, the eJournal
editor, is sharing with you his experience from the IFCC PSEP at
Harvard. I am sure you will be willing to follow his example and take theopportunity to have a similar experience if you are eligible of course.
Go through this issue dear colleagues and a lot more experiences andopportunities will appear before your eyes and perhaps, while restingand enjoying your holidays you will dream of a new future offered to
you by IFCC.
Until then, will you, please, not forget to share with us your opinion
about the new eNews format?
Enjoy your holidays!

Katherina

4

The voice of IFCC
IFCC President’s Message
July/August 2023
By Khosrow Adeli

Greetings to you all in the IFCC family! I hope that everyone is having an
enjoyable summer season. It was wonderful to see so many of you at theWorldLab-EuroMedLab 2023 in May in the beautiful city of Rome, hosted
by SIBioC, the Italian Society of Clinical Chemistry and jointly organized
by IFCC and the European Federation of Laboratory Medicine (EFLM).
With over 11,500 attendees in person and over 1,900 participants online,
it’s clear that the event was a tremendous success and surpassed all
previous records. Such a high level of attendance is a testament to thevalue and importance of the IFCC Congresses. The significant numberof attendees, both in person and online, indicates a strong interestin the topics and discussions presented at the Rome Congress. This
success not only reflects positively on the organizers and participants
but also paves the way for future IFCC Congresses to continue growing
and achieving even greater success. The Rome Congress has set ahigh bar for future events, and its accomplishments bode well for theongoing success and impact of IFCC Congresses and demonstrates thegrowing significance of the congresses within the field and the valuable
contributions they make to the scientific community. On behalf of the IFCC
Organization, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the membersof the Conference Organizing Committee (COC) and members of the
Scientific Program Committee (SPC) who worked hard for more than ayear to make this event such a huge success. Special gratitude is also
extended to Professor Sergio Bernardini, the Conference President aswell as Professor Tommaso Trenti, the President of the Italian Societyof Clinical Chemistry (SIBioC) for hosting this successful scientific andsocial event in the magnificent Rome. Finally, we would like to extend ourheartfelt gratitude to MZ Events, our esteemed Professional Conference
Organizer (PCO), for their outstanding professionalism and flawlessorganization in successfully hosting over 11,000 attendees without
encountering any significant logistical challenges.

Prof. Khosrow Adeli
PhD, FCACB, DABCC,
FAACC

Leading up to the WorldLab/EuroMedLab 2023, IFCC held its
second-ever Young Scientists Forum, attended by over 200 young
scientists from across Europe and around the world. This included
recipients of 65 scholarships awarded by IFCC and EFLM to young
scientists from developing countries in order to attend this forum andthe main congress. Excellent presentations were delivered by young
scientists from around the globe, including Europe, Africa, Asia, theMiddle East, North America, and Latin America. Given the success of thisforum, IFCC plans to hold this event again at the next WorldLab Congressin Dubai in May 2024, providing opportunities for new young scientists
to take part each year. A big thank you is owed to the Taskforce on
Young Scientists (TF-YS) as well as Silvia Colli-Lanzi, Smeralda Skenderaj,
and Sofia Giardina of the IFCC Office for organizing and managing thisimportant event where young scientists could present and discuss their

Article continued on the next page

5

IFCC President’s
Messageactivities in laboratory medicine and build on career skills.
Now that the WorldLab/EuroMedLab 2023 has wrapped up, we aredelighted to officially announce the XXVI IFCC WORLDLAB Congress,
which will be jointly organized by IFCC, the Arab Federation of Clinical
Biochemistry (AFCB), and the Saudi Society of Clinical Chemistry (SSCC),
in association with the Genetics Disease Association in the United ArabEmirates (UAEGDA) as well as a Special Advisory Group including several
prominent Clinical Laboratory Directors in the UAE. In collaboration with
the Genetic Diseases Association (GDA), this ground-breaking event
will mark the first time the WorldLab Congress takes place in the Middle
East and the Arab world. The congress will be held in the beautiful cityof Dubai from May 26th to May 30th, 2024. Our field is undergoing
numerous transformations and technological advancements, allowing
laboratory professionals to play an increasingly significant role at theheart of healthcare. The IFCC organization is delighted to collaborate
with AFCB, SSCC, and UAEGDA in hosting the 2024 WorldLab Congress.
By uniting our efforts through forums like this, we ensure the continuous
growth and development of our organizations and the field of laboratory
medicine.
Mark your calendars and save the dates, as we warmly invite you tojoin us in the magnificent city of Dubai next year!
Wishing everyone in the IFCC community a wonderful summer holiday! As
always, feel free to email me at president@ifcc.org with your feedback,questions, or concerns.
Professor Khosrow Adeli, IFCC President
Chair, COC, Roma 2023
Co-Chair, COC, Dubai 2024

6

“Point-of-Care Testing: Home, Hospital and Beyond”
Satellite meeting - Rome, Italy 20-21 May, 2023
By dr Adil I. Khan PhD, chair, IFCC Committee on Point-of-Care TestingRome, a city that has been around for over 2,000 years and is known for
its rich history stunning architecture, and contributions to advancements
in medicine, became the venue for the Point-of-Care Testing Satellite
Symposium, “Point-of-Care Testing: Home, Hospital, and Beyond,” heldon May 20-21, 2023, at the Nuvola Convention Center. “Point-of-Care Testing”(POCT) has become an integral part of many clinical algorithms for disease
management. Its versatility and lack of reliance on the complex infrastructureof hospitals has made it the testing of choice when resources are limited.
To recognize this, the symposium was divided into three main themes:
hospital settings, outside the hospital settings in the community and quality
assurance processes, that form the bedrock of point-of-care testing.
Addressing hospital settings, Dr. Ravinder Singh (USA) was the first speaker,
discussing the “Use of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) andcortisol monitoring.” These assays have been valuable tools for surgeons forover two decades, improving patient care by reducing the need for multiple
surgeries and the risk of incomplete surgeries for primary and secondary
hyperparathyroidism. Rapid cortisol assay is also needed for surgery ofpatients with primary aldosteronism and for patients with suspected ectopic
or pituitary adrenocorticotrophic hormone production”.

Dr. Adil I. Khan PhD,
chair, IFCC Committee
on Point-of-Care TestingThis was continued by Dr. Sohini Sengupta’s (India) talk, “Arterial Blood Gas(ABG) in Critical Care Settings: the challenges & new age solutions.”
She discussed the importance of pH and blood gases in the critically ill, andthe use of test devices that enable real-time monitoring of ABG results, andimmediate, automated corrective actions to prevent release of questionable
test results and flawed medical decisions for better patient management.
“Next, Prof. Daniel Bolliger (Switzerland) talk on, “Point-of-Care Coagulation
Testing in Cardiac Surgery” explained the use of viscoelastic coagulation
testing (VECT) in cardiac surgery patients. VECT-guided treatment algorithms
reduce postoperative bleeding and the transfusion of allogeneic blood
products, which might be beneficial for reducing patient morbidity andmortality”.
Ammonia toxicity can be a challenge especially in newborns. Dr. Gilbert Chu(USA) on his topic, “Ammonia at POC to diagnose and manage inborn
errors of metabolism,” discussed the development of an Ammonia Monitoring
Device capable of measuring ammonia within 2 minutes at the POC in
25 L of blood obtained via painless earlobe puncture. The device replicatesthe results of the laboratory assay and is important in reducing ammonia
toxicity and improving patient management in newborns and those with liver
damage or on chemotherapy”.
Dr. Agnès Mailloux (France) discussed “POCT bilirubin management inneonates,” highlighting the importance of reliable determination of POCT
neonatal bilirubinemia to optimize phototherapy treatment in neonatal
jaundice. Co-ordination between central clinical lab and clinical units is needed
for method standardization, clinical-biological relationships and risk

Article continued on the next page7

Point-of-CareTestingmanagement for better usefulness and comparability of lab and POCT results.
Dr. Ed Randell (Canada) in, “POCT in Hematology: A Review and focus on parameters of theComplete Blood Count”, described the innovations in miniaturization of flow cytometry techniques,
fluorescent outside of the clinical laboratory to the point of care. These devices accommodate
smaller size and simpler operation compared to their laboratory counterparts. Performing complete
blood counts at the point of care can improve outcomes in some clinical contexts”.
Rounding up the first theme, Dr. Praveen Sharma’s (India) presented, “Hemoglobin A1c: POCT orLaboratory? Hemoglobin A1c: POCT or Laboratory?” He discussed the importance of HbA1c indiagnosing diabetes, the benefits of HbA1c POC and the challenges that needed to be addressed
before it could be effectively integrated into routine clinical practice.
Dr. James Nichols (USA) discussed the next theme, the role of POCT in settings outside the hospital.
His talk, “New Delivery Options for Point-of-Care and Laboratory Testing,” described the rising
popularity of POCT due to its test and operational simplicity, requirement for unprocessed samples(urine, swabs and whole blood) and portability. The COVID-19 pandemic further provided newopportunities and challenges for POCT quality and reliability of POCT.
Rosy Tirimacco (Australia) in her talk, “Point of Care Innovative Technologies Trial (Delivery ofvirtual home monitoring and point-of-care pathology testing in general practice),” discussed
how POCT is improving healthcare in remote areas of Australia. The Integrated Cardiovascular
Clinical Network in South Australia partnered with the Country South Australia Primary Health
Network to implement a coordinated care approach using point of care testing pathology and virtual
home monitoring of chronic disease including COVID-19 in rural and remote areas. Preliminary results
suggest that the trial has a positive effect on patient outcomes.
This was followed by Prof Rajiv Erasmus (South Africa) who gave a talk on “Point of Care Testingin the era of Personalized Medicine. Continuing with this theme, Dr. Gerald Kost (USA)presented “Home, Community, and Emergency Spatial Care Paths - Diagnostic Portals for
COVID-19, Critical Care, & Superstorms.” He discussed his original prevalence boundary hypothesisthat explains mathematically why tests with inferior sensitivity perpetuate the pandemic. He
shared Fulbright Scholar field research findings on point-of-care strategies that improve resilience
in resource-limited settings including island nations facing global warming, rising oceans, andincreasingly severe weather disasters. Dr. Kost is the first to introduce the important new fieldof POCT and global warming and also to address spatial injustice by recommending mobile andautomated rural distribution of diagnostics.
POCT role in the management of chronic diseases in the community was discussed by Dr. Michel
Vaubourdolle’s (France) in “POC Testing in Management of Chronic Diseases,” Its usefulness, mostclearly seen in resource limited settings, although more studies are needed in developed countries
where reimbursement, national regulations and rules must be defined to ensure the cost-of-testingis catered for.
“Basic POCT for a doctor’s office,” presented by Dr. Samarina Musaad, (New Zealand) discussed
the choice and implementation of POCT in a doctor’s office with a focus on primary care. Take homemessages were: (1) Approach the choice of POCT test and device holistically; start with the clinicalneed & objective achievable goals (2) Embed POCT within a clinical pathway (3) Look into analytical
performance in context of clinical utility and requirements.
Technological advancements, and the COVID-19 pandemic, have promoted Direct-To-Consumer
Laboratory Testing (DTCT). Dr. Matthias Orth (Germany) discussed this in his talk, “We must speak
up: The role of laboratory medicine in direct-to-consumer testing,” The complex regulations inplace for in vitro diagnostics are essentially absent in DTCT and poses severe risks to consumers.

Article continued on the next page8

Point-of-CareTestingLaboratory specialists should educate the public and authorities about the risks of DTCT for patientcare.
The final theme covered Quality Assurance. Dr. Annette Thomas (United Kingdom) discussed,“Establishing a National POCT Network in Wales” describing what it takes to set up a single
POCT Program over the constituent country of Wales in the U.K. She discussed management of
POCT, training, competencies, access to clinical consultation, supply procurement and consistent IT
strategy that is future proof.
Dr. Scott Isbell (USA) wrapped up the first day of the conference with an interactive session titled“Ensuring Quality at the POC: What are the challenges and how do we overcome them.” Thesession concluded with five practical recommendations for ensuring quality – determine need/valueof POC test, select best device, identify and develop Point of Care Coordinator (POCC), standardize
POC testing program with respect to devices and policies/procedures, and limit number of device
operators as much as possible.
Day 2 continued with this theme with Dr. Ed Randall (Canada) focusing on, “Method Evaluation for
POCT Tests.”. The rigor of assessment of the analytical validity of a candidate POCT method and its
clinical acceptability depends on the device complexity.
This talk was supplemented by that of Dr. Adil Khan (USA) on, “Troubleshooting inaccurate POC
test results.” He discussed the workflow when troubleshooting results that do not fit the patient’s
clinical picture, and described pitfalls in the method evaluation, and pre-analytical, analytical andpost-analytical stages of the testing process. Education in the factors affecting these stages that
could lead to erroneous results is the best way to mitigate issues.
Dr. Paloma Oliver (Spain) discussed “The role of the Point-of-Care Coordinator.” Quality assurance
in POCT cannot exist without their involvement. Knowledge of best lab practices, communication
skills, their effective use of audits and understanding global POCT processes is essential.
Dr. Julie Shaw (Canada) gave a talk on “Key Performance Indicators and Audits for POCT,” that
included an overview of quality assurance (QA) components for POCT programs, the importance ofperforming audits and use of correct quality indicators (QI) for POCT being assessed using personalcase studies.
Dr. Sverre Sandberg (Norway) presented “Internal and External Quality Control for POC,”
Describing his recent research work proposed that the frequency of performing POCT quality control
depended on four factors: A) Risk of harm to the patient based on the importance of the analyte
in diagnosing and monitoring patients, B) Type of POCT device, C) User-friendliness and D) Numberof patient samples analyzed over a specific period. Additionally, assessing EQC, the nature of thesamples material and how the target values are set are important in EQC result interpretation.
The final talk of the symposium, “Challenges and Resolutions in Competency Training,” waspresented by Dr. Prasenjit Mitra (India).
In addition to the talks, there were vendor display and scheduled talks on the latest POCT devices
and tests. The symposium closed with 130 registrations.
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank the sponsors for their generous support and the registrants for their keeninterest in Point-of-Care Testing Satellite Symposium. I would also like to thank Marta Tollis of MZ
Events, and IFCC staff: Silvia Cardinale, Silvia Colli Lanzi and Paola Bramati, Elisa Fossati and othersfrom MZ Events and IFCC for their help in putting this conference together and making it successful.

Article continued on the next page9

Point -of-CareTestingSponsors of the Symposium: Abbott, Aidian
Oy, Bühlmann Laboratories AG, A. De Mori, FL
Medical, Ivy Diagnostics Srl, A. Menarini, NovaBio,
QuidelOrtho, Radiometer, Roche, Sarstedt, Sekisui
Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers, Werfen.

The PoCT speakers: (R-L): Anne Skurup, Julie Shaw,
Carmen Hilty-Moor, Sohini Sengupta, Sverre Sanberg,
Prasad Pamidi, Lara Milevoj Kopčinović, Paloma Oliver,
Nicole Korpi-Steiner

PoCT Speakers and Organizers : Nichole Korpi-Steiner, Julie Shaw, Sohini Sengupta, Rajiv Erasmus, Prasad Pamidi, Carmen
Hilty-Moor, Adil Khan, Sverre Sandberg, Silvia Colli Lanzi

PoCT Guests and Organizers: (L-R): AB Okesina, Alvaro

Beautiful Rome at nightGrosz, Tommaso Trenti, Sergio Bernardini, Adil Khan

10

11

Hyperautomation in healthcare: prerequisites andchallenges for health managers
By Prof. Damien GRUSON
Cliniques Universitaires Saint Luc, Département des Laboratoires Cliniques, Biochimie Médicale, 1200
Bruxelles, Belgium

The European Health Management Association (EHMA) and the Division on Emerging Technologiesof the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) joined forces toorganize a joint session on hyperautomation. The session was held at EHMA 2023, the 28th editionof the EHMA Annual Conference, taking place in Rome on 5-7 June co-hosted by ALTEMS, Graduate
School of Health Economics and Management of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.
Hyperautomation is a next-generation approach to automation that has the potential torevolutionise the health sector. It describes the integration of advanced technologies, such as
artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and robotic process automation (RPA). Its goal is
to automate as much of tasks and processes as possible and to provide intelligent, data-driven
decision support to augment human decision making. Applied to the health care sector, it canenable managers to streamline processes, to increase efficiency, and improve the accuracy of theiroperations in systems and organisations. It can also help to free up valuable time and resources thatcan be redirected to higher-level tasks and initiatives.
The objectives of the session were to provide an overview of the benefits of digitalisation andemerging technologies on process management, to set the scene for hyperautomation in a context
of augmented care, to identify prerequisites and challenges related to hyperautomation and to
discuss the opportunities, potential impact, and outcomes of hyperautomation on laboratory
medicine, healthcare processes, and healthcare workforce
The panelists were Prof. Teresa Magalhaes, Prof. Sandra C. Buttigieg, Prof. Damien Gruson and themoderator was Mrs. Anett Ruszanov. Prof. Sergio Bernardini guided the building up of this session.

Hyperautomation session panelists (L- R): Prof. Sandra C.
Buttigieg, Mrs. Anett Ruszanov, Prof. Damien Gruson, Prof.
Teresa Magalhaes.

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Hyperautomatationin healthcare

This session dived in hyperautomation application in a context of augmented care and its
implications for health and laboratory managers.
The session was very interactive with several polls to catch the opinion of participants and here aresome of the points raised:

The session was a first and will certainly lead to other great joint actions between EHMA and IFCC.

13

Task Force on Outcome Studies in Laboratory Medicine (TFOSLM)
Call For Outcome Study Proposals 2023
Research Funding Available

IFCC’s Task Force on Outcome Studies in Laboratory Medicine (TF-OSLM) is seeking research
proposals for studies evaluating the impact of laboratory testing on healthcare outcomes.
Study proposals should seek to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and impact of new and/or
commonly available medical laboratory tests and/or laboratory information on patient care outcomesin clinical practice. It is crucial for the proposed study to link the laboratory testing insights to patientmanagement, and improvements/changes in clinical outcomes (see below for details).
If you, in collaboration with your clinical colleagues, are interested in applying please click here for full
eligibility criteria and details on how to apply.
All applications are due by: September 1, 2023
Applications must be submitted in English. All supporting documents that are not in English mustbe accompanied by an English translation.
Please follow the guidelines carefully when developing and drafting a proposal.

2023-07-03
DiV - June 2023
Enjoy the contents of the new DIAGNÓSTICO IN VITRO June issue.
Estimados colegas de la comunidad Iberoamericana. Me complace una
vez más publicar la edición Nro. 23 de la Revista Científica Diagnóstico
in Vitro con el objetivo de difundir y promover las actividades científicas,
relacionada con nuestra profesión.
Read moreNews from the website

14

IFCC Professional Scientific Exchange Programme (PSEP):
my experience at Harvard Medical School and at the
Teaching Hospital the Massachusetts General Hospital - US
By Prof János Kappelmayer MD. PhD.
Head, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen,
Hungary

I work in Debrecen, Hungary, as a laboratory specialist and I previously spent two sabbaticals in theUS, doing thrombosis research many years ago. This time, I spent only a 1 month long sabbatical(April 3-28, 2023) at the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine with the help of the IFCC
professional scientific exchange program (PSEP) grant. This program was first advertised in May
2022 and is aimed to promote international collaboration between clinical laboratories, facilitate
the exchange of laboratory specialists, share high level of scientific and management skills andintroduce new or improved scientific and management skills in the applicant’s laboratory, who canapply for a PSEP sabbatical of 1-3 months.
I applied in May 2022 for a 1 month sabbatical with the intention to try to improve our skills in (i)interpretive reporting of special hematology laboratory reports mostly in the field of thrombosis,
bleeding and hematological malignancies (ii) to study the structure of graduate and postgraduate
medical training at Harvard Medical School and at the Teaching Hospital the Massachusetts General
Hospital.
This well-known, 999-bed hospital was established in 1811 and has been a pioneer in many medical
discoveries in the past two centuries including the first operation using general anesthesia under
ether narcosis and the first radio-iodine treatment. Today it is place of many modern ways ofpateint care from heart transplantation to CAR T-cell treatment and from ECMO treatment to livertransplantation and it can also boast with outstanding in vitro diagnostics. Thus, the program wasvery useful and I can only recommend it to fellow laboratory specialists. Nevertheless, be advisedthat at several hospitals – including the Mass General – there are additional fees (seating fee,administrative fee, etc) that allow you to observe the routine diagnostic work there, that are notcovered by the mentioned IFCC grant, however IFCC covers economy airfare ticket and a lodging/living stipend of 1500 Swiss francs/month.
It is very important to have a contact person for such an exchange programs who introduced me
to the relevant experts there. In my case this person was Frederick Preffer who is a professor at
Massachusetts General Hospital and is the Editor-in-Chief of Clinical Cytometry (Cytometry B). Aftermy arrival, I was taken by Fred to an office where I obtained my visitor’s badge so I could participate
in the routine case sign outs in several specialized diagnostic areas. The average working day
for me started at 8.30 or 9.00 at the Hemepath-A or Hemepath-B (histopathological evaluation ofbone marrow histology and smears and lymph mode biopsies) sign outs with residents and fellows
who were rotating there while all of us were sitting and looking into the teaching microscopes. The
cases were always pre-evaluated by the residents and the preliminary qualitative and quantitative
hematological evaluation was filled out that were surveyed by the hematopathologist who explained
the cases in detail and the required changes in interpretation when that was necessary. My
afternoons were usually spent at the Special Coagulation Case sign outs with numerous (sometimes
50-60) special coag. cases to be evaluated that were both investigated for bleeding disorders (e.g.
vWF disease, factor deficiencies, platelet function defects, etc) or thrombophilia (both congenital andacquired). At both of these special units the patient data and the relevant results were searched anddispached in the health informatic system called Epic and the laboratory informatic system called
ePathLogic. Both of these programmes are very flexible and considerably speeded the diagnostic
work.

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IFCC Professional ScientificExchange Programme (PSEP)

My experience was that pathologists at Mass General Hospital were very friendly and helpful
and also extremely knowledgeable. I could learn a lot on these case evaluations and in some cases
I also expressed our diagnostic approach to similar cases at the Department of Laboratory Medicine
at the University of Debrecen, Hungary. Since my previous expertise is mostly in clinical flow
cytometry and special coagulation case evaluations I usually commented on cases involving these
diagnostic areas. There were regular Zoom conferences also, like Lymphoma conference, Resident
Seminar and many more.
Regarding the other purpose of my visit I had a chance to talk to Krisztina Fischer an AssistantProfessor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School Faculty Co-Director of Master of Medical Sciencesin Medical Education, Harvard Medical School as an opinion leader on graduate training of medical
students. It is largely different from that practiced in Hungary as in Hungary we have a lot of formal
lectures while at Harvard they emphasize the problem-based teaching and learning from the very
beginning. Also, largely because of the previous college education the Medical School in the US is 4
years, contrary to the 6-year training in Hungary. Furthermore, the postgraduate training in the fieldof Laboratory Medicine is quite different in the United States. Most of the medical doctors who areinterested in getting involved in this field are applying for the AP/CP program that combine anatomic
pathology (AP) with medical laboratory diagnostics that they call clinical pathology (CP). This very
intense combined program is 4 years and later can be completed by 1 year fellowships in the area ofinterest e.g. micropbiology, hematology etc.
If the AP or CP programs are done separately the training period is 3 years that in case of clinicalpathology covers areas of clinical chemistry, immunology, hematology, molecular diagnostics,
microbiology and transfusion medicine.
I visited other Laboratory Medicine units (e.g. Hematology Unit at Tufts Medical School directedby Monika Pilichowska and with the help of George Abel, I visited the Lab at the Lahey Hospitalin Burlington (MA) that is also a Teaching Hospital of Harvard. Last, but definitely not least I hada chance to meet Nader Rifai PhD, the editor of the „laboratory medicine bible” Tietz Textbook
and I also received a dedicated copy of the newest edition. We discussed the usefulness and ourexperience with his new intiative, the online program Learning Lab. (Link: https://area9lyceum.com/
laboratorymedicine/) that is a very comprehensive online teaching material, that I can recommend to
everyone who is involved in training and practice in any area in laboratory medicine.
My overall experience was that the IFCC-PSEP is an outstanding possibility for learning novelties inlaboratory medicine. My suggestion to further applicants is that it requires careful planning as to (i)where you want to go (ii) what exactly you want to study and to define (iii) how you or your colleagues
may benefit from your visit. In my particular case I see some points for improvement in interpertive
reporting but mostly in the training of our residents in laboratory medicine. I think we have to assign
more responisbility to them and request more independent work as well. Finally on a personal note, I
found Boston a great place. It is a vibrant city with full of diverse cultural and scientific possibilities.

My badge as an observer at Mass General HospitalSpecial Coagulation Laboratory board notes

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16

IFCC Professional ScientificExchange Programme (PSEP)

One of the many microscopic study rooms

Colleagues at the bone marrow histology case sign out

17Satellite Meeting

SATURDAY

25TH
MAY
2024
INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
OF PEDIATRIC LABORATORYMEDICINE
TopicsImmunodeficiencies
Immuno-flow cytometry in pediatriclaboratory medicine
Genomics vs Mass spectrometry
in pediatric laboratory medicine
Newborn Screening for SCIDs
NGS in diagnosing
undiagnosed diseases

Organizing Secretariat
Phone: +39 02 66802323
info@dubai2024.org

18

IFCC Abbott VLP: My Participation in the XIV Congreso
Uruguayo de Bioquímica, Montevideo, May 11-13, 2023
By Carlos Alberto von Mühlen, MD PhD
Senior Consultant in Clinical Pathology, Rheumatology and Autoimmunity – USA - Brazil

From May 11-13, 2023, I had the privilege of attending and participating in the XIV Congreso Uruguayo
de Bioquímica Meeting in Montevideo, Uruguay. The event, known for its important intellectual
exchange and great interest for the local professionals, was an enriching opportunity that allowed
me to share knowledge, connect with colleagues, and gain insights into the latest developments inthat country.
Reception and Interaction with the Organizing Committee
From the onset, the organizing committee extended a warm welcome, marking the beginning ofa productive and intellectually stimulating event. Their meticulous organization, coupled with theprofessional yet friendly atmosphere, greatly facilitated my participation.
The committee offered a very professional and warm reception, felt not only during the initial
welcome but also consistently throughout the entire event, enhancing the overall experience.
Presentations Delivered
Over the course of the three-day event, I had the opportunity to deliver three presentations andparticipated in one panel, each focusing on unique aspects of the laboratory diagnostic aspects ofautoimmune diseases.
1. “Actualización del Diagnóstico Laboratorial de Polidermatomiositis”
In this presentation, I discussed the latest techniques related to known and novel autoantibodies
in Polydermatomyositis, together with clinical correlations and prognostic-therapeutic implications.
The presentation was well received, provoking a lively Q&A session, with many attendees showinginterest in the innovative approaches mentioned.
2. “El Problema de la Calcinosis en Dermatomiositis”
The second presentation revolved around the enigma represented by cutaneous calcinosis related
to adult and juvenile Dermatopolymyositis. I introduced important topics like physiopathogenesis,
determination of marker autoantibodies, and treatment possibilities. Specifically, I discussed theimportance of the laboratory in systemic inflammatory myositis.
3. “Como hacer un reporte completo del test de FAN de acuerdo con el Consenso ICAP”
In the final presentation, I discussed how to report the ANA HEp-2 test, introducing a paper I recently
published as main author, together with colleagues from the International Committee on Antinuclear
Antibodies Patterns. This model of ANA Report was a joint effort with more than 60 labs worldwide,
comprising all aspects of such an important immunological screening test.
4. “Taller interdisciplinario para la internalización en Uruguay del Consenso Internacional ICAP”
Together with colleagues from Brazil and Argentina, this was an opportunity to offer advice andcomment on many hurdles, as introduced by local presenters, regarding the implementation ofinternational guidelines for ANA-HEp-2 testing and reporting. There were vivid discussions, withadvances in the comprehension of challenges faced by local laboratories, as well as potential
solutions.

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19

IFCC Abbott VLP

Networking and Collaboration
Apart from the conferences, the event was also a valuable networking opportunity. The interactions
with peers, both formal and informal, offered a chance to explore potential collaborative projects,
discuss research ideas, and gain insights into different perspectives within the field.
Conclusion
Overall, my participation in the XIV Congreso Uruguayo de Bioquímica in Montevideo was a highly
rewarding experience. I was particularly pleased by the positive response from the organizing
committee and the other participants. I am looking forward to the potential collaborations that havebeen initiated during this event and to participating in future meetings.

Dr Carlos von Mühlen, VLP Speaker, during one of his(L-R) Alvaro Justiniano (Bolivia), Fernando Antunez

presentations(Uruguay), ) Carlos von Mühlen (USA, Brazil)(L-R) Carlos von Mühlen (USA, Brazil), Fernando Antunez(Uruguay), Gabriel Carballo (Argentina), Luis Eduardo Andrade(Brazil)

20

FOR SOMETHINGGREATERThe UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award
program celebrates teams who have achieved measurably
better outcomes in healthcare.
If you are a team of UNIFIERS who have applied
AVANT-GARDE approaches to achieve better healthcare
outcomes, learn more and apply at UnivantsHCE.com.

© 2022 Abbott. All rights reserved. ADD-125780-GBL-EN

21

Contribute to IFCC eNews
Introducing the Eleven New Best Practices Receiving
Global Recognition Through the UNIVANTS of Healthcare
Excellence Awards

The UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence program, in partnership with IFCC, Abbott and 6 otherprestigious partner organizations are proud to announce 11 best practices receiving recognition
from the 2022 UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence awards. Now in its 5th year, the UNIVANTS
program recognizes the brilliant work of integrated clinical care teams who have unified toachieve measurably better health outcomes, and 2022 was no exception. Across 11 best practices,
measurable improvements occurred across disease states, including cervical cancer, diabetes,
COVID-19, addiction, brain injury, transplantation, and more. Recognized teams varied by geography
and by institution-type with teams spanning health systems, a non-profit organization and the
National Basketball Association.
With 3 top global winners, 3 teams of distinction, and 5 teams of achievement (see table below), thebreadth and depth of outcomes associated with the 2022 UNIVANTS best practices span patient
experience, reduced mortality, decreased healthcare costs, decreased length of stay, and more. To
learn more about these best practices and/or the award program itself, please visit
www.UnivantsHCE.com.
Interested in recognition through the UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence award program? Start
preparing your application now - applications for the 2023 UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence
awards are possible beginning Aug 1st. Visit UNIVANTS Registration for tips and trips and to learn
how to apply. Lastly and new this year, is the inaugural ELX (Executive Leadership Exchange) forum,a prestigious educational program for healthcare professionals who are passionate about healthcarecare excellence and enabling transformational change in healthcare. Don’t miss out - register today.
The UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence award program is proudly comprised of the following
program partners: International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC),
AACC, EHMA (European Health Management Association), Modern Healthcare, Healthcare
Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), National Association of Healthcare Quality(NAHQ), and the Institute of Health Economics (IHE); each in partnership with Abbott.

Article continued on the next page22

2023-06-19
Congratulations to Professor Tony Badrick AM!
Dr Tony Badrick has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM)for significant service to diagnostic pathology in leadership roles, and toeducation.
Read moreNews from the website

23

IVD best practice for maximizing value with the IFCC
By Joe Passarelli
Corporate Representative on the IFCC Executive Board, Senior Director Scientific Relations
Research and Development Roche Diagnostics Corporation USA

The intent of this article is to offer a Roadmap for Corporate Members toconsider in order to maximize collaboration of their respective companies with
the IFCC.
Roadmap: Structure and Process:Almost two decades ago, Roche Diagnostics decided to enhance and expand
its collaboration with the IFCC at every level and to interact with this valued,
international organization with high priority. To achieve this goal, a single
point of contact was established to manage and coordinate all activities
associated with the IFCC worldwide. All communications to and from the IFCC
are organized and managed by this individual, who reports into the highest
level of the R & D organization, and has full endorsement and support fromsenior management. In addition, this individual has the authority to engage
anyone in the organization when a new opportunity arises to serve on
relevant Task Forces, Committees, and Working Groups and at the Divisional
levels of the IFCC. However, not all opportunities are acted upon. This single
point of contact has many years of experience both in the IVD industry as wellas with the IFCC (having spent 11 years on the Scientific Division) and decides,with autonomy, when to engage and when not to. This is an important taskwith the goal to best utilize the limited resources (effort, people, funding,etc.) of the company and to focus on those opportunities of greatest value.
Therefore, if other companies decide to follow this approach as outlined,
careful selection of this individual is crucial.

Joe Passarelli, EB
Corporate Representative

Once a decision is made to collaborate, colleagues under consideration toserve are “vetted” as subject-matter-experts with advanced communicationand executive skills. In addition, consideration is made with respect toprofessional development and networking, and to provide opportunities tohighly motivated individuals. Once the final selection is made, a concerted
effort takes place to submit the strongest application possible. Applications
are sometimes followed-up by providing additional information to the IFCC
office and its representatives that may be helpful to convey the expertiseand value of the nominated individual. There is also the absolute requirementthat the individual’s manager will provide the necessary time for the nominee
to devote to the activities of the IFCC. If selected, the single point of contact
organizes quarterly meetings to ensure this individual has all the necessary
support and guidance, as well as to document progress, critical issues,
opportunities, etc., within the active IFCC group. Information is shared on acompany-wide, and frequent basis including, to senior management.
Benefits:
The process outlined above was established many years ago after it wasrecognized that gaps and lost opportunities existed with the collaboration
with the IFCC. In addition, it was determined that the significant funding
provided to the IFCC yielded minimal value to the company, without further
engagement from the company. Prior to this new structure there was a lackof awareness of relevant opportunities, volunteers were nominated randomly
without any coordination or support, and nominees often represented theirown/area interests rather than company needs. The new process now

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24

IVD best practice for maximizing
value with the IFCC

ensures that the significant resources provided to the IFCC will provide the maximal value back to
the company. Equally important and not to be lost, the many colleagues that are active with the
IFCC are far more satisfied because they have someone knowledgeable to turn to, have full supportof their management, and the efforts are visible and appreciated at all levels of the organization.
Internal Annual Report:
To enhance this effort further and to cascade the information across the entire company, a formal
process was established to assemble ALL related information into a comprehensive annual report.
This report contains business relevant topics, scientific activities, funding/resources provided,internal contacts and project updates occurring in collaboration with the IFCC and EFLM. To createsuch a report, a request is made to each individual (member / corresponding member serving on
any Task Force, Committee, Working Group, or at the Divisional level) to provide a short update
and summary of their activities using a standardized template. In some cases, these responses
are left verbatim; others are reworded and supplemented with information received by the single
point of contact as a member of the IFCC Task Force – Corporate Members and as the Corporate
Representative on the IFCC Executive Board. Since the report is quite lengthy, a simplified Table ofContents is included and a common reporting format is used in most cases to help facilitate a quicker
review.
Summary:
The process and structure outlined above is what has proven effective for our company to maximize
our collaboration with the IFCC. Other IFCC corporate members might want to adopt some of what is
described for their respective companies.
NOTE: This is not an authorized Roche publication25

News from Regional Federations and Member
Societies

Extraordinary Assembly of the Latin American
Confederation of Clinical Biochemistry (COLABIOCLI) at the
48th Congress of the Brazilian Society of Clinical Analysis
By Dr. Álvaro Justiniano Grosz
President COLABIOCLIThe Latin American Confederation of Clinical Biochemistry, within the framework of the 48th
Congress of the Brazilian Society of Clinical Analysis (CSBAC), held in the city of Florianópolis,
state of Santa Catharina - Brazil, event that took place from June 18 to 21, 2023, I carry out the“Extraordinary Assembly of COLABIOCLI.”
With the participation of 14 member countries of the Latin American confederate entity, a very
important activity was carried out with the objective of approving a series of documents andregulatory frameworks of the entity in order to make it more efficient and dynamic. Among theapproved documents are the regulations for Scholarships, Endorsements and Sponsorships, WorkGroups, Awards for Excellence, Scientific Committee, Admission of entities and institutions andCommittee of Corporate Collaborating Allies, instruments whose objective is to regulate and regulate
the operation of the entity in a more appropriate, operational and coordinated way part of the entity.
Another central point considered and approved is the organization of the “1st Regional
Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean” to be held in Guatemala City - Guatemala
on November 21 and 22, 2023, an event that is of great importance. The objective is to generatea space for discussion and analysis between the structure of COLABIOCLI, both the Executive
Committee and its operational arms, the working groups and the countries of the region that allow
defining the global policy of COLABIOCLI, as well as promoting the development of strategic plans in
the countries, promoting the implementation of Quality Management Systems, the incorporation ofYoung Professionals and the generation of interaction links between the entity and the Universities.
Within the specific Objectives of this activity, there are:a) Approve the COLABIOCLI Strategic Plan.
b) Define the COLABIOCLI Policyc) Promote the preparation of Strategic Plans in countries consistent with the COLABIOCLI Policyd) Design a work plan and organization of the COLABIOCLI work groups.
e) Structure a work plan and schedule of activities for COLABIOCLI 2024.
f) Provide us with a base document that marks the COALBIOCLI Policies in the Region.
In the same way, the Strategic Plan of COLABIOCLI has been evaluated until 2024, the schedule of

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Assembly of the Latin American
Confederation of Clinical Biochemistry

activities by Management. In that same space a report has also been received on the progress of
the Latin American Congress of Clinical Biochemistry in its version No. 26, which It will take place inthe city of Cartagena de Indias - Colombia from October 3 to 6, 2023.
Another noteworthy issue among others no less important is the incorporation of two entities asCollaborating Affiliates, the “SPANISH ASSOCIATION OF BIOMEDICINE AND LABORATORY MEDICINE(AEBM-ML)” and the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF CLINICAL CHEMISTS - CONAQUIC A.C
The, “Extraordinary Assembly of the COLABIOCLI.” It was held on June 18 and 19 on the June
19 CONVENTION CENTER “Hotel Costao do Santhino”, according to the following programme:
1. Reception of the credentials of presidents or delegates to the Extraordinary Assembly
2. Confirmation of the validity of the representations by the Treasury report.
3. Confirmation of the statutory quorum prior to the roll call of attendees by the general secretary
4. Reading of the minutes of the Ordinary General Assembly.
5. Management Report for the period April 2022 – June 2023.
6 Presentation of the COLABIOCLI Strategic Plan 2022 – 2025.
7. COLABIOCLI General Conference 2023
8. Presentation of the Executive Committee Report and consideration of the request to become a“Collaborating Member of COLABIOLI” of the Spanish Association Of Biomedicine and Laboratory
Medicine (AEBM-ML). Presentation of the Executive Committee Report and consideration of therequest to become a “Collaborating Member of COLABIOLI” of the National Federation of Clinical
Chemists - CONAQUIC A.C.
9. Approval of Regulations of:a. Internship scholarships
b. Endorsements and Sponsorships COLABIOCLI.
c. Working Groups
d. Excellence Awards
e. COLABIOCLI Scientific Committee
f. Admission of entities and institutions.
g. Corporate Affiliates
10. Other business
Under an environment of mutual respect and fraternization, this activity was fully carried out,
with a wide participation of all the delegates from the different countries and strengthens theLatin American entity, in its perspective of repositioning itself and becoming the organization that
promotes the continuous improvement of quality, the integral development of the clinical laboratory,
and establishing a strong leadership in the region, establishing agenda items with the active
participation of the member national entities and their members in each country of Latin America
and the Caribbean.

Representatives of the member countries of the entity in the Extraordinary Assembly of COLABIOCLI 2023

Article continued on the next page27

Assembly of the Latin American
Confederation of Clinical BiochemistryDr. Álvaro Justiniano Grosz, President of COLABIOCLI

2nd Latin American Conference of Young Clinical Laboratory

during the Opening Ceremony of the 48th Congress ofProfessionals, within the framework of the 48th Congress of

the Brazilian Society of Clinical Analysis

the Brazilian Society of Clinical Analysis.
Florianopolis – Brazil

Mr. Álvaro Justiniano Cortez, representative of the

Dr. Carola Briançon, Secretary General of COLABIOCLI, Dr. Luiz

Young Professionals of the Clinical Laboratory for

Fernando Barcelos, Vice President of COLABIOCLI, Dr. Álvaro

Bolivia, Dr. Khosrow Adeli president of IFCC and Dr.

Justiniano Grosz, President of COLABIOCLI, Dr. Lisandra Morales,Álvaro Justiniano Grosz, president of COLABIOCLI

Treasurer of COLABIOCLI, Dr. Abol Correia PNCQ Representative,

during the Opening Ceremony of the 48th Congress ofOpening Ceremony of the 48th Congress Of The Brazlilian

the Brazilian Society of Clinical Analysis.

Society Of Clinical Analysis. Florianopolis – Brazil

Florianopolis – Brazil

28

Recognising the importance of the child in laboratory
medicine
By Dr. Tim Lang FRCPath
Chair IFCC Committee on Emerging Technologies in Pediatric Laboratory Medicine (C-ETPLM), consultant
Clinical Scientist, Blood Sciences, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation
Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Paediatric Laboratory Medicine has often been an important but neglected area in the laboratory.
However, over the last 70 years it has seen many significant developments that have contributed
to the improved survival and management of the child. A panel of esteemed paediatric biochemists
from the UK and Canada were interviewed to give their opinions on what they felt these significant
improvements were.

Jim Bonham

Prof Jim Bonham, Sheffield Childrens’ Hospital and President of the International Society of
Neonatal Screening.
The 70th anniversary of the ACB also marks the 60th anniversary of the introduction of whole
population newborn screening in the US. Since the pioneering work of Robert Guthrie to describe ameans of detecting phenylketonuria shortly after birth, it is estimated that 750 million babies havebeen tested and 60,000 children, with PKU, have benefitted from the life changing treatment thatnewborn screening can enable.
Newborn screening exemplifies a real partnership of clinical medicine and the design of newtreatments alongside the potential offered by novel laboratory techniques to detect and monitor a
growing range of conditions.

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Recognising the importance ofthe child in laboratory medicine

My laboratory career has seen the use of bacterial inhibition assays being replaced by fluorimetry
and in the 1970s, and with the advent of immunoassay, an expansion in the scope of newborn
screening to include a greater range of disorders.
The 1990s marked a paradigm shift in the laboratory with the advent of high throughput MS/MS
thanks to the work of Chace and Millington. With that, the model moved from ‘one disorder – one
test’, to ‘one test, - many disorders’, and today many children can benefit from the early detection of
up to 50 conditions shortly after birth as a result.
Of course, new and exciting developments have continued and currently, advances in genomics sit
alongside metabolomics, to offer both new treatments for a growing number of rare disorders andthe potential to increase those that can be detected at birth from 50 to many hundreds as new andeffective treatments become available. The Genomics England study scheduled to begin later thisyear marks an important milestone in this journey.
During almost fifty years in laboratory medicine, it has been an honour to be part of a truly worldwide
effort to deliver the benefits of new technology in the lab providing access to new treatments at thebedside to a growing number of children with rare conditions. The potential for laboratory medicine
to change lives for the better has never been greater.

Khosrow Adeli

Prof Khosrow Adeli, Toronto SickKids, Canada and President of International Federation ofClinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.
I have been working in paediatrics for over 25 years and when I first started at The Hospital for
Sick Children in Toronto (now known as Toronto SickKids) it was clear through my interactions withclinicians that there was a lack of appropriate reference ranges for children. Working in a large
tertiary centre it was presumed that we had all the answers. With my previous research background,
I proposed an initiative during a paediatric focus group at a Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists’meeting which we developed into the cross Canadian Laboratory Initiative on Paediatric Reference
Intervals (CALIPER project). Since 2009 we have recruited over 14,000 healthy children andestablished paediatric reference intervals for +200 laboratory biomarkers, recently completing thebiochemistry and haematology databases. It has been astounding the uptake of these reference
intervals both locally and global. However, ideally the aim would be for individual countries toestablish their own databases using their populations using direct and indirect methodology.

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Recognising the importance ofthe child in laboratory medicine

During my own 35-year career I have seen many emerging technologies being implemented.
Genetic testing arrived in the 1980’s but clinical chemistry did not take advantage of embracing
this development at the time, which I see as a missed opportunity. One area that has beentransformative in paediatric biochemistry has been the introduction of mass spectrometry since
early 1990s. In my own lab we were early adopters and now have 9 Mass Specs analyser used ina variety of areas including inherited metabolic diseases, newborn screening, therapeutic drug
monitoring and endocrinology. This technology had many scientific and economic benefits whichenabled it to become an established technique. It has also supported the expansion of newborn
bloodspot screening.
An exciting development that I believe will support patient care in the future is the use of MultiOmics. We have just proposed an extension to the Caliper project to investigate the differences
between a control cohort of children and cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity
integrating proteomics, metabolomics, genomics and lipidomics. In the future “Health Signatures”
will provide potentially valuable information with the integration of omics and artificial intelligence tosupport better individualised healthcare.

Anne Green

Prof Anne Green, Retired, Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
This year will be 100 years since the establishment of the first Paediatric Chemistry Laboratory by
Evelyn Hickmans at Birmingham Children’s Hospital (BCH) in 1923 so it is a fitting time to celebrate
its success as part of the 70th Anniversary of the ACB. Evelyn was undoubtedly the first PaediatricBiochemist. My career started in 1968 with one of the first MSc courses in Clinical Chemistry at
Birmingham and my inspirations were Prof Barbara Clayton from GOSH and Dr Noel Raine from BCH.
I have seen a huge number of developments over the years which have improved the quality ofanalysis and promoted the closer working together of clinicians and scientists for the benefit of thepatient.
When I started the volume of sample needed for some assays was an order of magnitude greaterthan today’s requirements. Arterial/venous puncture would be required to collect the necessary
10-20ml to perform the required tests in a small infant. Timed urine collections were commonly
required to be able to measure the required substance accurately and 5-day collections for faecal
fats were a regular feature. With the development of better tests some of these are now thankfully
consigned to history. Development of capillary sampling for more analytes was a major step forward

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31

Recognising the importance ofthe child in laboratory medicine

and laboratory - based phlebotomy essential so that these precious samples were collected
appropriately first time thereby avoiding any additional puncture. External Quality Assurance waslacking for paediatric biochemistry at the start, so it was key to establish appropriate schemesin cooperation with Dr David Bullock and the late Prof Tom Whitehead from NEQAS. Access toappropriate clinical material was not always available so laboratories would begin to produce theirown to enable standardisation and improved quality. The same was true for internal quality control
material which didn’t meet the needs of this specific population.
A particular theme during the early stages of my career was the identification of new disorders as aresult of new technologies. During my Master’s project in 1968 I developed a colorimetric method formethylmalonic acid to detect B12 deficiency, at the same time that the first cases of methylmalonicacidaemia were reported. Gas chromatography for urine organic acids was developing at this time
and with more metabolites being detected it became a challenge deciding which had pathologicalsignificance or just an interesting variation. It was a steep learning curve as most of the samples
we tested came from children with clinical problems. This issue is similar to those arising fromthe current expansion of information arising from genomics studies. The recognition of vitamin
responsive disorders was especially pleasing as therapy with the vitamin would prove to be curativein some cases.
One thing that I believe was key to the success of paediatric biochemistry were the formal andinformal collaborations and networks that were established over the years. I was involved withthe formation of several national and international interests group such as the IAPLM, BIMDG and
MetBioNet who each spearheaded the production of evidenced-based practice guidelines andconsensus documents. The creation of the bespoke higher specialist training schemes for clinicalscientists to support this area has enabled the provision of the future specialist workforce withsharing of valuable knowledge and experience.

32

Climate Change in Pakistan and Role of Clinical Chemistry
Laboratories
By Dr. Lena Jafri
Associate Professor, Section Head and POCT Director, Section of Chemical Pathology, Department of
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi Pakistan

Climate change refers to long-term changes in weather patterns and environmental conditions
caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions and other human activities. Pakistan was placed
fifth among the countries most affected by climate change. Rising temperatures, changing rain
patterns, glacial melt, water stress and scarcity, extreme weather events, agriculture and foodsecurity, ecosystem disruptions, and health impacts are seen at increasing frequency in Pakistan,as in many other parts of the world. Frequent and extreme heatwaves are common in Pakistan, withtemperatures frequently topping 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in numerous regions
leading to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke with a a negative impact on human health,agriculture, water supplies, and ecosystems.
Climate change causes rising rainfall patterns in Pakistan, increasing flood risks and causing drought
and water scarcity. Glaciers in Pakistan including those in the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Himalayan
mountains are melting due to rising temperatures increasing water flow in the short term but raising
long-term water scarcity problems as glacial sources dwindle. In short, extreme weather events suchas strong storms, heatwaves, and droughts are exacerbated by climate change in Pakistan. It has
disrupted the natural ecosystems in Pakistan, including forests, marshes and wetlands, and coastal
areas.
Clinical Laboratories are a contributor to environmental impact, but this has received little attention
globally as well as in Pakistan. Clinical laboratories can play a crucial role in addressing the impacts ofclimatic changes and aiding communities across globe and there is a need to sensitize laboratories
to the importance of adopting good environmental practices. Many such practices do not have a
cost but require a change in the culture and mindset in the organization. In addition, scientists andpolicy makers can connect to reduce environmental impact through clinical laboratory research
and at the same time increasing efficient operations. Clinical Chemistry or Chemical Pathology
laboratories can play an essential role in combating climate change by providing biomarkers andconducting impactful research to identify how climate change is affecting human health anddevelopping strategies to mitigate its effects. Some of the examples of these strategies that wehave adopted at the Section of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
at Aga Khan University Pakistan are as follows:
Heat stress may cause dehydration, exhaustion, and even lead to cerebrovascular accident.
A small initiative that our Section of Chemical Pathology at Aga Khan University took was todevelop a ‘Heat Stroke Panel’, a comprehensive assessment of patients’ response to heat stress.
The panel includes biomarkers to assess dehydration, electrolytes, creatinine, SGPT, cardiac andinflammatory markers. It helps healthcare providers evaluate patients’ hydration, electrolyte

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Climate Change in Pakistan and Roleof Clinical Chemistry Laboratories

balance, kidney and liver function, and systemic inflammation levels. This innovative approachpromotes well-being during the heat season i.e., from May to July.
Air pollution contributes significantly to climate change and has been related to a variety ofhealth issues such as respiratory disorders, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Climate change
increases allergies and asthma due to longer seasons and poor air quality. Dermatophagoides
farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were discovered to be the most prevalent allergens
in the last 10 years, according to lab data monitoring from samples received from around thecountry and analyzed at our Section of Clinical Chemistry at Aga Khan University.
Clinical Chemistry laboratories can and should contribute to the overall well-being of Pakistanicommunities and create resilience against climate-related difficulties by adopting sustainable
practises such as energy-efficient equipment, minimising waste creation, and encouraging
environmentally friendly practises. To reduce energy consumption, conserve resources, andreduce waste generation, my Section of Clinical Chemistry has adopted a sustainable model, also
known as “green labs.” We have formulated a Green Team focused on making ecofriendly changes
in the lab. The Green Team, consisting of faculty, technologists, managers, and the section
head, aims to promote sustainable practices in clinical laboratories. Strategies include training
programs, guidelines, and exploring alternative technologies to reduce environmental impact ingreen labs. Strategic measures include prioritizing investments, seeking funding opportunities,
and partnering with external entities like IFCC to overcome technological limitations and shareknowledge.
Aga Khan University is expanding its Point-of-care testing (POCT) service to reduce carbon
footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, resource utilization, early disease detection, telemedicine,and sustainable healthcare infrastructure. The long-term goals include minimizing transportation
costs, reducing waste generation, and encouraging healthcare facilities to rethink resource
consumption and waste management practices. POCT indirectly supports climate change
mitigation efforts.
Climate change is a pressing global challenge, and clinical labs must act by adopting sustainable
practices, embracing innovative technologies, and promoting resource efficiency. This will lead to agreener, healthier future, combining climate resilience and sustainable healthcare.

Pathology and Laboratoy Medicine, Aga Khan University, Karachi Pakistan: The Green Team34

Green Lab Reflections: Insights from My Diary
By Rizwana Kausar
Assistant Manager, Section of Clinical Chemistry, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Aga Khan University, Karachi Pakistan

Dear Diary,
While attending the 2022 International Federation of Clinical Chemistry (IFCC) Conference in South
Korea as a Young Scientist from Pakistan, I had the opportunity to learn about the concept ofGreen Lab at one of the Young Scientists’ Forums organized by the IFCC (shown in the picture). The
whole idea behind Green Lab concept is to declutter, reuse, recycle and save energy to promotesustainability in clinical laboratories. I dedicated some time to collecting and organizing the relevant
items pertaining to my role in the Section of Chemical Pathology within the Department of Pathology
and Laboratory Medicine at Aga Khan University. On my return I proposed a Green Lab project in mysection to integrate my learnings into everyday processes.
The phrase “Green Lab” refers toprogrammes that promote sustainable
practises in clinical laboratories while
maintaining testing quality and patient
safety. Sustainable living is becoming
increasingly important as a result of
global environmental issues, hence clinicallaboratories must adopt sustainablestrategies. Implementing simple efforts
to cut energy use, conserve resources,
and limit waste creation can help clinicallaboratories become more sustainable.
Laboratory personnel’s activities canhave a substantial impact on minimisingpollution and preserving resources,
making it a critical problem.
A team consisting of faculty members, technologists, managers, and section head was formed
to promote sustainable practices, known as the “Green Team”. As a first step, The Green Team
conducted a lab survey to identify specific areas where sustainable practices could be implemented.
Simultaneously, they raised awareness within the department regarding sustainability, resource
conservation, and waste reduction. The survey responses were analyzed to identify common themes
and areas of concern. There was insufficient awareness of the environmental impact of clinicallaboratories.
The goal of our Green Lab Project is to educate lab personnel on the importance of the environment
and the potential negative consequences of Clinical Chemistry procedures. Additionally, our aim is toraise awareness and promote environmentally conscious behaviors within the laboratory like

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35

Green Lab
Reflections

reducing instrument footprints, energy consumption, waste reduction and recycling of waste. The
idea of Green Lab was well received by colleagues, and we are developing strategic goals to reducecarbon footprint, contribute to a greener future, and set an example for other laboratories to follow.
Outcomes achieved:
Through small group discussions laboratory professionals were taught on the relevance of theenvironment and the potential harmful effects of Clinical Chemistry processes. It was agreed that
all lab-technologists should be informed of the environmental impact of their work as well as theimportance of sustainable practices. This established a climate conducive to frank talks on thesubject. On Green Lab Practices, you can now see employees recommending one another. These
dialogues instilled personal responsibility for the environment and promoted environmental care.
The traditional process of sending patient reports involved multiple steps, including scanning,
physical transportation, and storage, which was laborious, slow, and prone to errors. To
streamline the process, the section has adopted electronic signatures for certain laboratory
tests and has started scanning and digitizing documents since the beginning of 2023. Reportingof Stones Analysis, Immunofixation electrophoresis, plasma amino acids, urine organic acids,
succinyl acetone and newborn screening is now done electronically. Review and analysis of all
chromatograms, calibration records, and results is now done on the software by faculty rather
than printing them. This change in practice has been successful.
The Green Lab Team emphasized with laboratory technologists, residents, and faculty the needof shutting off or unplugging excess lights and equipment such as an oven, incubator, water bath,centrifuges, fume hood, and safety cabinet when not in use. This was accomplished successfully.
Implementing green lab practices is challenging due to limited resources, infrastructure, policy gaps
and behavioral and cultural factors. Recognizing the potential benefits and using strategic measures
like prioritizing investments in green lab initiatives and seeking funding opportunities is my next
goal. Partnering with external entities like IFCC can also help overcome technological limitations,access training, and share knowledge. In the Section of Clinical Chemistry, we are encouraging open
communication, collaboration, and participation in sustainable initiatives.

36

The 14th CONFERENCE OF THE ROMANIAN ASSOCIATIONOF LABORATORY MEDICINE
By Dr. Cristina Mambet
Past President Romanian Association of Laboratory Medicine (RALM)

Timisoara, 14-16 June 2023
The 14th National Conference with international participation of the Romanian Association ofLaboratory Medicine (RALM), organized under the auspices of IFCC and EFLM and in collaboration
with the Romanian Society of Microbiology, the Romanian Society of Hematology and the Universities
of Medicine and Pharmacy of Bucharest, Târgu Mures, Cluj Napoca, Iași, and Timișoara, took place on
14-16 June in Timisoara.
The Regional Business Centre of Timisoara hosted the conference that was attended by 600
participants including medical doctors, biologists, chemists and scientists working in medicallaboratories.
The scientific program comprised 9 sessions of plenary reports (32) and brief oral communications(25), and 1 poster session at which a total number of 26 electronic posters were presented. The
posters and the slides for the oral presentations were written in English and conference abstracts
were published in a supplement of Romanian Journal of Laboratory Medicine, a journal indexed in
the ISI Web of Knowledge - Web of Science - Science Citation Index Expanded (Clarivate analytics)
since 2008. Topics of interest in clinical chemistry, hematology, immunology, microbiology, molecularbiology, laboratory management and quality control were addressed during the various sessions.
Among them, we mention: novel predictive biomarkers in the evaluation of heart failure, utility oflaboratory biomarkers in the diagnosis and monitoring of acute kidney injury in pregnancy, genetic
prognostic factors in acute myeloid leukemia, complex laboratory evaluation of multiple myeloma
and related disorders, microRNAs as biomarkers of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, gene-based
prediction model for colorectal cancer using machine learning algorithms, evolution of healthcare
associated infections and antimicrobial resistance during COVID-19 pandemic in Romania, challengesof laboratory diagnosis in mycology, introduction to emerging technologies in clinical laboratory, risk
evaluation in laboratory. The participants had the opportunity to ask questions and make comments
after presentations, and also to share their experience in a particular field.
Six speakers from abroad were invited to give their lecture at the congress: Prof. Dr. Sergio
Bernardini (University of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy), Prof. Dr. János Kappelmayer (University of
Debrecen, Hungary), Prof. Dr. Nino Gogokhia (Tbillisi State Medical University Laboratory Department,
Georgia), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tamar Diadbaridze (Tbillisi State Medical University Microbiology
Department, Georgia), Sten Westgard, MS (Managing Director at Westgard QC, Inc, USA), and Dr.
Tomasz Bogiel (Nicolaus Copernicus University of Toruń, Poland). Also, 20 invited speakers from
Romanian academic institutions significantly contributed to the scientific program of the congress(some pictures are presented in Appendix 1 to this report).

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The 14th Conference of the Romanian
Association of Laboratory Medicine

As RALM manifests a strong interest in encouraging and motivating young laboratory professionals,
many communications and posters were presented by young colleagues, most of them PhD fellows.
During the conference a large exhibition of equipment, reagents, supplies, software was held, 30 IVD
companies being involved. In addition, diagnostic industry organized 12 workshops that introduced
new technologies and clinical assays.
After the closing ceremony the general assembly of RAML took place and members elected the new
RAlM Board.
The scientific quality and the variety of topics included in the program, as well as the organization of
the conference in a high-tech venue, led to a successful scientific and professional event.

Professor Dr. Minodora Dobreanu vicepresident of Romanian

Associate Professor Dr. Cristina Mambet past president of

Association of Laboratory Medicine (RALM)

Romanian Association of Laboratory Medicine (RALM)

Associate Professor Adina Hutanu, MD, PhD - National representative in BCLF board
Associate Professor Ioana Brudașcă MD, PhD - National representative for EFLM

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ROMANIAN ASSOCIATION OF LABORATORY MEDICINEThe Romanian Association of Laboratory Medicine welcomes the new Executive Board and wishes
them much success:President:
Daniela Jitaru, MD, PhD
Head of Laboratory, Regional Institute of Oncology, Iasi, Romania

Vicepresidents:
Prof. Minodora Dobreanu, MD, PhD
Department of Laboratory Medicine, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy,
Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Tîrgu Mures
Prof. Ileana Constantinescu, MD, PhD
Research Department, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Buchares
Member:Prof. Adrian Man, MD, PhD
Microbiology Department, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, andTechnology of Targu Mures, Tîrgu Mures
Secretary
Cristina Elena Selicean, MD, PhD
Department of Hematology, „Prof. Dr. Ion Chiricuta” Institute of Oncology, Cluj-Napoca,
Treasurer
Dr. Biol. Ariadna Rădulescu
Fundeni Clinical Institute, Bucharest
National representative for IFCC:
Daniela Jitaru, MD, PhD
Head of Laboratory, Regional Institute of Oncology, Iasi, Romania
National representative for EFLM:
Ass. Prof. Ioana Brudască MD, PhD
Medical Biochemistry Department, ”Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj
NapocaNational representative in BCLF board:
Ass. Prof. Adina Hutanu, MD, PhD
Department of Laboratory Medicine, “George Emil Palade” University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science,
and Technology of Targu Mures, Tîrgu Mures

39

New IFCC Members
IFCC WELCOMES TWO NEW CORPORATE MEMBERS
United Robotics Group
Founded by Thomas Hähn in 2019, United Robotics Group unites young service robotics companies
into a unique ecosystem by bundling hardware and software expertise under one roof. The groupbrings together cutting-edge technology and robotic experts from both the social and industrial
world, with the common ambition to empower humanity with technology. The corporation iscommitted to developing standardized and customized solutions with quality, data protection andsustainability as key driving forces. All planning humans in the center of all. With United Robotics
Group’s recent successful acquisition of a world-renowned robotics’ company and the resulting
expertise sharing, the group becomes one of the leading service robotics companies in Europe.
RSBG SE, the investment entity of RAG-Stiftung, focused on technology and engineering driven
companies is majority shareholder of United Robotics Group. SoftBank Robotics Group is minority
shareholder of United Robotics Group.
We provide robotics solutions for different verticals including life science sector – Lab
automation:uMobileLab, uLAB and uMobileLOG, as well as ‘The Box’, a dedicated stationary lab
automation solution developed by Robsolution (part of United Robotics Group), certified solution
partner to Siemens Healthnieer. We connect robots, humans, and AI technologies in order to achieve
unique LAB workflow. In times of demographic challenges, it becomes increasingly difficult for small
and mid-size laboratories to compete for skilled employees. At the same time, very few of theselaboratories automate their processes. In fact, many of them still rely on manual labor only. We
believe that intelligent laboratory automation is the key to tackling these challenges. We provide a
Robot-as-a-Service (RAAS)approach. This way our customers gain all the benefits from our solutions
starting with day one for lower initial investment costs, including deployment, service hotlines, andinnovative support.

Labor Team
Labor Team is one of the leading medical laboratories in Switzerland and is based in Goldach (SG).
It was founded in 2001 and today employs 400 staff. The laboratory provides professional services
relating to the prevention, diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of diseases across Switzerland. In
doing so, the company covers the entire spectrum of laboratory medicine and anatomic pathology. It
carries out medical testing and analysis in a state-of-the-art central laboratory which facilitates thehighest quality, great flexibility, and rapid order processing.

40

www.dubai2024.org

26th International Congress ofClinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine
17th Congress of Arab Federationof Clinical Biology
10th Saudi Society for Clinical
Chemistry Annual Meeting
8th International and UAE Genetic
Disorders Conference

DEADLINES
15 January 2024
Deadline for poster abstract submission

Dubai World
Trade Centre (DWTC)

15 March 2024
Deadline for reduced registration fees
41

News from the IFCC Website“Publication Ethics: An overview from different perspectives”
The on-demand content is now available Click here to access the recorded webinar

The webinar: “Publication Ethics: An overview from different perspectives” was held on June 22,2023.
Ethical issues in publication are a global challenge. The increasing number of scientific journals inbiomedicine and published papers has not always been matched by increased quality in publishing
due to lack of information and education of the scientific community, especially of the young
scientists, about ethical principles in research and publishing. Often there is lack of understandingon the part of authors, reviewers, editors and publishers about the different requirements andissues. Furthermore, the practices vary between publishing houses and geographies. In addition,
particularly in the last decade, some unethical behavior, fraud and attempts by experts forincreasing their scientific productivity in research and publishing their results in scientific journals
have been reported. Through three recognized lecturers who explained the concerns and challenges
from their own experiences, this webinar offered to bring in the perspectives for ethical issues
from the points of views of an author, an editor, and a publisher. Each speaker provided the ethicalstandards for publishing and talk about particular concerns from the viewpoints from different roles.
This webinar comprised of three following presentations of 20 min each followed by 20 min of panel
discussion at the end.
Chair: Dr Sudip Kumar Datta
Talk 1 - “Publication ethics: the perspective of an Author” Dr. Angela R. Solano
Talk 2 - “Publication ethics: the perspective of an Editor-in-chief” Prof. Mario Plebani
Talk 3 - “Publication ethics: the perspective of a Publisher” Dr. Anthony Newman

Article continued on the next page42

News from the IFCC Website

Don’t miss next IFCC webinar on“Challenges of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in laboratory medicine”
Presented by the IFCC Task Force for Young Scientists
Registration to the webinar is complimentary!

The digital revolution does not stop at any area of life and plays a major role in healthcare. The
young professional and researcher in laboratory medicine, or Young Scientist, has a key role in thischanging lab environment and tries to seize new opportunities given by technological evolutions.
This webinar will cover challenges of digital technologies in laboratory medicine from several facets,
including digital competences, artificial intelligence, and applications of bioinformatics in clinicalroutine. Three Young Scientists will offer a particular focus on: 1) Skills of the Future - What kind ofdigital competence is needed? 2) Augmenting Intelligence: Basics of Artificial Intelligence in the lab
and 3) Bioinformatic infrastructure, pipelines, and impact in clinics.

Click here to register to the webinar

eJIFCC Vol 34 n 2
eJIFCC Vol 34 n 2 is now available! In this issue the articles focus on different
aspects of the Laboratory Medicine. The issue is closed by two Case Reports.
Read More

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IFCC’s Calendar of Congresses,
Conferences & Events
IFCC and Regional Federation
Events
Date

Title

Place

Jul 27,2023

Challenges of digital technologies
and artificial intelligence inlaboratory medicine

LivewebinarDec 4,- Dec 52023

2023 JCTLM Workshop on: ‘EQA
schemes elucidating the clinicalsuitability of laboratory results’Sèvres,FR

Feb 1, - Feb 29
2023

AFCC CONGRESS 2024

Egypt

May 26 - Jun 30,
2024

XXVI IFCC WORLDLAB Dubai 2024

Dubai,UAE

May 26, - Jun 30
2024

AFCB Congress in conjunction
with the XXVI IFCC WorldLab
Dubai 2024 Congress

Dubai,UAE

Oct 3 - 6,
2024

XXVI COLABIOCLI 2024

Cartagena,
CO

October 31 Nov 3, 2024

APFCB 2024 Sydney

Sidney,AU

May 18 - 22,
2025

XXVI IFCC-EFLM
EUROMEDLAB 2025

Brussels,
BE

Article continued on the next page44

Corporate Member Events with
IFCC Auspices
Date

Title

Place

Jan 1, - Nov 18,
2023

Inter-QC Topics

Quality
Academics,
online, MX

Aug 1,
2023

Measurement uncertainty

Quality
Academics,
online, MX

Aug 7,
2023

International Conference on
Immunoassay

Snibe, Dubai,
UAE

Other events with
IFCC auspices

Click here45

Published ten times a year:

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IFCC Executive Board 2021 - 2023

Khosrow
ADELI
President

TomrisOZBEN
President-electDavid
KINNIBURGH
SecretaryAlexander
HALIASSOS
Treasurer

JosephPASSARELLI
Corporate
Representative

E. HOYARANDA
Asia-Pacific Fed
for Clin Biochem
and Lab Med(APFCB)

A. M. ŠIMUNDIĆ
European Fed ofClin Chem andLab Medicine(EFLM)

A.M. LENA
Latin-American
Confederationof Clin
Biochemistry(COLABIOCLI)T. PILLAY (ZA)
Communications
andPublications
Division Chair

S. BERNARDINI (IT)
Emerging
Technologies
Division Chair

P. LAITINEN (FI)Congresses andConferences
Committee Chair

Regional Representatives

AB OKESINA
AfricanFederation ofClinical Chemistry(AFCC)

A. HEDHILI
Arab
Federation ofClinical Biology(AFCB)

E. DUNN
North American
Fed of Clin
Chem and Lab
Med(NAFCC)IFCC Divisions and C-CC Chairs

C. COBBAERT (NL)
Scientific
Division Chair

N. RIFAI (US)
Education andManagement
Division Chair

IFCC Office Staff(L-R) Elisa Fossati, Paola Bramati, Silvia Colli Lanzi,
Silvia Cardinale, Smeralda Skenderaj, Sofia Giardina

47

IFCC Membership
Full members

Albania (AL)
Algeria (DZ)
Argentina (AR)Armenia (AM)Australia and
New Zealand (AU/NZ)
Austria (AT)
Belgium (BE)Bolivia (BO)
Bosnia Herzegovina (BA)
Brazil (BR)
Bulgaria (BG)
Canada (CA)Chile (CL)
China (Beijing) (CN)China (Taipei) (TW)
Colombia (CO)Croatia (HR)Cuba (CU)
Cyprus (CY)
Czech Republic (CZ)
Denmark (DK)
Dominican Republic (DO)
Ecuador (EC)Egypt (EG)Estonia (EE)
Ethiopia (ET)Finland (FI)France (FR)Georgia (GE)Germany (DE)Greece (GR)
Guatemala (GT)Hong Kong (HK)
Hungary (HU)
Iceland (IS)India (IN)Indonesia (ID)
Iran (IR)Iraq (IQ)
Ireland (IE)
Israel (IL)
Italy (IT)Japan (JP)Jordan (JO)
Kazakhstan (KZ)
Kenya (KE)
Korea (KR)Kosovo (XK)Corporate members

Latvia (LV)
Lebanon (LB)
Libya (LY)
Lithuania (LT)
Luxembourg (LU)
Malawi (MW)Malaysia (MY)Mexico (MX)Montenegro (ME)
Morocco (MA)
Myanmar (MM)
Nepal (NP)
Netherlands (NL)
Nigeria (NG)North Macedonia (MK)Norway (NO)Pakistan (PK)Palestine (PS)Panama (PA)Paraguay (PY)
Peru (PE)Philippines (PH)Poland (PL)Portugal (PT)
Romania (RO)Russia (RU)
Saudi Arabia (SA)Serbia (SRB)
Singapore (SG)Slovak Republic (SK)Slovenia (SI)South Africa (ZA)
Spain (ES)Sri Lanka (LK)
Sudan (SD)
Sweden (SE)Switzerland (CH)
Syrian Arab Republic (SY)
Thailand (TH)Tunisia (TN)Türkiye (TR)Ukraine (UA)United Kingdom (UK)
United States (US)Uruguay (UY)
Vietnam (VN)
Zambia (ZM)
Zimbabwe (ZW)

Regional Federations

Arab Federation of Clinical Biology (AFCB)
African Federation of Clinical Chemistry (AFCC)
Asia-Pacific Federation for Clinical Biochemistry
and Laboratory Medicine (APFCB)
European Federation of Clinical Chemistry
and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM)
Latin America Confederationof Clinical Biochemistry (COLABIOCLI)North American Federation of Clinical Chemistry
and Laboratory Medicine (NAFCC)

AbbottAgappe Diagnostics, Ltd.
Arkray, Inc.
Asahi Kasei Pharma Corp.
Autobio Diagnostics Co., Ltd.
BD Life Sciences –Preanalytical Systems
Beckman Coulter, Inc.
The Binding Site Group, Ltd.
Biomasterclin Laboratorios
Venezuela
Bio-Rad Laboratories
C.P.M. Diagnostic Research
Diagnostica Stago
DiaSorin
DiaSys Diagnostic Systems
GmbH
ET Healthcare Inc.
Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical
Corporation
Fujirebio Europe
Gentian, AS
Helena Biosciencies Europe
Hemas Hospitals (PVT) Ltd.
HyTest, Ltd. i-SENS, Inc.
Immunodiagnostic Systems- IDS
Instrumentation Laboratory
Jangsu BioPerfectus Co., Ltd.
Labor Team
LumiraDx
Maccura Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.
MedicalSystem Biotechnology
Co., Ltd.

Medix Biochemica
A. Menarini Diagnostics
Mindray - Shenzhen Mindray
Bio-Medical
Nittobo Medical Co., LTD.
Biomedical Corporation
Oneworld Accuracy
Collaboration
PerkinElmer
PHC Europe B.V.
Quality Academics S.C.
QuidelOrtho Radiometer
Medical ApS
Randox Laboratories, Ltd.
Roche Diagnostics
Sansure Biotech Inc.
Sebia S.A.
Sentinel CH SpA
Shanghai Kehua BioEngineering Co., Ltd. Co., Ltd.
Shenzhen YHLO Biotech Co.,Ltd
Siemens Healthcare
Diagnostics
Snibe Co., Ltd.
Synlab
Sysmex Europe, GmbHTechnogenetics
Thermo Fisher ScientificTosoh Corporation United
Robotics Group GmbH
Labor Dr. Wispling hoff
Wuhan Life Origin Biotech
Joint Stock Co., Ltd.

Affiliate Federations

Botswana: Institute of Clinical Laboratory Professionals
Brazil: Sociedade Brasileira de Patologia Clínica / Medicina
Laboratorial (SBPC/ML)
China: Lab Medicine Committee, China Association of Medical
Equipment (LMC)
Egypt: Egyptian Association of Healthcare Quality and Patient
SafetyFrance: French National Network of Accredited Laboratories ofMedical Biology (LABAC)
India: Association of Medical Biochemists of India (AMBI)
Iran: Iranian Association of Clinical Laboratory Doctors (IACLD)
Jordan: Society for Medical Technology & Laboratories (SMTL)
Kazakhstan: Public Association - Federation of Laboratory
Medicine (FLM)
Mexico: Federación Nacional de Químicos Clínicos (CONAQUIC
A.C.)
Mexico: Colegio Nacional de Químicos Clínicos en Medicina deLaboratorio (CONQUILAB)
Mexico: Federación Nacional de Colegios Profesionales de laQuímica Clínica, A.C. (FENACQC) Nepal: Nepalese Association for
Clinical Chemistry (NACC)
Philippines: Philippine Council for Quality Assurance in ClinicalLaboratories (PCQACL)
Romania: Order of the Biochemists, Biologists, Chemists in
Romanian Health System (OBBCSSR) Serbia: Serbian Society for
Clinical Laboratory Medicine and Science (SCLM)
Spain: Andalusian Society for Clinical Analysis and Laboratory
Medicine (SANAC)
Spain: Asociación Española de Biopatología Médica - Medicinade Laboratorio (AEBM-ML)
Spain: Asociación Española de Farmacéuticos Analistas (AEFA)
Sri Lanka: College of Chemical Pathologists of Sri Lanka (CCPSL)
Türkiye: Society of Clinical Biochemistry Specialists (KBUD)
Ukraine: Association for Quality Assurance of Laboratory
Medicine (AQALM)
United Arab Emirates: Genetic Diseases Association (UAEGDA)48

enewsPublisher
Communications and Publications Division(CPD) of the IFCCThe Communications and Publications
Division publishes ten editions of the e-Newsper year, including two double issues.
EditorKatherina Psarra, MSc, PhD
Department of Immunology Histocompatibility Evangelismos Hospital,
Athens, Greece
E-mail: enews@ifcc.org
The eNews is distributed to all IFCC
members registered on-line to receive it andto all IFCC sponsors.
Deadlines for submissions to the eNews
N° 1/2 – January/February: by mid January
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If you want to submit an article oradvertisement to be published in the eNews,
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