The World Apheresis Association continues to grow, as two new member-societies have joined during the past year.
The Turkish Hematological Rare Diseases Society is an Ankara-based non-profit, non-governmental organization devoted to education and research related to rare diseases with frequency no greater than one in 2000.
Their activities are focused in the Balkans, Central Asia and the Middle East.
According to their bylaws, the society was “…founded to carry out training and studies regarding Hematological Rare Diseases, cellular therapy, stem cells, apheresis, gene therapy, immunotherapy and transfusion, to support studies conducted, to create resources to combat Hematological Rare Diseases, to promote cooperation by bringing individuals, institutions and foundations together, to provide required aid for people with Hematological Rare Diseases¸ to undertake tasks in public and physicians training. ” Notably, they are the host-society for the 17th International Congress of WAA, April 16—19, 2020 in Istanbul.
The Uzbekistan Hematoloy and Transfusiology Association, founded in 2006, consists of 423 members from regions throughout Uzbekistan.
Its main objectives are:
- to develop and optimize hematological and transfusiological care to all patients with blood disorders in Uzbekistan
- provide scientific investigation, research, clinical application, education and exchange information related to apheresis in hematology and Transfusiology
- implement new evidence-based methods in blood collection and plasma into every day practice of blood centers.
Their most recent meeting was held April 25—26, 2019 in Tashkent.
Robert Weinstein, MD
Professor Emeritus, Department of Medicine
University of Massachusetts Medical School