PID-IEI in Africa :
Where and How to find them ?
7th ASID Congress
Welcome Note
Dear Friends and colleagues,
Welcome to our 7th ASID Biennial Conference, which I really hoped we could host in Khartoum, Sudan earlier this year. The decision to go completely online has been dictated by the unsettled COVID-19 pandemic situation across Africa and the rest of the world. Our local and African committees are working on entertainment that will make up for the lack of proximity and make you feel at the heart of Khartoum, the city between the two Niles.
We have worked very hard to bring you our latest research, plans, direction of thoughts as well as concerns about IEI/PID in Africa. Africa lags behind many parts of the world in regards to the number of reported PIDs, with over 95% of the anticipated number of patients unreported or undiscovered. The Conference will display our thoughts on PIDs the African way! We will explore how to find and help PID patients in Africa. We have also dedicated a session to the most topical issue affecting the whole world, the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the African PID School, our scientific committee has put together a one-and-a-half-day program full of exciting topics by excellent African and international speakers.
We also welcome our partners from IPOPI and other African and International patient groups, who will be running a regional patient meeting parallel to the ASID VII scientific program.
A special and warm welcome to our Kenyan and Ethiopian colleagues who joined ASID and the Conference’s scientific and organizing committees for the first time.
Finally, a word of thanks and appreciation to all my ASID Board colleagues, the members of the organizing and scientific committee, and all the speakers and moderators who will be joining us.
To everyone, stay tuned. We look forward to meeting you online on the 1st and 2nd of October 2021.
Nahla Erwa
ASID President
Clinical Immunology Consultant, Assistant Professor
Soba University Hospital & Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum
Chairperson Clinical Immunology Specialty Council, SMSB
President of The African Society for Immunodeficiency (ASID) & of ASID VII Conference
Secretary General of the Sudanese Society of Clinical Immunology & Allergy (SSCI&A)