Latin America

Ricardo Correa Rotter, MD
President Elect, SLANH (Latin American Society of Nephrology and Hypertension

In addition to the local needs of Mexico, which undoubtedly may be large in terms of nephropathology, I again speak for the Latin American community in my position as President Elect of SLANH (Latin American Society of Nephrology and Hypertension).

Our society is starting works to create a committee of Renal Pathology that will define actions and hereby I would like to give you some of the points that were discussed in Lima, Peru just a few weeks ago and how to proceed. Collaboration with the RPS can be KEY for the success of a project of this nature. We definitely would like to talk and ask for collaboration and support for our ideas. I here give you some idea of what we have just initiated. Please give me your opinion and then we could start official communication between RPS and SLANH.

Creation of a Nephropathology Commission of SLANH

1. Justification
There are extremely few nephropathologists in Latin America. We need to develop strategies to solve this problem, therefore we will create a Commission of Experts of the region to develop a well thought and a specific strategy for the next decade.

2. Mission
Development nephropathology in Latin America.

3. Vision.
That every country memeber of SLANH has enough nephropathologists, as well as a uniform procedure to process and interpret renal biopsy, all geared to a better quality of medical care of the renal patient.

4. Main Objective
To increase de number of nephropathologists and to create a NETWORK of experts in nephropathology that support diagnostic services to the regions of their influence.

5. Secondary Objectives
To organize a renal biopsy registry of SLANH.
To organize nephropathology courses with SLANH and with national and
 regional societies.

6. How to attain this
To establish a diagnosis of the actual status of nephropathology in the region through surveys, questionnaries and communications with regional and local societies of nephrology. (there are many nations that do not have one single nephropathologist)

7. Daniel Carpio, from Chile has been designed by our SLANH actual president as Coordinator of this comittee. Other regional collaborators will be called to participate in the committee, such as Carmen Avila from Mexico and other pathologists (Brazil and Argentina at least one of each) as well as some academic nephrologist.

8. On July 2008, within the Peruvian Congress of Nephrology we decided to organize a first meeting of experts which would include:
Anatomoclinical session (educational and open to all participants)

Closed consensus or committee meeting of pathologists and some nephrologists. Some suggestions and names were made in this sense.

WHO WOULD BE OUR MAIN PARTNERS AND WHO WE THINK THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO ASK SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION FROM:
 -RPS
-ISN-COMGAN Committee Renal Pathology (Agnes Fogo)
-ASN
-Spanish Society of Nephrology
-Industry