Stories

For the past 20 years, we have organized the annual postgraduate education courses of the Renal Eastern Europe Nephrology Academy (REENA), which have been accredited by ISN, ERA, and IPNA. These courses, conducted both online and live, span 1 to 3 days and feature a mix of classical lectures (20-40 minutes), mini-presentations (3-5 minutes), international speake rs (20-80%), master classes, and practical sessions. Interactive elements such as electronic voting, round tables, and clinical tasks enrich the learning experience. Course quality, speaker evaluations, knowledge testing, and credit allocation are integral to our approach.

For the past 20 years, we have organized the annual postgraduate education courses of the Renal Eastern Europe Nephrology Academy (REENA), which have been accredited by ISN, ERA, and IPNA. These courses, conducted both online and live, span 1 to 3 days and feature a mix of classical lectures (20-40 minutes),
mini-presentations (3-5 minutes), international speake rs (20-80%), master classes, and practical sessions. Interactive elements such as electronic voting, round tables, and clinical tasks enrich the learning experience. Course quality, speaker evaluations, knowledge testing, and credit allocation are integral to our approach.

Key Advantages Over Traditional Postgraduate Education:

– Direct Knowledge Transfer: Streamlines the delivery of global knowledge to practitioners in short time.
– Comprehensive Access: Covers all nephrology sections in one course, with participants influencing up to 50% of the topics.

Modern Enhancements:

-Virtual Reality (VR) Sessions: To further enhance learning, we have begun integrating VR technology into our courses. This allows participants to engage in immersive simulations of clinical scenarios, improving their practical skills in a controlled environment.

– AI-Powered Personalized Learning: Leveraging artificial intelligence, we offer personalized learning pathways tailored to each participant’s needs and progress. This adaptive learning model ensures that all attendees get the most out of the course content.

– Interactive Digital Tools: We have incorporated various digital tools such as interactive whiteboards, realtime polling, and collaborative platforms to enhance participant engagement and interaction during
sessions.

Enhanced internet capabilities have expanded our reach from 50-250 participants to 20-30 thousand professionals across related specialties.

Currently IPNA becomes more popular in such developing countries as Uzbekistan, and being a member of this society gives us huge opportunities to learn about pediatric nephrology.

Currently IPNA becomes more popular in such developing countries as Uzbekistan, and being a member of this society gives us huge opportunities to learn about pediatric nephrology. Moreover in 2021 we have participated in WKD, and won a funding award! Thanks to this project we could have a free screening program for children and made a seminar for primary care physicians in early detection of kidney diseases in children. Therefore, I want to express my appreciation and gratitude for all those who involved in IPNA.

That is great to be a part of this team. Thank you!

The journey actually began with another IPNA programme JEMS,where I was fortunate to be mentored by Professor Tullus .During our discussions he suggested that I apply to GOSH ,London for accepting to be our supporting center.It was an amazing eye opening experience for as I needed to improve our practices and policy pertaining to low clearance patients and establishing sustainable home PD program for them.

The journey actually began with another IPNA programme JEMS,where I was fortunate to be mentored by Professor Tullus .During our discussions he suggested that I apply to GOSH ,London for accepting to be our supporting center.It was an amazing eye opening experience for as I needed to improve our practices and policy pertaining to low clearance patients and establishing sustainable home PD program for them. My main aim was to learn from basics to higher on how to take a low clearance patient from diagnosis to successful home PD care and finally making them reach the final step of transplantation.
Though I am not even half way to my final goal, the experience of last one year has been most rewarding. It has taught me not only clinical expertise or knowledge of technical details of the Home PD program but the opportunity has ignited a new energy to imbibe the minutest of patient care protocols with precision and compassion.
It has changed the outlook of how we dealt with our low clearance patients in past.

The program has encouraged me to look at a problem not only addressing the clinical part but providing holistic care too ,ensuring far better patient care and outcomes.
I hope that I am able to achieve what I set out for with the able mentorship of Professor Shroff, Dr.Veligratli,CNS Natasha and April and the wonderful team at GOSH.

I have been the proud recipient of World Kidney Day Award in 2018 as well as 2021 and this has at the beginning of my career really boosted my confidence in myself as a Pediatric Nephrologist especially the 2017 one when I was just at the beginning of my career as an independent Pediatric Nephrologist.

I have been the proud recipient of World Kidney Day Award in 2018 as well as 2021 and this has at the beginning of my career really boosted my confidence in myself as a Pediatric Nephrologist especially the 2017 one when I was just at the beginning of my career as an independent Pediatric Nephrologist. For my community and my patients, it helped me go out to the community to screen children for kidney diseases and hypertension as well as spread awareness regarding the same in remote areas as well as urban slums.
The second award of 2021 has helped me conduct a survey on QoL of children with CKD IV-V in our country and I hope I can publish the results soon. I am also ever grateful to IPNA for supporting a teaching program at our centre in 2020 and 2024 which has helped us spread awareness and knowledge of kidney diseases in children among the residents, general practitioners and pediatricians who are often the first contact physician sfor children with kidney diseases in our country.

IPNA supported us in initiating our Pediatric nephrourocon in 2021. From then onwards, it has become an annual event and popular among the young pediatric, pediatric nephrology and pediatric Urology practioners and postgraduates.

IPNA supported us in initiating our Pediatric nephrourocon in 2021. From then onwards, it has become an annual event and popular among the young pediatric, pediatric nephrology and pediatric Urology practioners and postgraduates. We conducted workshops like kidney replacement therapy, blood pressure modules etc. We have also organized pediatric urology surgical live workshops. IPNA association helped us greatly in gaining knowledge, visibility and valuable networking. Looking forward to get the continuous support from IPNA to conduct the events in future. I am sure that the sparkling subject update will help in managing the budding kidneys.

I had an amazing IPNA fellowship period a decade ago in South Africa (Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town and Charles Maxeke in Johannesburg) from 2013 to 2014. I had the opportunity to meet and share experiences with other fellows from different countries, and experience some of the best trainers in paediatric nephrology. I also learned about other cultures which are very different from mine.

I had an amazing IPNA fellowship period a decade ago in South Africa (Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town and Charles Maxeke in Johannesburg) from 2013 to 2014. I had the opportunity to meet and share experiences with other fellows from different countries, and experience some of the best trainers in paediatric nephrology. I also learned about other cultures which are very different from mine.
My training was hands-on, and I was trained in all aspects of kidney care. I honed my clinical and practical skills and developed much confidence in my abilities. On my return to Nigeria, I immediately set up a wellstructured paediatric nephrology unit in the teaching hospital where I work, developed management protocols for several kidney diseases, and started performing all procedures. I also started training others, doctors and nurses, and I have successfully organized hands-on skills training workshops in which I have trained well over 100 doctors in some of these skills, with amazing feedback from all the participants. I also train doctors working in primary and secondary healthcare facilities in the state on various aspects of
kidney diseases and kidney care.
These have had positive effects because there is increasing interest in paediatric nephrology, and kidney diseases are being identified more frequently and more easily. People in the community where I work have also become more inquisitive about kidney diseases. Ultimately, children with kidney diseases are surviving more, and although it is quite a lot of work, it gives me so much joy!!

Diagnosed with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, an extremely rare life-threatening progressive type of kidney disease.

Pediatric kidney transplant in developing country. Thirty years later… The implementation of a pediatric kidney transplant program in a hospital environment where patients of limited financial resources and without social security are treated, requires adequate infrastructure but also an experienced multidisciplinary team.

Prof. Dra created the Department of Pediatric Nephrology Hospital de Clinicas Universidad Nacional de Asuncion. Leticia Florentin in 2012 and since then, with the generous support of groups like IPNA in academic knowledge and generous donations from private foundations, is developing from the dialysis therapy to the definitive renal transplant, now in the beginning stage (three transplants since December 2016). Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are the two major pillars of the support treatment, two areas that the medical community in Paraguay still needs more training.

Thanks for the support given to continue my formation in Pediatric Nephrology at Hôpital Mère-Enfants Lyon, France under the guidance of Professor Pierre Cochat.

Dr. Kaskel volunteering in Vietnam reviews with physicians the treatment protocol for children with kidney disease resulting from AIDS.