A history of the International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA)

Abstract

Managing care of children of the world with kidney diseases requires balancing clinical aims, research findings and socio-economic goals within an international environment characterized by cultural and economic complexity and a large disparity in the availability, affordability and accessibility of renal care. Since 1974, the International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA) has been trying to establish this balance, involving almost two generations of pediatric nephrologists. This report explores IPNA’s evolution and describes the founding generation of pioneers, the ratification of a constitution and the formulation of clinical aims as well as establishment of the journal of Pediatric Nephrology. This report also examines the highlights of the IPNA congresses and the training and teaching courses at each stage of development. It provides a brief history of the development of regional societies. The first 10 years of the IPNAwas the founding era, with small numbers of members, moderate research productivity and a tremendously efficient and friendly interaction between members that promoted communication among centers of the world. Achieving the goal of IPNA, namely, enhancing the treatment of children with kidney disease, wherever in the world they may need it, relied on three principal elements: a serviceable fund of knowledge, a cohort of engaged professionals and a broad geographical reach. A 20-year period of expansion followed, made possible by the rapid expansion of diagnostic and therapeutic facilities. With information technology reaching throughout the world in the last 10 years, IPNA embarked on teaching and training courses as well as on establishing fellowship programs for young practitioners in Africa, Asia and Latin America to assist their efforts to develop pediatric nephrology on their home ground. IPNA and IPNA associate organizations (AFPNA, ALANEPE, ANZPNA, ASPN, AsPNA, ESPN and JSPN) have reached a high level of international communication, cooperation and consensus to further the care of children with kidney diseases. The history manuscript completed in 2010 should be viewed as a beginning. The manuscript should not be seen as comprehensive but rather as a concise history aimed at capturing important events and spurring others in the Society to help compile even more of our past. IPNA leadership viewed as important the need to capture the wisdom of the founders of IPNA and to inform the IPNA membership of the driving vision and the path the organization has taken. We hope this beginning will serve as an impetus for the membership, now and in the future, to build on this history and to maintain a record of IPNA’s progress and accomplishments. The history can be viewed at http://www.ipna-online.org/ about/history/ A. Friedman (*) Medical School Dean’s Office, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA e-mail: alfried@umn.edu