A new era, a new journal

Abstract

Recently we completed 30 years of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in Brazil. We have over 50 transplant centers, totaling approximately 320 beds and more than 20,000 transplants have been performed. We have the third largest bone marrow donor registry in the world, with around two million donors registered. Over the years, the 'Boletim da Sociedade Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia', which began in 1973, has accompanied all these changes. It became a journal with scientific articles in 1984 (ISSN) and changed in 1999 to 'Revista Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia' (RBHH). In 2000 the journal was indexed by SciELO, in 2008 by Scopus and now in 2011 we will have the first issue published in English, thus improving international visibility of our Brazilian works. Moreover, this is the official publication of the Brazilian Society of Bone Marrow Transplantation, where many transplant groups have published their clinical and laboratory studies. We are very fortunate that Professor Milton Artur Ruiz set his body and mind during long years of his life improving this journal to where today we are proud to publish works related to our area. It was not without help that the journal has evolved because many other doctors have helped by sending their articles, giving suggestions and supporting the RBHH. The RBHH, in 2010, edited a special issue in which the Brazilian guidelines for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were published. This important publication counted on the participation of all transplant centers across the country. Finally, I would like to congratulate the President of the Associacao Brasileira de Hematologia e Hemoterapia, Professor Carmino Antonio de Souza, who with his friendship and understanding always encouraged the development of the RBHH. The Sociedade Brasileira de Transplante de Medula Ossea fully supports the initiative to internationalize the journal with the objective of promoting and improving Brazilian transfusion medicine. Congratulations to all!