International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association: who are we and where are we going?

Abstract

The International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA) was founded in 1994. The origins of the IHPBA come from the International Biliary Association (IBA), which later became the International Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Association (IHBPA) and the World Association of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery (WAHPBS). The IHBPA and the WAHPBS merged into the IHPBA, which met for the first time in June 1994 in Boston. World Congresses have subsequently been held in the even years in Bologna, Italy in 1996; in Madrid, Spain in 1998; in Brisbane, Australia in 2000; in Tokyo, Japan in 2002; and in Washington, USA in 2004. The IHPBA was incorporated in the United States in June, 2001. Regional Associations currently affiliated with the IHPBA include the American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (AHPBA), the Asian-Pacific Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (A-PHPBA), and the European Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (EHPBA). The AHPBA became incorporated in the United States in 1994 and held its first regional Americas Congress in 1997. The A-PHPBA is being incorporated in Hong Kong, but its predecessor the Asian Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery began holding regional congresses in Asia in the odd years in 1991. The EHPBA became incorporated in Germany in 2005, but its predecessor the European Chapter of the IHPBA initiated European Congresses in the odd years in 1995. National Chapters variably affiliated with the IHPBA have existed in Argentina, Greece, Italy, Japan, and the United States for a number of years. In recent years new National Chapters have emerged in Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Germany, India, Korea, Scandinavia, South Africa and the United Kindom. In 1999 the IHPBA began publishing its official journal, HPB, which has included regular IHPBA Newsletters. Over the past 5 years, the IHPBA has become incorporated (2001), developed the Warren Research Fellowship (2001), hired professional management (Medconnnect), developed a website (www.ihpba.org), published a Membership Directory (2003, 2005), signed a publishing agreement with Taylor and Francis (2004), initiated an electronic Newsletter (2005), conducted a Member Survey (2005), held a strategic planning meeting (2005), and developed an HPB Fellowship Registry (2006).