“A historic event”: SIOP Asia 2023 XV Congress opens in Yerevan

YEREVAN, MAY 19, ARMENPRESS. The official opening ceremony of the SIOP (International Society for Pediatric Oncology) Asia 2023 XV Congress took place Friday in Yerevan.

Armenian Healthcare Minister Anahit Avanesyan said that the event is an excellent opportunity for Armenian specialists to present their achievements of the recent years.

“This is a historic event for us,” Avanesyan said at the opening ceremony. “Because for the first time ever, such a major specialized event is being held in Armenia, and this is a very good occasion to get to know the new methods of treatment constantly developing around the world and the possibilities and important scientific work,” she said, adding that authorities will work to host such global congresses on cancer in the future again.

She said that the 75% treatment rate of pediatric cancer in Armenia is a truly a big achievement for a developing country.

Avanesyan noted the allogeneic stem cell transplantas an achievement of Armenian specialists.

The minister noted that children from abroad are among patients who are in Armenia to receive the allogeneic stem cell transplant, a rather difficult procedure.

Lawrence Faulkner, pediatric hematologist-oncologist and stem cell transplantation specialist from Italy, said that 5 children have received the transplantation treatment and 4 of them have been successfully treated.

“This means that we have success in 80% cases, and the team carrying out the transplant in Armenia is successfully implementing this treatment process and can expand this service and treat more patients. I plan to speak about stem cell transplant in developing countries with limited resources during the congress because it is an expensive service and regrettably it is unavailable in many countries,” he said.

Faulkner praised the holding of the congress in Armenia as a big achievement, highlighting the fact that experts from many countries will come together and jointly discuss diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Armen Muradyan, the Rector of the Yerevan State Medical University, the venue where the congress is held, said that it is a great achievement to have a hematology center where such advanced methodologies and technologies are used.

“I am happy and especially proud that our country was able to have such a high result and that this didn’t go unnoticed. A number of renowned experts from 60 countries have gathered here today, who will discuss their achievements and get to know how Armenia, a small developing country, was able to achieve such success,” Muradyan said.