Welcome Note

The Worldwide Network for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (WBMT) is incorporated as a non profit organization for educational, scientific and philanthropic purposes under the laws of Switzerland and a non-Governmental Organization in official working relations with the World Health Organization. The Network promotes excellence in Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), stem cell donation, cellular therapy (CT) and accreditation as well as access to HCT worldwide through collaboration of existing international societies using coordination, communication and advocacy.

The purpose of this cooperation is to engage exclusively in charitable, scientific, and educational activities and endeavors including specifically, but not limited to, promoting and fostering among the many scientific and clinical disciplines, the exchange and diffusion of information and ideas relating to HCT and CT. The focus of the WBMT is to advance the field of HCT and CT in collaboration with its member societies by providing an excellent plaMorm where different specialists are working together offering their decades of experience and expertise to develop and improve transplant activities in resource restricted countries. The tools used to obtain this mission are biennial surveys, recommendations and workshops. This 9th Symposium in Mongolia will include delegates from North America, Latin-America, Asia Pacific, Eastern Mediterranean/Africa and Europe who will all be involved in discussion and guidance on establishing transplantation programs, donor selection,

coordination among transplant societies and centers, transfusion support, accreditation system, cell processing and quality assurance. Regional experts will be presenting transplant activities and local health authorities will be engaged to sensitize them about the importance of HCT as a curative therapy for a variety of malignant and non-malignant disorders. The local organization of this event is headed by Prof. Dr. Batsukh Khishigjaral of Mongolia and involves many neighboring countries in the Asia-Pacific, European and East-Mediterranean Region. Furthermore, the day before the symposium a dedicated nurse’s workshop will instruct nurses of the country to deal with HCT and complications.

We are delighted to welcome our friends and participants from all over the world to this prestigious event. We hope that this event will increase knowledge, skill, networking with new friends and colleagues and last but not the least, to enjoy the Mongolian culture and hospitality. On behalf of the organizing committee, we welcome you all to the 9^th WBMT Symposium in Ulaanbaatar. This represents a historical event involving global experts, who are known for their efforts to improve health care access and treatment throughout the World.

Prof. Dr. Damiano Rondelli
WBMT President

Welcome Address

from the President of the Local Organizing Committee

We are pleased to welcome you to the 9th WBMT SYMPOSIUM, which takes place on September 26, 2024, in the esteemed locale of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The local organization of this event is done by the First Central Hospital of Mongolia. Established in 1925. In 2010, we embarked on an ambitious journey to establish a Hematopoetic Cell Transplantation (HCT) program. This program saw its first milestone in 2014 with the successful completion of our first autologous transplant and we achieved another milestone in 2022 with our first allogeneic transplant.

Recognizing the importance of advancing our BMT services, we are now aiming to take the next step in our development. Our goal is to enhance our capacities and extend our services to include pediatric bone marrow transplantation. This initiative is a testament to our commitment to providing comprehensive and inclusive care for all age groups. The workshop endeavors to serve as a distinguished forum, facilitating attendees in acquainting themselves with refined and efficacious methodologies and approaches in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. With great assurance, we anticipate that this gathering will provide a comprehensive platform for the acquisition of fresh insights, the honing of skills, and the collaborative resolution of pertinent challenges within the discipline.

The 9th WBMT Symposium is poised to be an instructive, and unforgettable occasion, uniting leading authorities to exchange their wealth of experiences and perspectives. We extend a heartfelt invitation to all esteemed professionals engaged in the realm of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to converge in Ulaanbaatar, the distinguished capital of Mongolia, for this stimulating workshop.

We cordially extend this invitation to join us at the 9th WBMT SYMPOSIUM, eagerly anticipating an enriching and productive interchange of ideas.

Prof. Dr. Batsukh Khishigjargal
General Director
The First Central Hospital of Mongolia

About the Congress

What is the purpose of the congress?

It is our goal to guide for physicians and nurses to optimize their current stem cell transplantation activities and to create awareness among policy makers about the value of HCT, so that these activities might be expanded as part of national health plan and strengthened by ongoing effective oversight and support from health authorities. The overall objective is to assist Mongolia and other countries by building capacity, increasing access to life-saving therapies, and improving the quality of care.

Who is attending the congress?

The Congress of the WBMT is addressed to clinicians and representatives of health authorities from Mongolia, as well as other neighboring countries that may have restricted sources and low transplant participants regarding minimum essential requirements for establishing or expanding HCT in emerging countries, indications for HCT, training and dissemination of knowledge, stem cell donor selection and donor safety, quality assurance in transplant centers and the importance of transplant outcome databases.