The Systemic Sclerosis, or Scleroderma, is a rare and, unfortunately, quite unfamiliar disease: disseminating a wider knowledge and focusing on the recent development of the therapy were the reasons of the establishment of the World Scleroderma Association and of the organisation of the first World Congress.
The 1st Systemic Sclerosis World Congress has been attended, in February, by an unexpectedly large number of participants, over 1.300, coming from all over the world.
The conference, managed by AIM Group, was held at the “Palazzo dei Congressi” and included lectures, satellite symposia and poster sessions throughout three intense working days.
Under the chairmanship of Professor Matucci Cerinic, of Florence University, over eighty high level international speakers exhausted the topics with a multidisciplinary approach that involves orthopaedics, cardiology, pneumathology and other medical specialisms.
The role of the patients associations has been relevant during this congress: as a matter of fact these associations are involved more and more during the medical conferences as they are directly interested in the therapy development.
In this case, thanks to the participation of the FESCA (Federation of European Scleroderma Associations), a specific Patient Programme has been organised and the major world experts could deal the pathology and the related problems directly with the patients.
The high scientific level of the congress and its particular importance, as first world scleroderma meeting, were clearly recognized by the local and national institutions, the scientific and academic community: the President of the Italian Republic granted his patronage, as well as the Ministry of Health, the Florence and Tuscany authorities, the local University and some national and International scientific associations.
The Mayor welcomed speakers and delegates in “Palazzo Vecchio”, the city hall, well known symbol of Florence, during the opening cocktail that was greatly appreciated, in particular, by the foreign guests.
