Climate change, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and now the war in Ukraine and the threat of nuclear war all serve as a constant reminder that we are all connected. What happens to one person has repercussions for all. We are members of a global community.
It wasn't that long ago that I remember voting at the ASH Executive Committee retreat to expand ASH's international activities and to welcome hematologists and scientists from outside of North America to become full members of ASH. ASH's “Global Reach” was the subject of Dr. Martin Tallman's President's Column in March/April 2021. He described ASH's many international programs and invited us to think about further extending our reach worldwide. The list of ASH's international activities is extensive and far-reaching, having grown rapidly in a relatively short period. That list now includes initiatives in Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa, such as the International Consortium on Acute Leukemia (formerly the IC-APL), the Children's International Consortium on Acute Leukemia, the Latin American Registry on Aplastic Anemia, and the Consortium on Newborn Screening in Africa. In addition, ASH offers a broad range of resources designed for individuals at all career stages, from trainee to practicing clinician, including international educational programs and local-language editions of the Society's journals. Regarding advocacy, ASH has worked with stakeholders around the world to champion efforts to treat blood diseases. We have indeed extended our reach globally.
I recently participated virtually in the joint ASH–Korean Society of Hematology (KSH) symposium and co-chaired the ASH–British Society for Haematology (BSH) symposium at the BSH Annual Scientific Meeting, also virtually. It is clear that our international partner societies value their relationship with ASH. Together, we can amplify our impact through programs such as the Translational Research Training in Hematology Program, a partnership with the European Hematology Association (EHA). This program provides an opportunity for trainees and junior faculty to hone their research skills while being mentored by some of the leading hematologists in North America and Europe. There is much more we can do together, and I look forward to new opportunities to work with all who share the Society's mission.
Despite its name, the American Society of Hematology benefits from a sizable number of international members — as many as 2,700 individuals in 2021 from outside North America. Pre-pandemic international attendance at the annual meeting was just over one-third of all attendees, more than 10,000 participants of the nearly 30,000 attendees. In 2021, when both in-person and virtual options were offered, international participants made up more than a third of attendees (37%) and submitted more than 40 percent of the abstracts. International experts review abstracts, chair sessions, and are among the invited speakers at the annual meeting. They bring a global perspective to the Scientific and Education Programs. One of the eight elected councillor positions on the Executive Committee is reserved for an international member, but international members may be elected to be councillors and fill other open positions so that today, two of the eight councillors are from outside of North America. The International Members Committee (IMC) oversees the Society's global programs and through its chair, provides advice to the Executive Committee regarding the Society's Scientific and Education Programs. They also provide advice on any issue they feel could benefit from a more global perspective.
National and regional societies like ASH, BSH, KSH, and EHA address national and regional issues, through advocacy for their patients and members. Their local focus is important. But at the same time, we must think globally. Today, our Weltanschauung (worldview) must encompass the global challenges presented by hematologic disorders while we continue to attend to local issues. I am forever grateful for my international colleagues who join us at ungodly hours from distant time zones for our weekly calls with the various committees. The chats that take place while we wait to begin the call often includes local updates on the pandemic and, more recently, the Ukrainian refugee crisis. That we all share in the world's problems is more evident today than ever, and I am forever grateful for ASH's international members.
