WAO & BSACI 2022 UK Conference
Allergy Update
WAO & BSACI Conference 2022:
Four decades in the making A
Dr George Gkimpas Consultant Allergist, Royal Preston Hospital WAO & BSACI 2022 Conference Scientific Program Co-Lead
s we leave the WAO & BSACI 2022 UK conference behind us, we can now reflect on what has been a highly successful event, taking place not long after the epicentre of the COVID pandemic. It was a challenging task to deliver the first WAO conference in the United Kingdom after four decades, and looking back we are delighted that it was, indeed, an experience to remember.
The conference highlighted the allergy field on a global scale and endorsed innovation. It also focused on the effect of the environment and climate on allergy, as the new decade presents us with several global challenges from these viewpoints. As it was fitting for a WAO conference, we focused on collaborations and joint sessions with international societies, opening with the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), continuing with the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI), and closing with the Japanese Society of Allergology (JSA). We further highlighted the importance of input from all parts of society by offering a platform to key UK charities, the Anaphylaxis Campaign, Allergy UK and the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF), to discuss updates in informing and protecting the allergic public. There were also several informative workshops where practical
The exhibition area was well attended
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issues of our everyday practice were highlighted in an engaging, hands-on environment. The conference, as expected for any BSACI event, provided a platform to British and international speakers of global calibre to deliver high-quality talks for all issues around Allergy & Immunology. In the opening plenary, Professor Graham Roberts, BSACI President, Professor Motohiro Ebisawa, WAO President and Professor Nikolaos Papadopoulos, EAACI Past President, set the stage with comprehensive talks. The program featured throughout several sessions that highlighted the effect of environment on allergy, culminating in the ‘Plenary of Environmental Exposures’ where Professor Sir Stephen Holgate and Professor Jurgen Schwarze delivered influential keynote lectures on the effect of pollution, the climate, helminths and viruses on allergy. The conference closed with a ‘Year in Review’ session supported by WAO, BSACI, and our sister societies, which celebrated the strong bonds that bind us. In what was a once-in-a-lifetime session, current, past and elect Presidents of WAO, BSACI, EAACI, AAAAI and JSA joined together to Chair and speak on this year’s advances and breakthroughs in the field. The combined expertise of BSACI and WAO alongside the support of our sister societies, empowered us to deliver a conference that was one of the scientific highlights of 2022, as also demonstrated by the highly positive feedback we The conference was attended by 840 delegates, speakers and exhibitors from all around the globe
