On 3–5 May 2017, the International Conference “Dermatology and Allergology Without Borders” was held in Grodno. The venue was the “Niemen 72” Sanatorium. The conference was conducted under the auspices of the Ministry of Health of Belarus and the Belarusian State Medical University in Grodno. The organizer and chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Conference was Professor Dzmitry F. Khvoryk, Head of the Department of Dermatovenerology of the State Medical University in Grodno. The Scientific Committee was chaired by Professor Khvoryk and Professor Roman Nowicki, Head of the Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Allergology, Gdansk Medical University, honorary doctor of the State Medical University in Grodno.
Participants of the conference were representatives of various medical disciplines dealing with skin diseases (including allergic), mainly dermatologists, allergologists, paediatricians as well as specialists in aesthetic medicine and cosmetology.
Most of the participants were doctors from Belarus. The conference was also attended by doctors from Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, the Czech Republic and Cyprus. The Polish group was represented by Professor R. Nowicki, Professor J. Kruszewski, Professor R. Kurzawa, Professor R. Olszañski, Professor W. Niczyporuk, Professor M. Kaczmarski and M. Niczyporuk, MD.
During the opening of the conference, lecturers and participants were greeted by the Rector of the Medical University of Grodno – Professor V. Snezhitskiy (Figure 1), Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee in Grodno – W. Liskowicz, Chief Dermatologist and specialist of the Ministry of Health of Belarus – Head of the Department of Dermatology and Venereal Diseases, Belarusian State Medical University in Minsk – Professor A. Lukyanov and Director of the “Niemen 72” Sanatorium and W. Funt, MD.
In the Plenary Session, Professor Khvoryk and Professor Nowicki recalled in their papers the genesis of international scientific conferences of dermatovenerologists and allergologists of both countries “Dermatology and Allergology Without Borders”. The idea of organizing such conferences came from personal contacts of Professor Nowicki and Professor Khvoryk at one of the conferences of “Academy of Dermatology and Allergology” that Professor Nowicki has been organizing for several years each February in Slupsk and Ustka and lately in the Charlotta Valley. For several years together with Professor Khvoryk, a group of dermatovenerologists and allergologists from various academic centres in Belarus has been invited to actively participate in these conferences. In order to offer an opportunity to participate in the conferences to a larger group of participants from different countries of the northeastern region of Europe, Professor Nowicki together with Professor Khvoryk decided to organize them alternately in Poland and Belarus. The first conference in the series “Dermatology and Allergology Without Borders” was organized by Professor Nowicki in Bialowieza on 25–26 April 2014. Over 300 specialists in dermatology and allergology from Belarus and Poland participated in the conference. The second conference, organized by Professor Khvoryk, took place in Grodno on 7–9 May 2015. At this conference, Professor Nowicki was awarded the degree honoris causa of the Grodno State Medical University. The third conference “Dermatology without Borders” took place during the 12th Conference of the Academy of Dermatology and Allergology in Ustka, 5–7 February 2016. The fourth conference of this cycle was organised by Professor Janis Kissis in Riga, Latvia, in May 2016.
In the paper entitled “History of scientific and educational cooperation of dermatologists and allergologists from Poland and Belarus”, Professor W. Adaskevich, Head of the Department of Dermatology and Venerology of the Vitebsk Medical University, Chairman of the Belarusian Society of Dermatologists and Cosmetologists, discussed the mutual cooperation between Belarusian and Polish doctors in the field of dermatology, venerology and allergology.
During the session “Dermatology and allergology without borders”, presided by professors V. Adaskevich, R. Nowicki, W. Niczyporuk (Figure 2), 8 papers were presented, including four by Polish authors: Professor M. Kaczmarski “The cross-reactions and allergic skin lesions in children and adolescents”, Professor R. Nowicki “Chronic urticaria”, Professor J. Kruszewski “Antihistamine drugs” and Professor R. Kurzawa “Atopic dermatitis”.
In the session “Dermatology as an interdisciplinary problem”, 9 papers were delivered, including two by Polish authors: Professor R. Olszanski “Cutaneous larva migrans” and Assistant Professor M. Niczyporuk “Undesirable effects after procedures in aesthetic medicine”.
Subsequent sessions were devoted to the following topics: acne and acne – dermatoses, sexually transmitted infections, aesthetic medicine and dermatoscopy in the diagnosis of skin disorders. During one of the sessions, clinical cases were also demonstrated.
The International Session of Young Scientists was also held. In addition, two round table discussions, entitled “Managing allergic reactions in the practice of the dermatologist” and “Dermatoses from A to Z”, and a practical seminar “Phototherapy in Dermatology and Cosmetology” were held.
Participants of the conference could also take advantage of specialized workshops on laser technology in the practice of a dermatologist and cosmetologist, aesthetic correction of age-related changes of the upper eyelid, correction of scarring, age-related changes in the face and body, cosmetic patient “from A to Z” .
It should be emphasized that, in addition to the substantive content of the program of the conference, Professor Khvoryk organized a very warm and friendly reception for the Polish participants. We had an opportunity to visit the most important monuments of Grodno, to attend the mass at the Cathedral Basilica and to visit the Augustow Canal (the Belarussian part).
Professor Khvoryk and co-organizers of the International Conference “Dermatology and Allergy without Borders” should be congratulated for the wonderful scientific program, the perfect organization and the friendly atmosphere that accompanied this scientific event.
Professor Khvoryk, thank you very much for inviting us to Grodno!
