WASPaLM is the World Association of societies of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine founded in Parisin September 1947. Soon alter the end of World War Il, the possibility of founding a World Federation of Constituent Societies of Pathology was considered by a group of pathologists in London. The new Society, which had as members national societies of clinical pathology, (initially from France, the United Kingdom, Czechoslovakia, and Belgium), was governed by a House of Delegates representing its Constituent Societies, with a Bureau to serve as the Executive Committee of the House, a pattern of government which persists today.
WARNING
Some emails, apparently signed by members of the WASPaLM Board and containing requests for money have been received lately. Please be aware that no requests of money will ever be sent by WASPaLM other than the official procedures (e.g. Membership renewals) and only through its Secretariat.
If you suspect that you have received such emails: do not reply, do not open any attachments or click on any links and inform us of your suspicions as soon as possible.
If you suspect that you have received such emails: do not reply, do not open any attachments or click on any links and inform us of your suspicions as soon as possible.
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WORLD CONGRESS
XXXIV World Congress of the World Association of Societies of Pathology and Medicine of Laboratory (WASPaLM), together with the 51st National Conference of Association of Clinical Biochemists of India (ACBI) and the 4th International Meeting of Medical Residents in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, to be held from October 14th to 17th, 2025, at The Westin Koregaon Park, Pune, India.
The theme of the Congress is “Laboratory Medicine at the Frontier of Patient-Centered Care”.
The “Social listening in infodemic management for public health emergencies: guidance on ethical considerations” being launched provides ethical guidance for governments, ministries, departments, agencies, organizations and individuals engaging in social listening for infodemic management practices in preparation for, during and after public health emergencies. As infodemic management involves addressing the spread of overwhelming health information during public health emergencies, it focuses on reducing misinformation and building trust in health authorities and ensuring consistent public health messaging to prevent confusion and harmful behaviours.
Social listening has a crucial role in identifying community questions and concerns, values and beliefs. Data gathered from social listening provides additional evidence to allow informed decisions and recommendations to be made to address health misinformation, disinformation, information voids and other critical issues that are related to recommended public health action. Although they are useful activities, social listening and infodemic management come with risks, including privacy breaches, misuse of data, human rights violations, potential harm to vulnerable populations, and erosion of trust in health institutions. To mitigate these risks, this document offers an ethical framework to govern and ensure responsible and ethical social listening in infodemic management practices. The document covers the technical definitions of terms, ethical challenges in infodemic management, alignment with human rights, substantive and procedural ethical principles. The document presents proposed actions for translating ethical principles for infodemic management into real-world practice.
Speakers
Moderator: Kai von Harbou, WHO
Opening remarks: Chikwe Ihekweazu, Assistant Director-General, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
Social listening and infodemic management in the context of community protection: Nedret Emiroglu, WHO
Motivation of the project and objectives: Andreas Reis / Kai von Harbou, WHO
Overall structure of the document, architecture, process, evidence: Nikola Biller Andorno, University of Zurich
Experience from representative of expert group: David Scales, Weill Cornell Medical College
Elodie Ho, Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA)
Q&A session: Sandra Machiri / Becky White, WHO
Closing remarks: John Reeder, Director, TDR, WHO
This webinar marks the launch of WHO’s interim guidance for social and behavioral research for mpox public health emergencies – the first of its kind – developed to strengthen the quality, ethics and impact of such research in health emergencies. The guidance builds on the outcomes of a multi-stakeholder meeting held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 2024, which brought together Ministries of Health, researchers and academics, operational partners, civil-society organisations and funders to advance community-centred and evidence-informed mpox public health responses. Structure: Global and WHO experts, and national and community leaders discuss specific issues of public interest and share experiences, rationale and evidence related to health emergencies preparedness, readiness and response. Dialogue with participants brings a broad insight to the public health, social and policy implications of the issue in question.
Objectives of the webinar:
1. To introduce WHO’s interim guidance for social and behavioural research for mpox public health response
2. To reflect on the ethical and practical challenges of conducting social and behavioural research during public health emergencies, drawing on the experience of the mpox response
3. To present tools to support the implementation of the guidance, including a reporting tool and a protocol template, and to encourage participants to consider how they can use these resources in their own work.
Tentative agenda and speakers
Welcome remarks: Dr Nedret Emiroglu and Dr John Reeder
Remarks on the interim guidance for social and behavioural research for the mpox public health response: Dr Nina Gobat
Panel discussion:
Social and behavioural research for community-centred mpox public health response: Mr Cesar Azuba Mombunza, (CONERLA+); Dr Ferdinand Nsengimana, Institut National de Santé Publique, Burundi; Dr Gilian MacKay, Senior Humanitarian Health Research Advisor
USEFUL LINKS
WORLD PATHOLOGY FOUNDATION
GORDON SIGNY FELLOWSHIP. The World Pathology Foundation was originally chartered in 1972, in Berne, Switzerland. At that time the World Association of Societies in Pathology or WASP, as it was then known, decided that a body, completely separate and independent of the WASP was required. The purpose of this new body was stated thus: ” The objectives of the Foundation are scientific, educational and charitable; to promote public safety and public health by fostering the development of good standards in anatomic and clinical pathology, especially in the developing countries.” To further these aims, the World Pathology Foundation will, among others, foster research, education and application of these medical sciences by organizing conferences, encouraging interchange of pathology information among nations and initiating and prompting publications in pathology. There is no record of why Switzerland was chosen as its initial home; the reason for the interval of two years before the WPF was accepted as a charity by the Swiss Authorities remains undocumented.
