TEHRAN –The third international congress of West Asian and North African (WANA) countries was held in the city of Urmia, northwestern West Azarbaijan province, from May 16 to 17.

The main objective of the two-day congress was to share scientific accomplishments in reproduction, stem cells, and biotechnology fields, leverage mutual experience, and revitalize scientific research among the regional countries, ISNA reported.

Royan Academic Research Institute and the West Azarbaijan University of Medical Sciences in Urmia initiated the congress which lays the ground for joint scientific research in the regional countries.

The third congress mainly focused on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Outcomes at the global level focusing on the WANA countries.

Moreover, it served as a platform for boosting synergy among scientific and commercial professionals in infertility treatment, as well as an opportunity for the presence of domestic and foreign knowledge-based companies involved in the production of medicines.

The congress also aims to transfer scientific expertise through networking; establish effective connections with other scientific centers, researchers, and scientists both regionally and globally; and identify opportunities for cooperation in the region, and expand communication networks. 

Additionally, it sought to develop networking among knowledge-based companies in the WANA region to foster communication, interactions, and trade of scientific products; and present a wide range of knowledge-based services including training, consulting, supervision, and implementation of large-scale projects in the field of biotechnology to interested countries by knowledge-based companies.

The congress featured presentations and discussions by 30 noted Iranian, and 10 foreign lecturers on the consequences of Infertility treatment and its related challenges.

The themes included monitoring the children born as a result of infertility treatment, ethical and legal issues, the role of imaging, the impact of environmental factors and lifestyle, enhancing the outcome of assisted infertility: challenges, management and options, preserving fertility in patients suffering from cancer, and the role of surgery in improving assisted reproductive outcome technology.

Furthermore, three clinical and basic workshops and a pre-congress seminar titled ‘Complementary Medicine in Infertility Treatment’ with the participation of more than 130 attendees were among the side programs of this two-day congress.

The congress will be hosted by one of the other regional countries next year.

Establishing the WANA Scientific Network

The main objectives of establishing this scientific association include:

- Facilitating the exchange of scientific knowledge by building connections with research institutions, scientists, and centers in the WANA region globally.

- Identifying opportunities for collaboration within the region and expanding communication networks.

- Enhancing networking among knowledge-based companies in the WANA region to boost interactions and trade of scientific products.

- Offering a comprehensive range of knowledge-based services (total solution), such as training, expert consulting, and project implementation in biotechnology, to countries seeking assistance from knowledge-based companies.

Royan International Twin Congress

Reproductive Biomedicine and Stem Cells Biology and Technology has been demonstrated to be one of the most successful experiences of scientific gathering in Iran and West Asia since 2000.

During these twenty years of active involvement in sharing and exchanging scientific knowledge and expertise with renowned scientific institutes and scientists, the Royan Congress has helped to form many shared scientific projects and exchanges.

Given that the Royan Annual International Twin Congress has so far been able to establish a good platform for the exchange of the latest achievements in the fields of Stem Cell Biology & Technology and Reproductive Biomedicine worldwide, the WANA International Congress has come into existence.

WANA Scientific Society enjoys a chain of reputable scientists, researchers, and university professors as its international partners who play crucial roles in enriching the society in its content and toward seizing its goals already set.

First international WANA congress as a sub-directory of Royan International Twin Congress in June 2022.

MT/MG