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Brief History - Société de Néphrologie
Constitution and bylaws - Executive - Boards and committees
Past Presidents - Directory - Publications and ressources
Fund raising - Application for membership - Contact us

Brief History

Before 1960, the word NEPHROLOGY was not used in books about renal diseases. It appeared for the first time on September 1960 at the "Premier Congrès International de Néphrologie" in Geneva. The word, started from France, swarmed and entered rapidly on foreign languages [Hamburger].

As reminded in the first paper published in the journal of the Society by Prof. Jean Hamburger from Necker's Hospital of Paris, the enthusiast meeting of multiple specialities for the study of a single organ was followed by notheworthy and fruitful therapeutic and conceptual discoveries during the two following decades [Hamburger]. Although Nephrology is the youngest of the medical specialities, it gave many presents to Medicine :

First, the birth of Intensive Care Medicine (la Réanimation Médicale). The concept, principles and techniques of intensive care were created by nephrologists.

Second, the replacement of a destroyed organ by a machine, then by a living organ. It must be reminded here that France was a pioneer in the field of renal transplantation (first grafts in 1953, first success between heterozygous twins in 1959, between non-twins in 1960, first success for the first cadaveric graft in 1965). Other organ transplantation succeed thanks to methods tested and validated by nephrologists [van Ypersele].

Third, the upsetting of nosological concepts due to the extensive use of renal biopsy. Some distinct entities could be demonstrated and showed that Nosology was not a single but a multiple-entry catalogue - this became true for the whole Medicine.

Fourth, the fecundation of Medical Immunology. As many systemic and autoimmune diseases invades nephrology units, nephrologists had to become immunologists. Renal tranplantation enhanced the need to understand immunological events and this led to a remarkable development of immunology research.

Finally, nephrologists had a great influence on medical research and its links to daily clinical problems. There is no other example in which the links between basics knowledge and clinical applications are as norteworthy [Hamburger].

Société de Néphrologie

This enthusiastic athmosphere led to creation of the "Société de Néphrologie". The society was founded in 1959 by Jean Hamburger, as a continuation of an older society, the "Société de Pathologie Rénale".

The Société de Néphrologie is not a national (French) society, but a French-speaking society. It gathers 880 Members from 27 countries, mainly France, Belgium, Switzerland, North Africa.

It is a non-profit organization ("Association 1901"). The aims of our society are mainly :

- to enhance in French-speaking countries the development of Nephrology, the promotion of research, the training in each field of the speciality by periodical meetings.

- to drive discussions and reflexions about care management of renal diseases, renal failure, prevention, quality of care and evaluation, practice of Nephrology with respect to the diversity of techniques and modalities.

- to transmit its views and opinions to official (national) organisms.

Constitution and Bylaws

Constitution and bylaws may be seen here.

Executive

The Société de Néphrologie is leaded by a Council Board (2003) :

and a Council of at least 30 members elected following modalities described in bylaws. The Council must be representative and reflect the different modalities of practice of Nephrology (Academic, Public, Private, Organizations).

Boards and Committees

There are six committees, each represented at the Council.

- Committee of Epidemiology
- Committee of Dialysis
- Committee of Transplantation
- Committee of Scientific Research
- Committee of Pedagogy and Continuous Medical Education
- Committee of Ethics

 Their Presidents, Members and missions are available here.

Past Presidents

Directory

The directory of the Société de Néphrologie is available here (only for members).
The directory of the Société de Néphrologie Pédiatrique is available here (only for members).

A directory of Dialysis Centres of France is available here.

Publications and Ressources

The journal NEPHROLOGIE replaced the " Journal d'Urologie et de Néphrologie " in 1980 and is published every two months.
It contains editorials, original articles, "state-of-the-art" reviews, announcements, critics of books, trials.
Abstracts are written in both English and Franch.

Editor-in-Chief : Pr Christian COMBE.

Fund raising

The Société de Néphrologie gives Research Allocations, Grants and Prizes each year. The list of contributors is available here.

Recently, the first steps were taken for the creation of a foundation, the " FONDATION DU REIN "

Why a foundation ?
To raise up and support research projects of quality in which public or private institutions are not involved,
to promote the trainig in Nephrology and nephrology care,
to encourage media and communication about renal diseases and their interests at stake.

Who is concerned ?
The Société de néphrologie , the Société de Néphrologie Pédiatrique and the Société Francophone de Dialyse , in collaboration with Organizations of Patients and Nurses, decided to create a foundation in order to maintain an interface and reciprocal links between them in France, Switzerland and Belgium.

Application for membership

is available here.

Contact us

SN/QM 2003