It is an honour and a pleasure to invite you all to the historical city of `s-Hertogenbosch, capital of 'Noord-Brabant' province in the southern part of the Netherlands, for the XIIIth meeting of the European Society for Immunodeficiencies ESID, which is organised together with the Xth meeting of the International Patient organisation for Primary Immunodeficiencies IPOPI, and the VIIIth meeting of the International Nursing Group for Immunodeficiencies INGID. The meetings will no doubt continue to be as interesting and as successful as the previous biennial meetings were in e.g. Budapest, Versailles, and Weimar.

The meetings will be held from October 16 to 19, 2008, in the ‘Theater aan de Parade" in the historical city centre. The meetings will start with the Educational Day on October 16, especially designed for ESIDjunior members, but open to anyone who is interested in listening to excellent speakers who give an overview of recent developments in the field of primary immunodeficiencies.

The forerunner of ESID was established in September 1983 in Rome as an informal group (EGID) interested in sharing experience and developing co-operative studies in the field of immunodeficiency diseases. In the last decade the number of co-operative teams and members has risen substantially, and at the biennial meeting in Sitges in 1994 the Society was established. ESID now has over 400 members from more than 50 countries worldwide. ESID hosts seven Working Parties: Stem cell transplantation & gene therapy, Clinical, Education, Genetics, Registry, ESIDjuniors, and PID-care in development. Centres from all over Europe specialising in PID are collaborating under the auspices of ESID to document their patients into a single database available online: the ESID Database for primary immunodeficiencies . During the ESID 2008 meeting, basic and clinical research in innate as well as adaptive immunity will be discussed, as well as the latest developments in diagnosis and management of primary immunodeficiency diseases.

IPOPI came into being as a result of an initial meeting in Oxford in September 1990, when an interim organising committee was established, and a further meeting two years later in Lugano, when IPOPI was formally established. IPOPI works hard to improve access to early diagnosis and optimal treatment and care for patients with primary immunodeficiencies, and promotes the establishment and supports the work of national patient member organisations. IPOPI delegates hope to meet many nurses, doctors and representatives of patient organisations from around the world for a productive and encouraging 2008 meeting.

INGID was formed in 1994 by nurses who were working with children and adults diagnosed with primary immunodeficiency disorders. The INGID 2008 meeting will focus on the challenges and rewards of nursing adults and children with primary immunodeficiencies in the 21st century.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this scientific community of friends meeting in a charming town that was not elected World Walled Town 2005 for nothing! The town was considered to be impregnable in the Middle Ages, and called Swamp Dragon because of it, after the - still present – ‘Bossche Broek’ swamps at the foot of the fortifications. The medieval atmosphere is still present in the famous St John’s cathedral, the partly subterranean town river ‘Binnendieze’, and the many alleyways that can only be reached on foot. Modern life has brought shops, museums, art galleries, cinemas, theatres and many pubs and restaurants to the town. Come and take in the amiable, warm atmosphere of `s-Hertogenbosch during the joint ESID-IPOPI-INGID meeting in October 16-19, 2008! And don’t forget to visit the central market place with the statue of its most famous citizen, the well know painter Jheronimus (Jeroen) Bosch.
 

Looking forward to see you all in `s-Hertogenbosch !