With great pride, respect and reverence, we successfully held our first national congress, “1st International Azerbaijan Laboratory Medicine Congress & Lab Expo” (AZLTK & LAB EXPO 2023), which we dedicated to the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev.

The messages of satisfaction you expressed in the numerous gratitude letters we received after the congress, which was held with more than 600 participants, inspired us to work with great determination and enthusiasm to achieve the goals of our society.

The intense interest you showed in the 4th Regional Symposium, which organized by ASCLS in Lankaran city at the end of last year with more than 150 participants, caused us to stop the registration process early due to the limited quota of the symposium. This situation is a clear indication of the intense interest of laboratory experts in our country in contemporary knowledge, scientific and technical progress, and their desire to improve themselves.

For the first time in our country’s health history, Lab Expo, which we organized within the framework of the congress, brought together more than 20 representatives of the world Laboratory Medicine sector with many laboratory medicine experts. This situation created new opportunities for distributor companies and gave a serious acceleration to the import of modern technologies into our country. Adequately to the successful implementation of the Mandatory Medical Insurance model in our country, serious reforms have been carried out in the medical laboratories of state health institutions in recent times. Since the introduction of Mandatory Medical Insurance significantly increases the demand for this field, ASCLS needs to take significant steps and take purposeful actions both in terms of continuing medical education, the development and integration of our members into the international arena, and the import and adoption of modern laboratory medical technologies.

ASCLS achieved many new successes after the first congress. As we have previously reported, our scientific community has been accepted as a full member of the IFCC and EFLM, which are two respected international federations in the field of laboratory medicine. ASCLS is preparing for the 2nd International Congress with greater strength and effort, with the responsibility of the achievements and the inspiration receive by you.

Thus, we are pleased to announce that the 2^nd International Azerbaijan Laboratory Medicine Congress & Lab Expo (AZLTK & LAB EXPO 2024) organized by ASCLS will be held on May 02-04, 2024 at Fairmont Hotel Flame Towers Baku.

AZLTK & LAB EXPO 2024, as in the first congress, will be organized with the support of KBUD, KLIMUD, PDF society of Türkiye, as well as the support and direct participation of international and European federations which we are members. In our first congress, we did not forget the memory of our distinguished scientists who made significant contributions to the development of laboratory medicine in Azerbaijan.We supported the scientific studies of our young people, who are our future. We will continue to support our young people in their careers and scientific research, by the our formula of respect, reverence and loyalty to the past, and faith in the future. We expect the active participation of our young specialists in the congress with summaries of their scientific studies. Awards for outstanding scientific work were also determined at this congress.

DEAR COLLEAGUES!

This congress has another important feature. Considering the importance of rational antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance issues for the health of our country, we are also organizing the ANKEM (Rational Antibiotic Use) Symposium within the framework of AZLTK & LAB EXPO 2024, together with the ANKEM Society of Türkiye. The symposium program includes scientific panels created by distinguished scientists and experts in the field of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases. This will make our Congress meaningful and attractive not only for experts in the field of Laboratory Medicine, but also for infectious disease specialists, intensive care specialists, surgeons and other specialists who use antibiotics extensively.

The scientific program of AZLTK & LAB EXPO 2024 will include interesting symposiums, panels, conferences and social programs covering all areas of laboratory medicine.

Other information about the congress will be shared from time to time on the official website of the Congress www.azltk2024.org and our social media accounts.

As proud citizens of prosperous, independent and strong Azerbaijan, which has fully regained state sovereignty, we invite you all to actively participate in the work of the Congress!

Sincerely,

Co-Chairmans of the Congress

Prof. Dr. Arif Afandiyev, Dos. Dr. Ramin Bayramli