INTERASMA Through the Years, by Albert K. Oehling
1956 – 1996

It was in 1954 that some of the pioneers of European allergology, including Hansen, Quarles Van Ufford, Sangiorgi and Duchaine, decided to create the International Association of Asthmology after discussing the problems than bronchial asthma was raising in internal medicine, pediatrics, allergology and respiratory medicine. Prof. Sangiorgi in particular devoted himself with considerable energy to this project. The Association was registered in Milan in 1954, and a year later, on May 25, 1955, the first official founding meeting took place in Utrecht, organized by Dr. Quarles van Ufford. Also present at this meeting were Professors Hansen, Sangiorgi, Duchaine and Wolfer-Bianchi, among others. Later, at the first Congress (held in Lubeck) and at subsequent meetings, the following were admitted as founding members: Sánchez-Cuenca (Spain), Varela Fuertes (Uruguay), Spoujitch (Yugoslavia), Holler (Austria), Vera Walker (United Kingdom), Capuani (Italy), Gronemeyer (Germany), Fuchs (Germany) and Damas Mora (Portugal). I joined INTERASMA in 1957, when the Association did not have more than 50 members.

From the beginning, as my mentors Hansen and Gronemeyer clearly stated, the idea in founding INTERASMA was not to compete with the International Association of Allergology, or with the then recently created European Academy of Allergology, although many thought this at the time. I still remember critical comments from some very close friend of mine, pointing out that INTERASMA was trying to compete with these societies. But nothing could be further from the truth, since asthma is a “multidisciplinary” illness, and the aim of the Association was (and still is) to unite the efforts of internists, pediatricians, allergologists, and chest physicians, and so provide a better standard of care for asthmatic patients. By the late 1950s, the increase of bronchial asthma in health statistics was already beginning to worry us. It was a question of uniting diagnostic criteria and therapies in a way that would lead to effective means of treating and managing asthma, and of unifying methods of study and research so that the complex etiopathogenesis of this illness could be better understood. At no stage did the Association try to reduce the importance of any other society.

The initially small group of members gradually grew, the Association being joined by exceedingly active members such as Zerbib (France), Erikson- Lihr (Finland), Businco (Italy), Werner (Germany), Sugihara (Japan), Dias da Costa (Brazil), Ado (Russia), Berg (USA), Findeisen and Sylla (GDR), Hochli (Switzerland), Liska (Prague), Farrerons (Spain), and many others. It is truly difficult for me to remember now all the eminent asthma investigators who were involved in the initial phases of INTERASMA.

It was in Helsinki, in 1972, that I was appointed Secretary General, and a more active period in INTERASMA’s life began. This period lasted until 1981. During this time our statutes were renewed, and INTERASMA ‘s Chapters began to be active. Two Chapters were established for Europe, three for Africa, two for Asia, three for America and one for Australia. In this way the various Annual Meetings appeared, in order to increase interest in INTERASMA in the various regions. Surprisingly, these meetings were extremely successful in terms of the participation of pediatricians, internists, chest physicians, and allergologists. The first meeting took place in Havana (Cuba) in 1974. In honor of the occasion, the prestigious Cuban painter Portocarrero, a man of international renown, presented our Association with the logotype that we are still using today. It represents on the one hand the profile of a dyspneic situation on both sides, and on the other hand a bronchoconstriction in front view. I think that this Congress will stay in the minds of all of us who participated as a very pleasant memory.

These meetings have continued taking place subsequently, and the number of participants has increased steadily from one to the next. The INTERASMA World Congresses and Chapter meetings held to date are listed in Tables 1 and 2.

As the Association grew, the conclusion was reached that creating national societies of asthmology was not as important as creating INTERASMA Chapters, that in their different regions could interact and promote joint efforts among all the various specialties interested in asthma. This form of organization has also resulted in the annual regional meetings and Chapter meetings, held independently of the World Congress (which takes place every three years), thus giving strength to the philosophy of INTERASMA in the different regions of the world.

Finally, I would also like to highlight the excellent work that Prof. Godard has done as Secretary General during the past six years. His wonderful efforts have culminated in the creation of Asmanet, the international network based on the modern information superhighway that is helping to develop the asthma knowledge base through person-to-person communication.

INTERASMA WORLD CONGRESSES

1st Congress   1956, Lubeck/Bad Lippspringe     President: Professor Dr. K. Hansen     2nd Congress   1957, Lisbon     President: Dr. Mario Damas Mora     3rd Congress   1960, Bordighera-Grasses     President: Professor P. Sangiorg     4th Congress   1963, Toulouse     President: Dr. James Duchaine     5th Congress   1966, Utrecht     President: Dr. W. J. Quarles van Ufford     6th Congress   1970, Lisbon/Luanda-Madeira     President: Dr. Mario Damas- Mora     7th Congress   1972, Helsinki     President: Dr. Zaida Eriksson-Lihr     8th Congress   1975, Vlissingen     President: W.J.Quarles van Ufford     9th Congress   1978, New Orleans     President: Professor D. Johnstone     10th Congress   1981, Paris     President: Professor D. Vialatte     11th Congress   1984, Mexico     President: Professor Dr. J.L. Cortés     12th Congress   1987, Barcelona     President: Professor Dr. Alberto Oehling     13th Congress   1990, Maebashi     President: Professor Setsuo Kobayashi     14th Congress   1993, Jerusalem     President: Dr. Israel Glazer     15th Congress   1996, Montpellier     President: Professor Philippe Godard     16th Congress   1999, Buenos Aires     President: Hugo Neffen     17th Congress   2003, St. Petersburg     President: Dr. Allen P. Kaplan     18th Congress   2006, Guadalajara     President: Professor Revaz Sepiashvili     19th Congress   2008, Monte Carlo     President: Professor Theodore Popov     20th Congress   2010, Athens     President: Professor Ronald Dahl     21th Congress   2012, Quebec City     President: Professor You Yon Kim     22th Congress   2014, Mexico City     President: Professor Carlos E. Baena Cagnani     23th Congress   2016, Madrid, Spain     President: Professor Giorgio Walter Canonica

 

REGIONAL MEETINGS

1985   Warsaw – Poland     President: K. May     1991   Central America – Acapulco     President: J. Huerta Lopez     1991   Europe – Funchal     President: A. G Palma-Carlos     2014   North Asia – Japan     President: Sigenori Nakajima     2014   Greece – Athens     President: Carlos E. Baena-Cagnani     2015   North Asia, Japan     Organization: Interasma Japan     2016   North Asia, Japan     Organization: Interasma Japan

 

JOINT MEETINGS

1991   ACAAI     Argentina-Buenos Aires     President: J Fabiani     1992   Italian – Latin – American Association Naples     Italy – Naples     President: G. Mellilo     1993   International meeting of Respiratory Allergy Lisbon     Portugal – Lisbon     President: A.G. Palma Carlos     1995   Poznan – Poland     President: J. Fischer     1997   GAILL and Luso-Brasilian Society – AG Palma-Carlos     Spain – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria     President: A. Palacios     2009 – 2010   Bilbau     President: I. Ansotegui