REGIONAL MEETING in Struga, Hotel Drim, North Macedonia, 7-9 June, 2019

Gaucher regional meeting

Together towards the improvement of diagnosis, treatment, and management

(in cooperation with the Gaucher  organizations from the region)

Participating countries: North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Slovenia (additionally there are invited guests / patient advocates from Ukraine, Romania, EURORDIS representative, IGA representatives, Regional Manager from Czech Republic)

07.06.2019 Friday

15.00 – 17.00 – Meeting of organizing and scientific committee

20.00 – 23.00 – Cocktail dinner at the hotel for all participants

08.06.2019 Saturday

8.00 – 9.00 – Registration of participants

9.00 – 10.10 – Welcome and introductions

• Elizabeta Gjorgievska, First Lady of the Republic of North Macedonia
• Venko Filipce, Minister at Ministry of Health of the Republic of North Macedonia
• Jagoda Shapaska, Vice president of the Health commission at the assembly of the Republic of North Macedonia
• Aleksandar Dimovski, Research center for genetic engineering and biotechnology “Georgi D. Efremov”  at Macedonian Academy for Science and Art
• Zoran Gucev, Macedonian society for rare diseases
• Vesna Aleksovska, President of LIFE WITH CHALLENGES

10.10 – 10.30 – Rare disease patient advocates – challenges and recommendations for solutions in rare diseases in the region from the view of the patients – Davor Duboka, Serbia, NORBS

10.30 – 11.00 – Next generation sequencing in the routine genetic diagnostics: our experience and lessons learnt –Dijana Plasheska Karanfilska,  Skopje, Macedonia

11.00 – 11.30 – Inherited colorectal cancer syndromes –  Aleksandar Dimovski,  Skopje, Macedonia

11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break

12.00 – 12 .35 Situation in the region regarding diagnosis, treatment, and management of Gaucher disease. Representatives from the organizations from the different countries will present the situation in 5 minutes each.

• Macedonia
• Serbia
• Croatia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Slovenia
• Bulgaria
• Albania

12.35 – 12. 50 Regional Manager, Marketa Smockova, International Gaucher Alliance

12.50 – 13.10 Prof.  D-r Nadira Duraković, Croatia, Our experience with Gaucher disease

13.10 – 13. 40 Prof. D-r Mojca Žerjav Tanšek, and  Mirjana Zupančič, mag. med. biochem., Slovenia, Biomarkers for Gaucher disease

13.10 – 14.00 Prof. D-r Zlate Stojanoski, Hematology Clinic, North Macedonia, Current situation in management for Gaucher disease

14.00 – 15.00 Lunch break

15.00 – 16.00 Prof. D-r Timothy Cox, UK, Gaucher disease – Oral therapy

16.00 – 16.20  D-r Ermira Dervishi, Albania, Gaucher disease

16.20 – 16.40 Prof. D-r Milan Lakočević, Serbia, Clinical trial -what are they, how are they done?

16.40 -17.00 Closing remarks, discussion  conclusions from the day

20.00 – 23.00 Dinner

09.06.2019 Sunday

8.00 – 11.30 Workshops

• Families – the group will be led by Biljana Jovanović
• Patients – the group will be led by Irena Žnidar
• Medical professionals – the group will be led by Jasenka Wagner

11.30 – 12.00 Coffee break

12.00 – 14.00 Feedback from workshops, discussions, Q&A, evaluation and closing

14.00 – 15.00 Lunch and departure of participants

 This meeting is supported by European Organization for Rare Diseases and International Gaucher Alliance

Vesna Aleksovska

President of the Association of citizens for rare diseases,
Life With Challenges – Bitola

Tel: +389 (0)70 70 54 46

e-mail: zivotsopredizvici@gmail.com ; vesna.stojmirova@gmail.com