E- ISSN: 2709-5533
Vol 4 / Jul - Dec [2023]
globalrheumpanlar.org
Videoblog
Raising the Level of Pan-American Rheumatology, PANLAR's Goal
Author: Estefanía Fajardo: Science journalist for Global Rheumatology by PANLAR, estefaniafajardod@gmail.com
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46856/grp.233.et196
Cite as: Fajardo, E. Raising the Level of Pan-American Rheumatology, PANLAR's Goal. Global Rheumatology. Vol 5/ Jul - Dic [2024] Available from: https://doi.org/10.46856/grp.233.et196
Received date: June 14th / 2024
Accepted date: June 26th / 2024
Published Date: July 17th / 2024
Antonio Cachafeiro, president of PANLAR, talks about the roadmap that PANLAR has set for the coming years.
EF: Hello everyone and welcome to a new Global Rheumatology video blog. Today we are with Dr. Antonio Cachafeiro, who is the president of PANLAR. Doctor, welcome, welcome as president and tell us, what does it feel like and what are the challenges we now have for PANLAR?
AC: Thank you, Estefanía. Very kind of you for this interview. This has been a process for me. I started in PANLAR in 2016, right after the PANLAR Congress in Panama, and it has really been a journey, although it is true, difficult in some aspects, especially the family part and that it takes time in these types of projects and roles, but for me, it means reaching a goal. While it is true, obviously, the work is greater at this time as President, I believe that I have a very good team, people who are very capable and who are in favor of Pan-American Rheumatology.
EF: Doctor, from what is coming from PANLAR, from everything you have seen and what obviously all the members always fall in love with, what should we then from Pan-American Rheumatology enhance?
AC: Of course, we are a very, very heterogeneous continent and the difference is that PANLAR involves Canada, the United States, involves all Latin American countries, including Brazil. So, we have three languages, we have, apart from that, different cultures and, obviously, it is a greater challenge to integrate everything and that everyone is part of this PANLAR. Perhaps the PANLAR process that has been given in recent years has been to globalize, has been to become a PANLAR that is a reference of Rheumatology, not only in the continent but worldwide and somehow achieve that these things that position us, such as research, innovation, are PANLAR references and, obviously, without losing focus on the patient, because the patient is our main focus, and that obviously in our continent we have many greater challenges to achieve the benefit of our patients.
EF: Doctor, and in that roadmap that you set as president, what are those main goals and those main objectives that you have set?
AC: We really made a development plan for the next five years. This development plan has some important pillars, we think that the center of our objectives is always the patient, being a scientific institution or organization obviously the development of Rheumatology as a specialty, achieving in some way that we raise the level of rheumatologists on the continent, that we improve patient access, training more rheumatologists, because we know that we are deficient in the number of rheumatologists in most countries on the continent, and forming innovative strategies to be able to attend to these patients while all these processes are given. So our fundamental strategy is focused on the patient with a motor that is research, innovation, and education to be able to achieve the best for the patient.
EF: What excites you most about being president of PANLAR?
AC: For me, as I said, it is a challenge. It is something from the region where I come from, the Central American region. I am Panamanian and I am the second PANLAR president in the 80 years of this region, I think that is also an achievement for the region, it has few rheumatologists. Many countries, but countries with few rheumatologists. In Panama, we are currently only 18, but that also makes me proud. To say well, we have achieved, despite being a region perhaps a little less strong in PANLAR, to achieve a president, but that does not take away from the work that must be done and that the support group we currently have is much more robust. PANLAR currently has a Global Rheumatology that it did not have a few years ago, that through this platform we can communicate, we can publish, and we can become more global. That is something that is of great advantage for a president at this time, which presidents did not have 10 years ago. Likewise, we have a research unit that did not exist before, and this has been achieved in recent years through previous presidencies and allows us to have a better structure, not so virtual, but already a solid structure with respect to PANLAR having an international projection.
EF: What does PANLAR mean to Dr. Antonio Cachafeiro?
AC: PANLAR is something that is an idea that arises 80 years ago or a little more than 80 years ago in which someone, a rheumatologist, or several rheumatologists, but one mainly moves this spark of saying let's unite, unite for science and puts in the part of united by science and the heart, and that heart part is what moves us to be better, to be more human, to focus on the patient, and I think that has been the north of this institution over the years. In these 80 years perhaps we have evolved, but it has been an institution that always focuses, has been very humanistic, very scientific, but very humanistic, so that is why I feel that I made a match and an empathy from the beginning with PANLAR. I think that is something that for me PANLAR is a structure, a platform, but it is an opportunity for patients to receive better care, to have more trained doctors, to reach more people, and I think that is what drives us.
EF: Anything else you want to tell those who are watching us right now through Global Rheumatology about everything that is coming in your presidency.
AC: I think there are important changes, such as alliances. I think alliances. We are structuring new alliances to become more global, that is important, to be known, to know that we are there. That our rheumatologists also have much more international presence, they already have it, but that more achieve this international presence with publications, with innovation, with participation in events, and that is our goal. Achieve a more global plan, use everything we currently have, all these technological and communication platforms that allow us to reach more people and be world references in Rheumatology.
EF: Finally, doctor, and to close, a message to all members and the entire PANLAR family now that you are leading and at the forefront of all these processes...
AC: First of all, ask for your support from all societies, from the 21 countries that make up PANLAR, so that we can achieve that all members of each society know PANLAR, what PANLAR is, what PANLAR has for me, how PANLAR can help me in the treatment of my patients, in my research, how I can apply for grants, how I can do it. There are many things that we still have to reach more that rheumatologist who is in the province, who does not necessarily have access to all the technological or educational part. So we want to reach more people, we want this to be for everyone, and be able to make PANLAR more inclusive. That I think is the goal.
EF: Doctor, thank you very much, all the best for all the challenges that lie ahead.
AC: Thank you, Estefanía, a pleasure and hugs.
