Elham Hossny, MD, PhD
Board Member, World Allergy Organization
Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Unit, Department of Pediatrics
Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
Member Society: Egyptian Society of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
What inspired you to become more involved in WAO?
I believe in the WAO mission and admire its dedication to allergy/immunology education and training. Being a board member of a WAO member society, I had the opportunity to participate in the WAO House of Delegates and scientific meetings and get involved in the WAO committees. I was fascinated by the devotion of the WAO board members and staff in serving international delegates and helping them to acquire knowledge and skills. Through my work with the WAO Board of Directors, I am eager to promote the specialty of allergy/immunology all over the world with the ultimate objective of delivering better service to patients in areas devoid of optimal medical service.
What would you like to share about the work of your national member society?
The Egyptian Society of Pediatric Allergy & Immunology (ESPAI) was founded in 2002 to serve allergists/immunologists from Egypt and the surrounding areas. The society holds an Annual International Congress that is CME accredited and three annual workshops and celebrates the WAO World Allergy Week every year by holding a symposium and workshop. It issues a biannual peer-reviewed open access journal (www.jespai.org/) and its website (www.espai-eg.org/) is widely visited by physicians and patients (Visit the Patient Education Corner).
What is one of your current special interests in the field of allergy/immunology?
My main areas of interest are: food allergy, anaphylaxis, pediatric asthma, primary immunodeficiency disorders, and vaccination.
Do you have any recent publications to share?
The use of inhaled corticosteroids in pediatric asthma: update.
Particularities of allergy in the Tropics.
Poliovirus excretion among persons with primary immune deficiency disorders: summary of data from enhanced poliovirus surveillance in Egypt, 2011-2014
International consensus on (ICON) pediatric asthma.
Asthma education material for children and their families; a global survey of current resources.
Sensitivity to five types of house dust mite in a group of allergic Egyptian children.
Peanut sensitization in a group of allergic Egyptian children.
