India, with one crore heart patients will account for 60 per cent of the cardiac disease burden world over in next 16 years, warns Prof NS Dhalla, director, University of Manitoba, Canada. He wanted the country to train talented upcoming cardiologists with the latest treatment modalities to treat health diseases.

Inaugurating the International Symposium on Recent Advances in Pharmacology here on January 7th Prof Dhalla felt that the best way to train the young doctors was to facilitate networking opportunities with international experts and the young practitioners of the country. The International Academy of Cardiovascular Sciences (IACS), the agency currently headed by Prof Dhalla, has been keen on helping Indian organizations to hold scientific programmes for young scientists, he said.

“IACS tries to recognize discoveries in heart research from all parts of the world. It promotes cardiovascular education and educationalists, health providers and takers, and all other stake holders,” he said.

The state branch of Indian Pharmacological Society, IACS and International Society for Heart Research (Indian Section) is jointly organizing the two-day conference. The theme of the conference is ‘Pharmacotherapy of Heart Failure’.

“There are more than 250 delegates attending the programme from within the country and abroad. Scientific sessions cover the recent advances in cardiovascular pharmacology, neuropharmacology, toxicology, molecular pharmacology, pharmacotherapy of heart failure, ocular pharmacology, herbal drug and immunopharmacology,” Dr SS Agarwal, joint secretary of the organizing committee, informed.

The international co-coordinators of the programme Dr NS Dhalla and Dr PK Singhal from Canada brought in expert speakers from USA, Switzerland, Brazil, Netherlands and Australia. Dr Ramundo, president-elect, Cardiovascular Society of Brazil, leads the Brazilian speakers.