LYMPHO NEWS

Dear friends,

The trouble with having a long break from work during the Christmas/New Year season is that it becomes difficult to remember the actual date today. So, I’m late writing this and wishing you a Happy New Year. May 2023 bring with it better access to care, more information and education for patients, their families, and professionals, and an eagerness to discover more about treatments. Primary lymphoedema is still considered a rare disease, especially in children, but there is nothing rare about secondary lymphoedema, and, whatever the diagnosis, it should have a place within the health system of every country. Working together is powerful and we can see that in news from the USA which should both encourage and inspire us that what seems impossible is possible.

Please keep us updated with your news — it is important.

With best wishes from
Christine Moffatt and the ILF Board of Directors

ILF 2023 Conference in Nottingham, UK

The 11th ILF conference is to be held in East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, UK from 13–15 June 2023. Topics that will be covered include cellulitis, psychological impact of living with lymphoedema, children and young people, lipoedema, surgery, resource-limited initiatives, data and pathways of care, compression, obesity, wounds, reducing the risk of lymphoedema, and much more.

We would value your thoughts on whether to hold a gala dinner at this year's conference. With the cost-of-living crisis and being a charity, we are questioning if we should be spending money in this way. To help guide our decision, please email info@lympho.org with your opinion. Thank you.


ILF 2023 is organised in collaboration with the International Lipoedema Association.

Registrations open shortly, so keep an eye on the ILF website to book your place.

US Congress passes Lymphedema Treatment Act

Here at the ILF we are delighted that Congress has passed the Lymphedema Treatment Act (LTA). The amazing efforts to get this through have now paid off as patients will be able to get the monetary help they need from 1 January 2024. As Heather Ferguson, founder and executive director of the Lymphedema Advocacy Group, said, this ‘marks a monumental milestone in ensuring that patients will have better access to care…’.  

Greetings and Happy New Year from the Canadian Lymphedema Framework! The CLF carries out its mission and vision through three pillars of focus: Education, Research, and Partnerships.

Our quarterly print + digital publication, Pathways magazine, is an important communication tool to support our work. (Learn more about Pathways here: https://www.canadalymph.ca/pathways/)

As part of the CLF's annual awareness and advocacy activities to coincide with World Lymphedema Day on 6 March, we are pleased to offer complimentary digital access to the Spring issue of Pathways to anyone who wishes to read it. We encourage you to sign up, and to invite your professional colleagues, health care team, family, advocates, and others to also sign up.

The digital edition is scheduled for release on 28 February, 2023. You will receive an email with a direct link to read the issue online when it is released. Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/CLF-WLD-Gift

In the meantime, did you know that issues in our archives (all issues more than two years old) can be accessed online right now? Find back issues online here: https://www.canadalymph.ca/archives/

Thank you for your interest — we are very happy to have you as a Pathways reader!

Immune pathology and orphan diseases

The 26th Congress on Immune Pathology and Orphan Diseases 2023 is to be held in Turin, Italy on 28–29 January. Both Isabelle Quéré from France and Christine Moffatt from the UK will be attending and there will also be a patient day on 28th January where Elodie Stasi, the organiser, will run a workshop for patients on the management of genital lymphoedema in paediatric and young people with primary lymphoedema.

Swiss Lymphoedema Framework and LymphoSuisse patient meeting

To celebrate World Lymphoedema and Lipoedema Day on 6 March 2023, the Swiss Lymphoedema Framework and LymphoSuisse are organising a meeting for patients on Saturday, 4 March 2023 at the L'hôpital de Beaumont, Lausanne, Switzerland. As well as educational presentations around these conditions, patients and caregivers will have the opportunity to share their stories.

Industry support

The work of the ILF would not be possible without industry support. We thank the ILF Industry Partners for their continued engagement and support.

Learn more

Sign up to become an ILF Affiliate — it’s completely free and will ensure you stay informed about the goals and activities of the ILF and the work of our national frameworks around the world. ILF Affiliates benefit from:

· Reduced fees at future conferences
· Regular updates on activities and resources
· Opportunities to network with national lymphoedema frameworks
· Opportunities to influence future activities and direction.

Sign up now