(Bhaskar Chakravorti) There were many firsts to the credit of the conference of Cardiologists which opened at Friendship Hall on the evening of 7th Oct. by the First Vice

President of the Republic of Sudan and National Prime Minister Gen. Bakri Hassan Saleh. It is the first international conference held in Sudan after the lifting of the US sanctions. This is the first African summit of World Heart Foundation. This was the first Joint Congress of Sudan Heart Society, PASCAR and PAFCIC.  PASCAR is the Pan African Society of Cardiology and PAFCIC is the Pan-African Interventional Cardiology Course. This Scientific Convention is a great honour to the Cardiologists of Sudan. The status of cardiac treatment has advanced so much today in Sudan that patients need not travel abroad for treatment said the President of Sudan Heart Society Dr.Kamaleldin Eltayeb Elomda. The four day conference addresses a wide range of topics covering almost all aspects of clinical cardiology and dealing in particular with specific endemic cardiac problems in Africa such as Rheumatic Heart Disease, Hypertension and Heart Failure presented by distinguished international and local speakers. The conference was preceded by educational workshops in cardiac imaging and pediatric cardiology as well as dedicated workshops for nurses and technologists. More than 1000 doctors are attending this conference from all over the world.