The II Ibero-American Sterilization Congress was held alongside the II National Congress on Medical Device Reprocessing from 16 to 18 May 2024 at the Las Américas Convention Center in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia. The event brought together sterilization and medical device reprocessing specialists from several countries.
I was invited to participate as an international speaker. The official programme presented me as an international sterilization specialist alongside the other invited speakers.
On Friday, 17 May, I took part in the session Uniting Latitudes, Sterilization without Borders. The session included Livia Senties, Dr Ahmed Baggashi, and Dr Ana Laura Villalón and focused on sharing experiences among specialists from different countries.
My contribution examined the realities and challenges of sterile processing departments in developing countries. It was a concise adaptation of my research, Sterilization Risk Management in Developing Countries, previously presented at the World Sterilization Congress in Brussels.
The presentation highlighted infrastructure limitations, restricted access to compliant equipment and consumables, the need for continuing staff education, the importance of process monitoring and documentation, and the value of international cooperation in improving patient safety.
This invitation provided a valuable opportunity to share experience from Iran, engage with Latin American professionals, and expand scientific collaboration in sterilization. It also introduced the work of JAM Sterilization Research Institute to a wider international audience.