In 1973, Dr. Edmond Choueiry and Dr. Joseph Naffah, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at the American University of Beirut and Saint Joseph University in Beirut, respectively, founded the Lebanese Society of Nephrology and Hypertension. This was at a time Nephrology as a new specialty was fast developing worldwide and in Lebanon.

In 1974, and after having officially registered the Society with the Lebanese Order of Physicians as a scientific society, a first meeting of the few nephrologists already present in Lebanon was held. Professor Naffah was appointed as the first President of our Society. The number of nephrologists registered with the Society began to rise as returnees to Lebanon began establishing practices around the country.

The first dialysis sessions were performed in the very early seventies for a patient coming from Canada. The patient bought the dialysis machine and dialyzers himself, while his niece, a registered nurse in hemodialysis from Montreal, performed the three weekly sessions. This first machine was installed at the Lebanese Hospital-Geitaoui.

Hemodialysis centers began to be established across the capital city: American University of Beirut Medical Center, St Georges Hospital – Achrafieh, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Rizk Hospital, Makassed Hospital, Lebanese Hospital-Geitaoui, Trad Hospital and Barbir Hospital.

The first nephrologists were Drs Edmond Choueiry, Joseph Naffah, Raja Khoury, Adel Berbari, Antoine Stephan, Georges Bridi, Nabil Moukheiber, Issam Chehade, Mike Balabanian, Aida Moussally, Elias Abdelnour, Jacques Karam, Joseph Chahine and Wadih Malha. Pediatric nephrology started with Drs Amine Barakat and Sami Sanjad.

During the years of the Lebanese civil war and till the very early eighties, the societal activities were curtailed as the number of nephrologists dwindled and the logistical difficulties mounted.

In the early eighties, arrival of new nephrologists gave a thrust to the Society. Drs Edgard Nasr, Antoine Farah, Albert Karam, Nabil Bassil, Jose Khabouth, Kassem Hamade, Nadra Wadih and Hafez Allame took charge at hospitals, assumed academic functions and favored the opening of hemodialysis centers outside Beirut, namely in North and South Lebanon, the Bekaa and Mount Lebanon regions.

The first president was appointed President of the National Council for Scientific Research and Dr Adel Berbari followed him as the second President from 1975 till 1993. The list of elected Presidents is as follows:

The Lebanese Society of Nephrology and Hypertension aims to promote:

• The provision of high standard continuous medical education through the organization of meetings, events, debates and an annual National Congress.
• The active participation and endorsement of nephrology courses and events organized by the national faculties of medicine or other societies with shared scientific interests.
• The active participation in official national renal registries and databases.
• The standardization of the practice of nephrology through promotion and adaptation of KDIGO and other international guidelines.
• The participation in research activities in the fields of nephrology, inclusive of hypertension and transplantation.
• The involvement in global initiatives and partnership with various international renal societies.

 Adapted from a first version by Dr Jose Khabouth, President LSNH 2012-2013.