On the occasion of nOn International Neonatal Screening Day 2024, Peter Schielen and Dianne Webster of International Society for Neonatal Screening were invited guest speakers at the 4th Chinese National Congress on genetic screening for Neonatal Diseases in Shanghai-China to present on the progress of newborn screening worldwide and SCID screening in New Zealand, respectively.

On that occasion, on behalf of ISNS, they honored prof. ZhengYan Zhao (an advisory member for China to ISNS council for many years). The ISNS admires the great strides the Chinese newborn screening program has made in the last 25 years under the leadership of Prof. Zhao. This has significantly increased the total number of babies screened in the world. More than 100.000 families have profited from screening for congenital hypothyroidism alone.

During a short ceremony at the opening of the conference a plaque was offered to prof. Zhao. The ISNS is pleased to having been able to connect with our colleagues in China on this 4th INSD, during the two days of the congress and while visiting the screening laboratories in Shanghai and Hangzhou, in the spirit of INSD.