Implementation of a Reference Center for Inborn Errors of Immunity in Latin America

Authors:

Abstract
We would like to report our experience in the deployment of an Immunology outpatient clinic that over 14 years became a Reference Center for Inborn Errors of Immunity (IEI) in Brazil, which is located in the city of Taubaté, in the region of Vale do Paraíba, state of São Paulo, responsible for serving a region of approximately 2.5 million inhabitants. During this period, we participated in the pilot project to implement neonatal screening for severe combined immunodeficiency and initiated courses for physicians from basic health units, implementation of classes on clinical immunology in the undergraduate program of medicine, implementation of an outpatient clinic at the city's Faculty of Medicine, in addition to the assessment of patients hospitalized in emergency and intensive care units. Thus, the implementation of a Reference Center for IEI in Latin America proved to be viable and can serve as a model for other services to be initiated. Based on our experience, we suggest some itens for additional IEI centers to emerge.