The 6th Meeting of the International Society for
Neonatal Screening (ISNS2006)
Awaji, Hygoyo & Tokushima, Japan
September 16th-19th, 2006

According to the Japanese Mythology, the gods Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto stood on the “floating bridge of heaven and stirred the blue expanse of the sea with a spear. When they drew the spear, up the brine dripping from the end of the spear hardened into an island. The island was called “Onokoro Island.” The two gods descended to the island, exchanged wedding vows and created the first island, Awaji Island. After which the other islands came into being one by one. Japan was thus born.

Perhaps it was of no surprise that Awaji Island was poetically chosen as the venue for the 6th Meeting of the International Society for Neonatal Screening.

Boasting an international panel of speakers with big names in the field of neonatology, genetics and paediatric medicine, the four-day event was well attended by delegates from all corners of the world.

The conference was packed with plenary lectures, courses, symposiums and discussions on all aspects of neonatal screening; from cutting edge technological advances, new developments and insights to ethics of neonatal screening and its social implications.

What struck me most were the discussions on the first and third world divide on neonatal screening. Despite different perspectives and screening programmes, everyone reiterated the need for urgent support for newborn screening. Life testimonies from patients with metabolic diseases like Phenylketonuria who benefited from neonatal screening and early intervention spoke volumes of its importance. It was emphasised that developing countries should be better and more effective with their neonatal screening programmes as they can take heed from prior experience of other nations; both successful or otherwise. These screening programmes should then be tailored to the local population and epidemiology.  

All was not about work as we were treated to 2 evening tours.

The first being the ‘The Plants Museum of Miracle Planet’ – a well-manicured botanical garden in a modern greenhouse which seemed to have been conceived right out of the pages of children’s fairy tales.

We went on a tour to ‘The Otsuka Museum of Art’ which housed ceramic replicas of the world’s most famous art pieces. We were treated to replicas of the Sistine Hall, Cappella degil Scrovegni and Saint Martin in their full splendour and thematic galleries by the renaissance, impressionist and modernist Art masters.

Yes, we did get to scrutinise and touch the ‘Last Supper’ by Leonardo Da Vinci which would have otherwise been appreciable only at a distance; paying attention to details of the not-so-recent infamous literary allegations.



Between lectures on the third day of conference, on the tranquil rooftop of the Awaji Yumebutai International Conference Center, we were invited to a traditional Japanese tea-ceremony. In a hybrid tea-hut of bamboo and frosted glass, nested in middle of a rock garden, with the silence broken by only by island summer winds and the occasional calls of sea-eagles, participants were educated on the intricacies and discipline of traditional Japanese tea drinking. Personally, I would have loved to linger in this state of timelessness and quiet reflection if not for the growing queue and progressive lower limb parathesiae.  

The meeting soon drew to a close. As I took down my poster and prematurely reminisced about nihonshu and happoshu (connoisseurs out there would know what I mean), I took heart that I have gained valuable new insights, experience and knowledge; not necessarily in the medical sciences only.

I would like to thank SingHealth in appreciation for their generous sponsorship for my participation in this meeting.

- By Dr Ong Yong-Kwang Gene