With warm holiday wishes and every success for 2026

Dear IFA family,

As we approach the close of another remarkable year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you—our members, faculty, partners, and collaborators—for your commitment, energy, and trust in the International Fluid Academy.

2025 has truly been an exceptional year for IFA. Together, we reached an important milestone by growing our global community to more than 10,000 members, reflecting the continued relevance of evidence-based fluid management and stewardship worldwide.

Throughout the year, IFA maintained a strong international presence through an unprecedented number of educational activities. We successfully hosted IFADmini full-day meetings across multiple continents, including:

Istanbul, Türkiye (during the 25th TYBD Turkish Society of Intensive Care meeting),
Antalya, Türkiye (WSES),
Kuwait city, Kuwait(IPACCMS),
United Arab Emirates (Al AIn),
Warsaw, Poland (iSpring),
Durban, South Africa (CCSSA),
Vancouver, Canada (WCICC),
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (ASMIC)
Mexico City, Mexico (RECAT),
Curitiba, Brazil (CBMI).

In addition, we organised IFADmicro in Dubai, UAE (ECCC) and IFADnano meetings in Vienna, Austria (EUSEM) and Budapest, Hungary (SepsEast), further expanding our educational footprint.

Our CACU courses in Warsaw (Poland) and Watford (United Kingdom) were highly successful, reinforcing the importance of ultrasound as a cornerstone of modern critical and acute care.

Education remained at the heart of our mission. In 2025, we launched the Basic Fluid Champion Course, enrolling over 3,000 learners and already certifying more than 300 Fluid Champions worldwide. We also proudly established our first Silver Label Centres of Excellence at Al Amiri Hospital (Kuwait) and King’s College Hospital (Jeddah, KSA).

This progress would not be possible without strong partnerships. In 2025, we were delighted to welcome Baxter (Diamond Partner), Mindray (Gold), Mespere (Gold), and InBody (Gold). We also strengthened international collaboration through memoranda of understanding with numerous societies and networks, including IPACCMS, ECCC, iSpring, GSA, WSACS, WICCEM, TYBD, ESAAC, ESAIC, nephro-CCS, SepsEast, and Sepsishelden. Several new country chapters were launched, further reinforcing our global reach.

On the scientific front, the CRUSADERS trial was successfully initiated, with the first patients already enrolled—an important step toward generating high-quality evidence to advance fluid stewardship in critically ill patients.

Looking ahead, 2026 promises even more momentum. We are preparing a new CACU textbook, which will be published as open access, in line with our commitment to Free Open Access Medical Education. Additional Centres of Excellence are expected to join in Saudi Arabia, Poland, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. The Fluid Steward Course will be launched to support Centres of Excellence aiming to progress toward the Gold Label. We will expand our portfolio with additional CACU and HEMOSIM courses, introduce a more interactive newsfeed with polls, and start regular vodcasts and podcasts.

We are also pleased to announce that CSL Behring (Gold Partner) and Getinge (Bronze Partner) will be joining the IFA family in 2026.

Finally, please already save the date:
📍 International Fluid Academy Days (IFAD)
🗓 3–5 December 2026
📌 Antwerp, Belgium

Our success is measured not by numbers alone, but by the impact we have on education, collaboration, and patient care worldwide. That impact is only possible thanks to your dedication and shared belief in rational, evidence-based fluid therapy.

On behalf of the IFA Executive Board, I wish you and your loved ones a peaceful holiday season and a healthy, inspiring, and collaborative 2026.

With sincere appreciation,

Prof Manu L.N.G. Malbrain President, International Fluid Academy

International Fluid Academy — Our Story

The International Fluid Academy (IFA) was founded with the conviction that high-quality, evidence-based education and collaborative scientific exchange in fluid management and critical care are essential to advancing patient care worldwide.

International Fluid Academy our story reflects a journey of professional engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a sustained commitment to education and research. From its early beginnings to its current global presence, IFA has evolved into an independent academic platform serving clinicians, researchers, and educators across regions and disciplines.

Origins and Early Development

The International Fluid Academy emerged from the collective vision of clinicians and academics who recognised the need for structured, accessible education in fluid management — a foundational component of cardiovascular support, resuscitation, and critical care.

From initial workshops and gatherings, IFA grew steadily into a global community. Its early activities focused on bridging gaps between emerging evidence and clinical practice, fostering dialogue that transcended geographical and disciplinary boundaries.

Growth, Collaboration, and Impact

As the International Fluid Academy matured, its activities expanded in scope and scale. IFA developed educational programmes, collaborative networks, and scientific initiatives that reflected its mission:

Education and training that supports independent learning
Research exchange that informs clinical decision-making
Global engagement through local chapters and partnerships
Recognition of excellence via structured programmes such as Centres of Excellence

This evolution was shaped by multidisciplinary collaboration and a shared pursuit of better care through knowledge.

Vision and Mission

The mission of the International Fluid Academy is to promote rational, evidence-based fluid therapy and stewardship throughout the continuum of care. IFA achieves this by fostering an environment where learning is continuous, practice is evidence-driven, and collaboration is global.

Three core principles have guided the organisation since its inception:

Scientific integrity and independence
Accessibility of high-quality education
Global and interdisciplinary collaboration

These principles remain integral to IFA’s ongoing work in education, research, and professional engagement.

The Academy’s Evolving Framework

The World of IFA — encompassing local chapters, collaborations, partnerships, and Centres of Excellence — represents the structured ecosystem that supports IFA’s global reach and sustained impact.

This framework enables the International Fluid Academy to:

Connect professionals through regional engagement and dialogue
Support collaborative research and multi-institutional initiatives
Provide structured educational opportunities spanning formats and settings
Recognise institutions that model excellence in fluid stewardship

Explore the pillars that define the World of IFA:

→ THE WORLD OF IFA

Although the International Fluid Academy remains a relatively young scientific society, it has achieved significant milestones over the past decade. These include the development of evidence-based consensus definitions and clinical recommendations, the publication of the first textbook on rational fluid management alongside a monograph presenting advanced research findings, and the establishment of a global network of clinicians and research scientists dedicated to improving fluid management and critical care.

With warm holiday wishes and every success for 2026

International Fluid Academy — Our Story

Origins and Early Development

Growth, Collaboration, and Impact

Vision and Mission

The Academy’s Evolving Framework

GENERAL LINKS

The World of IFA

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