Strength in Diversity: ECLS Practice Across the South-West Asia and Africa Region: Insights, Innovation, and Experience

It is with great pleasure that we present this supplement for the 12th South-West Asia and Africa Chapter of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (SWAAC-ELSO) Conference, held in Chennai, India, 5th to 8th of February 2026. This collection of abstracts reflects the growing depth, diversity, and maturity of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) practice across the South-West Asia and Africa region, which is the ELSO Chapter with the largest population reach.1 A total of 68 abstracts were submitted from the SWAAC region and other chapters from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization. The abstracts selected for inclusion in this supplement reflect a broad international collaboration, with contributions from China, Germany, India, Kuwait, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. The abstracts span the full spectrum of ECLS, including extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation, toxicological and cardiogenic shock, complex airway emergencies, anticoagulation strategies, infection, renal complications, limb perfusion, rehabilitation, and long-term physical and psychosocial outcomes. Together, they highlight how ECLS has evolved into a multidisciplinary continuum of care that extends well beyond survival. In line with the abstract submissions received for the 11th SWAAC ELSO conference,2 a notable strength of this year’s submissions is the emphasis on innovation and adaptability within varied healthcare settings. Several abstracts describe pragmatic solutions to clinical and resource challenges, demonstrating how thoughtful application of ECLS can be tailored to local contexts while maintaining patient safety and scientific rigor. These contributions exemplify the ingenuity and resilience of teams across the region. Equally important, many authors move beyond short-term outcomes to address recovery, quality of life, and the human experience of critical illness. Such perspectives reinforce that the true success of extracorporeal support lies not only in decannulation, but in meaningful survival and long-term well-being. As members of the Scientific and Abstract Committee, we are grateful to the authors for their scholarly contributions and to the reviewers for their careful and constructive assessments. We are privileged to present this body of work, which we hope will stimulate dialogue, foster collaboration, and advance ECLS practice within the SWAAC region and globally.