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Report on the 25th International
Congress of Paediatrics
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Date
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August 25 – August 30, 2007
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Venue
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Athens, Greece
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The
25th ICP was officially opened on the evening of the 25th August in the
presence of the office bearers of
the International Paediatric
Association (IPA), participants and other dignitaries. The scientific programme started in the
morning of the 25th of August and went on until the evening of the 30th of
August and the closing ceremony was held the same evening with a speech by
the President-elect of IPA.
There
were numerous plenary lectures and state of the art symposia where
well-known paediatricians from different countries participated. The topics
covered included infectious diseases, neonatology, early childhood
development, adolescence, nutrition, tropical diseases, vaccines, learning
and behavioural problems, ethics, breast feeding, bronchial asthma,
nephrotic syndrome, thalassaemia, medical education, allergic disorders etc.
There
were two interesting debates on management of wheezing and end of life
decision making in paediatric critical care. New guidelines for Kawasaki
disease and treatment of childhood tuberculosis were also covered. There
were numerous oral and poster presentations as well.
There
were also meetings of the executive committee, standing committee and the
council of delegates of the IPA. At the 2nd council of delegates voting
meeting the venue for the ICP meeting in the year 2013 was elected as
Melbourne, Australia by a majority vote. The other contestants were Chile,
Japan and Thailand.
Professor
Sergio Cabral from Brazil was elected as President-elect of the IPA.
Professor Naveen Thacker was elected to the standing committee of the IPA
from Asia Pacific Paediatric Associations (APPA).
A
resolution was proposed by Professor Sanath P. Lamabadusuriya, President of
APPA to have 4 members from APPA in the standing committee of IPA
(currently there are two) which was accepted unanimously. The resolution
was based on the demography, the childhood population and the disease
burden in the APPA region.
On
the 26th of August, a business meeting of APPA was held, chaired by the
President, Professor Sanath P. Lamabadusuriya. In the absence of Professor
Sham Kasim, the Secretary General,
Professor Zulkifli Ismail, functioned as the acting Secretary
General. The meeting was well attended. A presentation was made regarding
the 13th Asia Pacific Paediatric
Congress in Shanghai, China by Pofessor Xiaohu He. Preparations for
the congress are progressing smoothly.
All
participants at the congress were very sad about the forest fires burning
in certain parts of Greece which led
to loss of many lives, property and enormous economic damage.
Prof.
Sanath P. Lamabadusuriya
President,
Asian Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA)
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