During the Congress, more than 2,500 pediatricians from 118 countries from around the world gathered for the IPA 2016 to hear from the leading experts and partners to promote better physical, mental, and social health for all children, adolescents in all countries. This year’s conference theme, “Community, Diversity, Vitality” reflected both the host city and the scope of the scientific program.

IPA 2016 featured a 7-days, scientific program including 12 pre-congress workshops, 87 scientific sessions, 250 expert scientists as faculty members, 17 abstract platform presentations (oral & e-posters), covering a range of extensive and hot topics that meet the needs of pediatricians and address the current and emerging issues impacting the health of children and adolescents, aiming to improve their future health, especially the most vulnerable. The IPA congress scientific program provided an opportunity for all pediatricians to share their ideas, experiences, knowledge and best practices for improving global child health.

The MCI/AFEA team worked closely with the International Pediatric Association and the Canadian Paediatric Society as the National Host Society in providing services such as the scientific program and abstract management, online registration and accommodation management, sponsor and exhibit services, as well as logistics and managed to stage a very successful congress which broke the records of attendance of previous events and received very positive feedback from Faculty, participants and special guests.

Some highlights:

Anthony Lake, Director of UNICEF was the Keynote Speaker – The Experience of the Innocents: Shaping Children’s Brains – and their Futures.

Anthony Costello, Director at the World Health Organization conducted a workshop on Global Child Health and spoke at several sessions on improving paediatric quality of care in low resource settings and enhancing child health care in a world of changing environmental factors. 

Christopher Fabian (UNICEF), Susannah Stern (University of San Diego), Aidan Scott (Speakbox) discussed the new changes and frontiers in media and how pediatricians can use communication technologies to solve some of the greatest problems facing children of all ages in some of the most vulnerable areas.

Richard Horton, Editor in Chief at the Lancet spoke about the future of child and adolescent health and the importance of thinking globally – “Child Health is planetary health” – Richard Horton

Immediate Past President Professor Andreas Konstantopoulos opened the congress and moderated sessions focused on the future of global child health, while IPA President Zulfiqar Bhutta spoke at several workshops and sessions discussing global child health now and in the future.

Dr. Zulfiqar Bhutta, IPA President stated “IPA is keen working together with pediatricians from 118 countries, enabling them to work together to improve the physical, mental and social health of all children, from birth to adolescence. I wish to thank IPA Leadership, CPS and of course the Professional Congress Organizer MCI/AFEA for their great efforts to support IPA in fulfilling their vision”

Professor A. Konstantopoulos, IPA Immediate Past President said: "The International Pediatric Association is very proud of their partnership with MCI/AFEA and extremely happy with the great success of IPA 2016. The combination of scientific excellence with professional organization & dedication led to one of the most successful events in IPA History"

Dr. Doug McMillan, IPA 2016 Congress President stated “Vancouver welcomed the International Pediatric Congress in August 2016, with the aim to facilitate better health for children and youth throughout the world.  CPS, IPA and the PCO worked together to showcase the best Canada had to offer and managed to deliver an outstanding congress. I am extremely happy with the outcome and learnings earned”.

Mrs. Rose Ironside, MCI’s Managing Director for Canada, along with Mr. Andreas Lygnos & Mr. Spyros Nikolakopoulos, Managing Partners of AFEA, commented: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Leadership of IPA for their trust and partnership. We are extremely happy that we had the chance to be involved in the organizational support of the IPA 2016, and be part of a mutually beneficial cooperation, which resulted to an absolute success”

For further information, please contact:

Natasha Hilliard

Director, Association Relations

MCI Vancouver

Phone: 604-661-4959

Sissy Lygnou

Manager, Congresses & Events

AFEA S.A. Travel & Congress Services

Phone:302-103-668-850

Founded in 1910, the International Pediatrics Association (IPA) is the internationally respected global membership organization for pediatric societies.