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Welcoming message from President Adenike Grange:

An important way of keeping an association vibrant is through prompt, effective and sustained communication among its members. We of the International Pediatric Association hope to stimulate a vibrant bilateral exchange of information among our many member societies on a continuing basis. This IPA Newsletter is designed to meet this overall objective. This first edition highlights chronologically our efforts in 2005 to implement the work-plan that your officers and governing committees have developed for this Triennium of the IPA .

I take this opportunity to send a heart-felt goodwill message to all my colleagues and friends for their forbearance and support. Our sincere thanks go to our Mexican colleagues for their generous returns on the Cancun proceeds which have helped greatly in the successful implementation of many of our activities. We look forward to continuing program activities on behalf of the children of the world, and on behalf of you, the pediatricians of the world. Together, we can make a difference for children everywhere.

Message from Executive Director Jane Schaller:

Dear members and friends of the International Pediatric Association,
Your President Adenike Grange and her fellow IPA officers and committee members have been working hard this past year to represent the concerns of the world’s pediatricians in issues affecting children all over the world. Now we are pleased to welcome you to the First Edition of our new IPA Newsletter. This newsletter will appear bi-monthly on February 1, April 1, June 1, August 1, October 1, and December 1, and will highlight IPA activities, as well as news from our seven IPA regions (Africa, Asia, Central Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and North America) and from your National Pediatric Societies and our IPA International Specialty Societies

• Please send any and all news items to the IPA Administrative Office in Geneva (adminoffice@ipa-world.org) with copies to the Executive Director (jschaller@cw.bc.ca) and President (nikegrange@ipa-world.org).

We hope that this newsletter will allow us to share information with you about the many exciting and worthwhile endeavours of our global pediatric community. We welcome your suggestions and questions at any time.

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This first edition of our IPA newsletter will review major IPA events of the year 2005.

January 2005

Two events of December 2004 set the stage for further IPA activities in 2005.

• In early December 2004, India was selected for a country-level launching of the new Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. This Partnership brings together three previously-existing partnerships: Safe Motherhood & Newborn Health, Healthy Newborn, and Child Survival, and will be housed at WHO Geneva. The Partnership [PMNCH] includes representatives of WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank, Governments, Donors, professional organizations (IPA, FIGO, The International College of Midwives), and NGOs. IPA has a seat on the Steering Committee of this new Partnership, held by Zulfiqar Bhutta of Pakistan, with Jane Schaller as alternate. This Partnership is focused on gaining global attention and country level support for maternal health and survival, newborn health and survival, and child health and survival. Each year between 10 and 11 million children under the age of five continue to die from largely preventable causes: 40% of these deaths are in newborns. This tragedy was highlighted by two series of papers published in the Lancet in 2003-04; these papers resulted in the impetus for increased attention to maternal and child survival and child health. During the December India country visit of the new Partnership, our colleagues from the Indian Academy of Pediatrics played a major role in presenting data and participating in deliberations. This was a good demonstration of the vital importance of pediatricians and their societies to child health in their own countries. Similar participation of an IPA Member Society in the new Partnership occurred in Ethiopia, where our colleagues from the Ethiopian Pediatric Society were instrumental in drafting a national plan of action addressing needs for child health and child survival in their country.
  
  
• On December 26, 2004, an earthquake and tsunami devastated South Asia. This tragic event brought a number of pediatric societies in the region to action, including the Thai Pediatric Society, the Sri Lankan Pediatric Society, and the Indian Academy of Pediatrics. This event also highlighted the need for global preparedness for disasters, and has spurred the International Pediatric Association to join with Professor Karen Olness and her colleagues from CASE University in the United States to plan for a program of prospective country level training courses for pediatricians in basic aspects of child health in humanitarian emergency, thus furthering global preparedness for child health before disaster strikes. We would be glad to hear from any of your National Societies who would be interested in collaborating with IPA in presenting one of these 5 day emergency preparedness courses in your country.
  
  
• Also in January, the IPA participated in the Executive Board meeting of the World Health Organization. This meeting, held every January, sets the agenda for the World Health Assembly in May. Global health policy is discussed by representatives of the 192 member states of WHO at the World Health Assembly; World Health Assembly resolutions become guidelines for country level health policy throughout the world. A good example of such a WHA resolution and resulting WHO policy is the International Code on the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. Detailed information about World Health Assembly proceedings is posted on the WHO website

February 2005

• The IPA Standing and Executive Committees met for four days in Geneva. These IPA governing committees, which include representatives from all of your regions, meet twice yearly to discuss IPA policy and business. The current committee membership is attached, and we encourage you to contact any of our committee members with your concerns and ideas IPA EC/SC MEMBER LISTS. This particular meeting resulted in the initial drafting of an IPA Strategy, as well as a visit to the World Health Organization where we met with leaders of program areas of concern the global pediatric community.
  
  
• IPA attended an organizing meeting of the Global Alliance for the Prevention of Obesity and Chronic Disease, a new alliance based in London. . It is becoming increasingly apparent that childhood obesity and poor physical fitness have vast implications for health, not only in childhood but also in later life. IPA, a founding member and the major Alliance voice for child health , has an important role in this endeavour.

March 2005

• IPA participated in a high-level meeting to discuss World Health Day 2005. The 2005 topic for World Health Day was maternal and child health, with a logo “Make every mother and child count”. The IPA drafted a statement to be released on World Health Day affirming the vital importance of maternal and child health, and the willingness and the ability of the global pediatric community to contribute to this cause; this statement was posted on the WHO website IPA STATEMENT FOR WORLD HEALTH DAY.
  
  
• IPA participated in the final drafting of the Global Immunization and Vaccine Strategy (GIVS); this strategy has now been adopted as policy by UNICEF, WHO, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunization (GAVI), and is available on the WHO website.

April 2005

• IPA participated in a board meeting of the International Children’s Center in Ankara, Turkey. This organization, under the capable direction of Munevver Bertan and Ihsan Dogramaci, is of particular interest in view of its broad inclusion of multiple stakeholders in child health and its regional outreach programs to neighboring countries in Central Asia.
  
  
• IPA participated in the official launching of World Health Day in Delhi, India, ably represented by our President Elect, Chok Wan Chan of Hong Kong, and by representatives of two IPA Member Societies, the Indian Academy of Pediatrics and the Indian Neonatal Forum.
  
  
• President Adenike Grange participated in the Board meeting of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI). IPA has been elected to the seat representing all nongovernmental organizations (NGO’S) on the Board of the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization for the term 2005-2007, and we are proud to have President Grange representing us in this important forum.
  
  
• IPA received welcome news of success in receiving a highly competitive grant from the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States. This grant will fund three workshops in children’s environmental health to be held in different IPA regions, and will begin a process of training and certification of pediatricians in children’s environmental health. This effort is led by Ruth Etzel of the United States and Georgio Tamburlini of Italy, backed by an active IPA environment committee, and in close collaboration with the World Health Organization.

May 2005

• IPA participated in a World Health Organization working conference on the tsunami held in Phuket Thailand. The IPA made three presentations concerning child health in crisis: by Manouri Senanayaki, President of the Sri Lankan Pediatric Society, Srievieng Pairjokul of Thailand, co-chair of the IPA Committee on Child Health in Humanitarian Emergency, and Jane Schaller, Executive Director of IPA .
  
  
• In April and May, IPA presented several training courses for Thai pediatricians and child health workers on child health in crisis and the psychosocial aspects of disasters, led by Srivieng Pairjokul and Karen Olness.
  
  
• IPA held an organizing meeting of pediatric experts in newborn survival from around the world and began a program which will include forming an IPA interest group in newborn survival and health and launching a Global Movement of Pediatricians for Newborn Health and Survival. Vinod Paul and his colleagues from the Indian Neonatal Forum have spearheaded this movement, joined by Joy Lawn, Zulfiqar Bhutta, and colleagues from the Saving Newborn Lives initiative. The IPA interest group will be open to all national Pediatric Societies who wish to join.
  
  
• Five IPA representatives attended the World Health Assembly in Geneva, and prepared several statements referable to program areas of interest to the IPA: immunization, child health is crisis, and the Millenium Development Goals WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY REPORT.

June 2005

• Andreas Constantopoulos convened the first meeting of the scientific committee of the 25th International Congress of Pediatrics (ICP) which will be held in Athens from August 25 – 30th, 2007. The committee, including eminent pediatricians from all parts of the world, is planning an exciting scientific program. The venue will be in central Athens, close to antiquities and the historic Athenian urban center full of interesting shops, beautiful surroundings, and a wide assortment of comfortable hotels. We hope that representatives from all of our member countries will join in and play an active role in the Congress. Requests for abstracts will be sent out soon; IPA welcomes participation from pediatricians and member societies all over the world.

July 2005

• IPA was invited to meet with the new Executive Director of UNICEF, Ms Ann Veneman, at New York UNICEF headquarters. Ms. Veneman, accompanied by senior members of her staff, expressed interest in IPA programs and in the concept of a global network of pediatricians. IPA and UNICEF are exploring ways of developing mutual programs and strengthening the working relationships between our organizations both globally and at country level.
  
  
• The GAVI board met again in Paris. During this GAVI Board meeting IPA began to formulate plans to explore inclusion of civil society organizations (such as the IPA) in the workings of GAVI. Major global entities such as UNICEF, WHO, and GAVI have not traditionally included strong voices from non-governmental organizations or civil society organizations, nor has the designation of professional organizations been recognized as such. IPA is working to address these issues in GAVI, in the new Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health, and in the Stop-TB Partnership (where the voices of the pediatric community are now being better heard).

August 2005

• President Adenike Grange travelled to Istanbul to participate in an international conference concerning societal issues affecting children. This gathering joined representatives of the child health world with representatives from other important constituencies including social service and education. Fostering working relationships with other stakeholders in children’s issues is of great interest to the IPA.

September 2005

• The IPA Standing and Executive Committees met in Istanbul prior to the meeting of the Union of Mediterranean Pediatric Societies and Associations. A report of these committee meetings is attached for any who are interested in seeing what goes on at our IPA governing committee meetings. These meetings are intensive and meant to result in more and better coordinated activities within the IPA REPORT OF IPA EC/SC ISTANBUL.
  
  
• The Union of Mediterranean Pediatric Societies [UMEMPS], one of the 11 IPA Regional Pediatric Society members, comprises the National Pediatric Societies of North Africa, the Middle East, and the Eastern and Southern Mediterranean regions. Its Triennial meeting was held in Istanbul under the capable direction of Enver Hasanoglu and his Turkish pediatric colleagues. This 2005 meeting was well attended by representatives of all member countries, and included a fine scientific program and a most interesting social program (complete with whirling dervishes!).

October 2005

• President Adenike Grange presented the keynote address at the American Academy of Pediatrics meeting. Her presentation highlighted the health issues of children in the developing world, and was warmly received.
  
  
• IPA, in collaboration with the Union of African Pediatric Societies and Associations [UNAPSA], WHO, the United Nations Environmental Program [UNEP], and the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] of the United States, presented the first of three workshops on children’s environmental health for an enthusiastic audience of African pediatricians and nurses and other stakeholders — NAIROBI ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE . This Nairobi conference was an important beginning to the process of educating our pediatric community world wide about key issues of children’s environmental health and what pediatricians should know and can do to address these issues. Subsequent workshops are planned for India and for Haiti. Hats off to our Children’s Environmental Health Committee, ably led by Ruth Etzel and Georgio Tamburlini. This committee has produced within the last year a series of leaflets for pediatricians on key children’s environmental health issues. Also notable in this workshop was the close collaboration with other major international organizations (WHO, UNEP, EPA). Such collaborative efforts are of great importance to IPA, and we pursue them whenever possible.

November 2005

• IPA participated in the annual meeting of the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts, Department of Vaccines and Biologics at WHO Geneva. During this meeting, and also during the GAVI Board meetings, matters of great importance to child health are discussed, including the availability of new vaccines for children of the developing world, immunization as an entrée of children to the health system, broadening the scope of services provided in immunization context to include other basic needs such as Vitamin A, insecticide treated bed nets in malarial areas, growth monitoring, and attention to nutrition. IPA is fortunate to have seats now at the table in two of the major organizations that determine global immunization policy, GAVI and SAGE.
  
  
• IPA convened a planning meeting to develop an agenda for breakout sessions concerning the role of civil society organizations in GAVI in preparation for the GAVI Partners meeting December.
  
  
• President Grange represented the IPA at a commemorative meeting in Florence of the 15th Anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration on the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding. IPA fully endorses the infant and child feeding principles of UNICEF and WHO which mandate exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of life, with strict adherence to the Code on Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. An Innocenti Declaration was issued INNOCENTI DECLARATION.
  
  
• The International Society of Tropical Pediatrics, an international specialty society member of IPA, met in Egypt, with participation of President Grange and the able leadership of past and present IPA Executive Committee members Hussein K Bahhaa El- Din and Ahmed Younes and their colleagues from the Egyptian Pediatric Society.
  

December 2005

• The Union of African Pediatric Societies and Associations [UNAPSA] met in Cotonou, Benin. This meeting was attended by our pediatric colleagues from Sub-Saharan Africa and was preceded by three workshops supported by the IPA. The first of these addressed advocacy for child health at country level, presented in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics. The second workshop addressed issues of childhood immunization and the establishment of WHO pediatric surveillance units devoted to epidemiology of bacterial meningitis and other conditions; this workshop was presented in collaboration with WHO and included country reports by pediatric leaders from the pediatric surveillance units of five sub-Saharan African countries. The third workshop addressed issues of newborn survival and health in sub-Saharan Africa and was presented with the special input of Dr. Joy Lawn, a pediatrician who has been instrumental in the Lancet series, the Bellagio writing group, and the planning and formation of an IPA interest group in newborn survival and health. Our African colleagues drafted declarations on immunization and on newborn survival and health. UNAPSA DECLARATIONS. The UNAPSA countries also became charter members of the IPA Global Movement of Pediatricians for Newborn Survival and Health. During 2006, a similar launching event for newborn survival and health will be held for our Asian colleagues with leadership by the Indian Neonatal Forum.
  
  
• The GAVI Partners meeting in Delhi India included leadership of IPA in two breakout sessions concerning the role of civil society organizations within the GAVI structure, and a plenary lecture presented by President Adenike Grange. The breakout sessions on civil society organizations resulted in a formal request to GAVI for a task team on civil society to be institutionalized within GAVI structure, and for forward movement with country level action in gaining membership on country coordinating committees for immunization.
  
  
• IPA Participated in two important events in London. The first of these was the Countdown to 2015 Conference, organized by the Bellagio writing group and the Lancet to summarize current epidemiology of child survival, and to begin a bi-annual charting of progress (or lack thereof) in improving child survival and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. IPA is issuing a Millennium Call to Action which outlines steps which pediatricians worldwide can take to promote achievement of the Millennium Development Goals IPA MILLENIUM DECLARATION]. This is an important issue for all of us to address within our own countries in the years up to 2015 when the Goals are supposed to be fully achieved.
  
  
• The interim Steering Committee of the Partnership on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health held its first formal meeting. IPA has a seat on this steering committee, held by Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta of Pakistan, a member of the IPA Standing Committee, with Executive Director Jane Schaller as IPA alternate. Two other pediatricians are also at the table of this committee: Vinod Paul holds the seat for Academic Newborn Health and Joy Lawn an alternate seat for Saving Newborn Lives. We pediatricians hope that the Partnership will prove to be an effective mechanism for enhancing child health at country level, increasing global awareness, and increasing collaborations between stakeholders in maternal and child health. We intend to assure that National Pediatric Societies have an important role in the country level action so crucial to the success of this Partnership endeavor.

That’s all for 2005! We welcome your comments and look forward to greeting you with our next newsletter on April 1, 2006. We are seeking regional and national news as part of that newsletter, so please send your suggestions for contributions. IPA is also redesigning and re-launching our IPA website, and watch for a launch of the new IPA website in the spring of 2006.

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Upcoming Regional Pediatric Meetings in 2006

The Asia Pacific Pediatric Association
Colombo Sri Lanka, September 4-9, 2006

Union of European Pediatric Associations and Societies (Europediatrics)
Barcelona Spain, October 18-22, 2006

Asociacion Latino Americana de Pediatria
Punta Cana Dominican Republic, November 5-10, 2006

North America
Pediatric Academic Societies, San Francisco, April 29-May 3. 2006
Canadian Pediatric Society, St Johns Newfoundland, June 13-17 2006
American Academy of Pediatrics, Atlanta, October 7-10, 2006

25th International Congress of Pediatrics
Athens, August 25-30, 2007