DOHA: Sidra Medical and Research Center and the Pan Arab Association of Paediatric Surgeons (PAAPS) have been chosen to co-host the sixth World Congress of the World Federation of Associations of Paediatric Surgeons (WOFAPS) in 2019.
The congress will take place in late 2019 at the National Convention Centre.
This will be the first time in its 40-year history that WOFAPS will be hosted in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. Doha was chosen in the competitive bid over Kuala Lumpur, Istanbul and Sydney.
“The selection of Doha as the host city for WOFAPS 2019 continues the organisation’s focus on improving the surgical care of children in emerging and developing countries.
“The region, and Qatar specifically, have invested heavily in building world-class medical institutions and developing innovative infrastructure, making a visit to Doha an exceptional experience from colleagues from across the world,” said WOFAPS President Dr Richard Azizkhan.
Co-chairs of the regional organizing committee, Sidra’s Clinical Chief of Surgery Dr David Sigalet and Hamad Medical Corporation’s Head of Paediatric Surgery Dr Mansour Ali, were in Berlin at this year’s WOFAPS conference when the win was announced.
Sigalet, who also serves as president elect of WOFAPS and will take over as president in 2017, said, “Over 1,000 paediatric surgeons from all over the world will contribute to learning opportunities for the attendees by taking part in training sessions and panel discussions, expanding the regional knowledge bank through access to international expertise, as well as the latest techniques and technologies.”
The MENA region has a young and expanding population and consequently a growing need for paediatric surgical care and expertise.
Sidra and its partners are committed to support education for these physicians and will sponsor 100 surgeons from low- and middle-income countries to attend WOFAPS 2019, who would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend to take part in the event.
Sidra staff and the medical and research centre will also play a major role in making WOFAPS 2019 a key educational event for the region by holding a number of instructional courses in conjunction with the congress through the use of its simulation centre and access to the latest available surgical technology.
The theme of the 2019 conference will be “Arabian “Pearls of Paediatric Surgery,” and a number of high-profile speakers from North America and Western Europe have already agreed to take part in the event, said a release yesterday.
The Peninsula
