Brief Report on the Second Asian Vaccine Conference (ASVAC) 2010

         The second Asian Vaccine Conference (ASVAC) 2010 with the theme “ Every Vaccine for Everyone: Ensuring Equity” organized by Asian Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (ASPID), International Society of Tropical Pediatrics – Philippines (ISTP-Ph) and Philippine Foundation for Vaccination (PFV) in partnership with PATH and Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal Disease Prevention (ASAP) was held at Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, Philippines from July 22-24, 2010 with Dr. Enrique Tayag as the over-all chair. Many distinguished international speakers were invited as well as members of the ASAP, the EPI and National immunization program managers of many Asian countries and the leaders of the three organizing societies, ASPID, ISTP-Ph and PFV. There were 400 participants from several countries mainly from Asia.

         The ASVAC 2010 highlights the promise of renewed understanding that everyone should benefit from one of the few miracles in science and health: Vaccines. The theme, “ Every Vaccine for Everyone: Ensuring Equity” underscores the right of everyone to access all vaccines regardless of beliefs, practice or behavior. There are constraints however, ranging from personal biases to inadequate health sector response. There is much lesson to be learned from the recent global H1N1 vaccination that aptly measure our collective efforts to protect the world not only against a severe pandemic but also against fear, uncertainty and doubt.

         The Scientific Program comprised Plenary, and Symposium sessions covered Immunization and global control of infectious diseases, Defeating diarrheal disease: Integrating rotavirus vaccines, Protecting children from bacterial respiratory infections: A priority for Asia, Ensuring vaccine supply, WHO general recommendation for vaccination, Addressing system wide barriers to immunization which included role of government, NGO, doctors and pharmaceutical industry, Global action plan for the prevention and control of pneumonia by ASAP, Planning, implementing and evaluating effective and cost-effective immunization programs: The Canadian experience, intervention and mobilization for action – Country Initiatives, Looking at the broader picture for pneumococcal disease, Disease burden: Assessment and decision-making, Equity and child survival strategies, Immunity and nutrition, Old wine in a new bottle: A low-cost, killed oral cholera vaccine and Vaccination for special group which included Older persons, Maternal and neonatal immunization and Immunocompromised host.

         The CALL FOR ACTION was addressed at the closing ceremony.

         The ASVAC 2010 was successful in sharing the strategies and activities to achieve universal vaccination by various groups and is feasible to be adopted by the community at large.

Professor Usa Thisyakorn, M.D.
Secretary General, Asian Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases
President, the 9th international Congress of Tropical Pediatrics 17-19, October, 2011, Thailand

 Second Annual Meeting of Thailand Chapter of the International Society of Tropical Pediatrics (TCISTP) August 17, 2010

         TCISTP aims to create a network of national and international specialists to further the sharing of knowledge and promote effective collaboration in tropical pediatrics. In this year, dengue infection is the main topic of meeting. The participant will gain update, comprehensive knowledge and experience about dengue infection.

Second Annual Meeting TCISTP on August 17, 2010 is ready for registration, Please click for more details.

 Report on the 6^th World Congress of the World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases

         The 6th World Congress of the World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (WSPID) was held at Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center, Buenos Aires, Argentina from November 18-22, 2009 with 2,700 participants from over 90 countries.

The opening ceremony was held on the evening of 18th November, 2009 with the opening words by Professor Ron Dagan, President of the WSPID; Dr. Angela Gentile, Chairperson of the Local Scientific and Social Event Committees followed by children choir and a small string orchestra.

The scientific program started in the morning of the 18th November, 2009 and went on until the 22nd November, 2009. At the closing, two awards were given to one best free paper and one best poster out of 800 abstracts submitted.

The scientific program included vaccines, nosocomial infections, respiratory infections, immunocompromised patients, emerging infections, the regional societies symposia from Africa, Asia, Australiasia, Europe, North America and Latin America, antimicrobial resistance, infection control, consensus symposium on catheter related infections and quinolone use in children, the world lecture on elimination of rubella and the following 9 meet the professor sessions: update on immunization, pneumonia in developing countries, immunization of HIV-infected child, TB in children, hospital acquired outbreaks, treatment of bacterial respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, bacterial meningitis, children with sore throat.

Eight hundred abstracts were submitted, some were selected for oral presentation and some were selected to be orally presented in the poster walk session. The 6th World Congress of the WSPID was a very successful event in opening dialogue of pediatric infectious diseases worldwide, exchanging ideas, sharing new methods of prevention and treatment and breakthroughs, most of all it creates the worldwide partnerships that can cross borders not only to specialists, practitioners, researchers and scientists, but to the patients as well. The next World Congress of the WSPID will be held in Melbourne, Australia on 16-20 November 2011.

Professor Usa Thisyakorn, M.D.
President, 9^thICTP 2011
Executive committee, International Society of Tropical Pediatrics
President, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society of Thailand
Secretary General, Asian Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Board member, World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases