The Malaysian Pediatric Association

The Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) was founded in 1979. Today, the association’s membership has increased in strength from a mere handful to more than 500 members.Membership is made up of paediatricians, paediatric nurses and others involved in the care of the child.MPA plays a major role in advocacy on all issues related to paediatrics and child health. This covers not only health, but social issues and current controversies as well, such as child abuse and neglect, inappropriate advertising targeted at children and adolescents, unsuitable TV programmes for viewing, injury prevention, substance abuse and cigarette smoking.MPA is affiliated with the Association of Pediatric Societies of the Southeast Asia Region (APPSEAR), now renamed Asian Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA), and International Paediatric Association (IPA). Locally, MPA is affiliated with the National Council for Child Welfare. The annual scientific congress is the highlight of the activities of MPA. It is an important meeting that attracts paediatricians, paediatric nurses and allied health professionals from all around the country. Some are attended by paediatricians from neighbouring countries.MPA has hosted and organized many regional and international paediatric congresses in Malaysia, such as the 9th World Congress of the International Association for Adolescent Health 27-30 October 2009, 1st ASEAN Congress of Paediatric Surgery in Johore Bahru in 2006, 9th Asia Pan-Pacific Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (APPSPGHN) in Kuala Lumpur in 2005, the 2nd Asian Congress of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (ACPID) at Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in 2004, the 10th ASEAN Pediatric Federation Conference in 2000, 6th Asia-Oceanian Congress of Child Neurology (AOCCNA) in Penang in 1999, 4th International Congress of Tropical Pediatrics (ICTP) in 1996, 5th ASEAN Pediatric Federation Conference (Trauma in Childhood) in 1990, 5th Asian Congress of Pediatrics in 1985, 2nd ASEAN Pediatric Federation Conference (Perinatal Issues in Pediatrics) in 1983. The Berita MPA is the quarterly newsletter of the Malaysian Paediatric Association.It provides information on activities, conferences, social events, movements of paediatricians and latest scientific updates on paediatrics and medicine from the local and international front. MPA has always made an effort to accumulate and disseminate information, which will be of benefit to its members in their professional development.Some of these include publication of MPA’s journal, large-scale studies as well as academic publications:
i. Malaysian Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health
ii. Very Low Birth Weight Study
iii. Masalah Pediatrik Untuk Jururawat – a book for nurses
iv. The Total Child – a publication for the public.