Dear Colleagues and Friends
On behalf of the Wits Paediatric Fund, it is my pleasure to announce the 10th annual UpToSPAED conference in 2023.
UpToSPAED is a regular and important event hosted by the Wits Paediatric Fund and serves as both a fundraising and an educational event. Funds raised are used to assist Paediatric departments in hospitals associated with University of the Witwatersrand namely, the three central Johannesburg hospitals (Rahima Moosa Mother and Child, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic, and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic) as well as the four satellite training circuit hospitals: Sebokeng, Thelle Mogerane, Klerksdorp and Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital.
As an educational event, UpToSPAED strives to present the latest research and updates in Paediatrics. This year’s programme includes sessions on Paediatric Mental Health, Adolescent Medicine, and non-urgent emergencies – topics that are often under-represented in Paediatrics – in addition to the more familiar sessions like Critical Care, Neonatology and Infectious Diseases, amongst others.
The landscape and tools for both education and medicine have changed substantially over the last few years to include significant digital and technological components, so we are introducing a new session to UpToSPAED this year: Technology.
The panel discussions from 2022 were very engaging and received positive feedback, so this year we have 3 more panels for you to engage with, in the Technology session, Private and Public Partnerships session, and a Critical Care panel titled “The Goldilocks Principle and Fluids in Critically Ill children.”
All activities are CPD accredited, including some ethics points. This year’s academic programme is 2.5 days, and there are an additional 2 half-day workshops. The first workshop is on pain and palliation in paediatrics, and the second on resuscitation.
We look forward to personally welcoming you to Up to SPAED 2023.
See you there!
Professor Ashraf Coovadia
Chair