Amman, Nov 24 (Petra) – Under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah Zeid, the seventh edition of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Paediatric Days conference opened today in Amman.
The two-day event brought together local and international experts and practitioners in paediatrics and humanitarian healthcare.
This year’s conference focuses on two key themes: children’s health in conflict settings and newborn care areas that represent growing challenges in many crisis-affected regions, particularly across the Middle East, according to a statement.
It gathers dozens of specialists from MSF projects around the world, alongside experts from local and international institutions, to discuss field experiences and recent studies related to paediatric and neonatal care in low-resource and high-risk environments.
As patron of the event, Her Royal Highness Princess Sarah Zeid underscored the inextricable link between women’s and their children’s health, and how the two are endangered by the erosion of women’s rights, conflict, drastic reductions in humanitarian assistance and "our disrupted climate." She stressed the importance of approaching maternal and newborn health as a unified continuum of care to reduce mortality and ensure comprehensive support.
Dr. Suhaib Al Ajlan, Head of the Middle East Unit at MSF in Amman, described the conference as "a scientific and humanitarian platform to explore improved approaches to paediatric care, especially in contexts impacted by conflict and disasters," noting that "more than half of MSF’s patients globally are children." The MSF Paediatric Days is a two-day international event designed to strengthen the exchange of knowledge, expertise, and best practices in paediatric care between MSF teams, academic institutions, and partner medical organizations.
It aims to engage healthcare professionals both specialized and non-specialized who are committed to developing innovative treatment approaches for the most vulnerable children.
The event is built on close collaboration between frontline practitioners, technical advisors, and academic leaders, resulting in a conference that is both operationally relevant and scientifically grounded.
First launched in 2016 at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, the Paediatric Days have since been hosted in Nairobi and Dakar, arriving this year in Amman as the latest stop in this global series. Through this event, MSF seeks to enhance knowledge exchange among medical teams, researchers, and policymakers, and to support the development of practical strategies that improve the quality of healthcare provided to children in the world’s most vulnerable settings, according to the statement.
MSF has been present in Jordan since 2006 and was honored with the King Hussein Humanitarian Leadership Prize in 2004. In Amman, MSF operates a regional reconstructive surgical programme, providing vital care to war wounded from across the region.
Amman hosts three regional offices, providing operational and institutional support to MSF's work in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Additionally, MSF has donated medical supplies and conducted training sessions for the Jordan Medical Association.
//Petra//SS
