Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to inform you that Malaysia has been given the honour of organising and hosting the 14th Asian Pacific Congress of Pediatrics (14th APCP 2012) held with the 4th Asia Pacific Congress of Pediatric Nursing (APCPN) to be held on 8-12 September 2012 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.  The theme is "Towards Equity in Child Health'.  We are trying to make the scientific and social programmes as enjoyable as it is intellectually stimulating for all delegates.  Once we have finalised and confirmed the availability of all speakers, we shall ensure that these will be attractive and relevant to paediatricians, other doctors, trainees, nurses, allied health professionals and others interested in paediatrics and child health in our region.

I should also add that the dates of the congress is just a few days before Malaysia Day that is celebrated on 16th September to commemorate the union of the states of Sabah and Sarawak with Peninsular Malaysia in 1963.  In 2012, the Malaysia Day celebrations are expected to be in Sarawak so we extend this invitation to join us in celebrating this joyous event with us.

In addition to a packed scientific content and prearranged social programme, the areas surrounding Kuching city and the sparsely populated state of Sarawak will entice you with cultural diversity that is characteristic of Malaysia, and natural beauty that at some places will just take your breath away.  The peaceful and slower pace will be a welcome respite for us all.  Other than Kuala Lumpur, direct flight access from Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Jakarta among other major cities may help you plan your travel itinerary but you will have to make your reservations early to avoid disappointment.

We would appreciate it if you could disseminate preliminary information regarding the 14th APCP 2012 and 4th APCPN to your colleagues via the association newsletter and electronic media.  Details can be obtained from the http://apcp2012.org website and the Asian Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA) website at http://a-p-p-a.org.

We warmly welcome you to Kuching, Sarawak in September 2012.

Yours sincerely,

Zulkifli Ismail
Chairman, Organising Committee, 14th APCP 2012