The International Paediatric Association (IPA), established in Paris in 1910, is the only global body representing the professional societies of pediatricians. IPA represents over a million pediatricians from more than 140 countries in over 150 member societies worldwide. It is a respected partner of WHO and UNICEF and provides global leadership on child health issues.
Representation of European paediatrics was extensively discussed at the IPA Council of Delegates meeting, and a very large majority of delegates voted in favour of accepting EAP as a full member of IPA.
The Council of Delegates elected Adamos Hadjipanayis Cyprus (EAP president) and Leyla Namazova-Baranova, Russia (EPA president) as the European Pediatrics Representatives in the Standing Committee for 2019-2021. Other elected Standing Committee members from Europe for this term include Russell Viner, UK (host of the next IPA congress in 2021 in Glasgow); and Berthold Koletzko, Germany (representing the global Federation of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition).
Zulfi Bhutta (Pakistan/Canada) stepped down after a very successful term as IPA president, after achieving increased global impact of IPA. Errol Alden (USA) took over as the new president, and the Council of Delegates elected Enver Hasanoglu (Turkey) as President-Elect, who will assume leadership of the society in 2021.
EAP is looking forward to supporting the goals of the IPA Standing Committee, which include developing the programs and strategic plan of IPA; establishing policies; appointing advisors and advisory committees; and approving of the IPA budgets and operations.
New ways to test high-risk medical devices.
Manufacturers of medical devices need to test their products before being allowed to market them. Specifically, they require clinical data showing their medical device is safe and efficient. In this context, the EU-funded CORE-MD project will translate expert scientific and clinical evidence on study designs for evaluating high-risk medical devices into advice for EU regulators. The project will propose how new trial designs can contribute and suggest ways to aggregate real-world data from medical device registries.
It will also conduct multidisciplinary workshops to propose a hierarchy of levels of evidence from clinical investigations, as well as educational and training objectives for all stakeholders, to build expertise in regulatory science in Europe. CORE–MD will translate expert scientific and clinical evidence on study designs for evaluating high-risk medical devices into advice for EU regulators, to achieve an appropriate balance between innovation, safety, and effectiveness. A unique collaboration between medical associations, regulatory agencies, notified bodies, academic institutions, patients’ groups, and health technology assessment agencies, will systematically review methodologies for the clinical investigation of high-risk medical devices, recommend how new trial designs can contribute, and advise on methods for aggregating real-world data from medical device registries with experience from clinical practice The consortium is led by the European Society of Cardiology and the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, and involves all 33 specialist medical associations that are members of the Biomedical Alliance in Europe.
