successfully with the participation of more than 1,000 doctors and healthcare professionals from the UAE and abroad. Dr. Entesar Al Hammadi, Consultant Pediatric Nephrologist, President of the Emirates Pediatric Society, and Head of Corporate Quality & Patient Safety at Dubai Health, noted that this year’s
program was presented in a condensed one-and-a-half-day format to foster focused discussions and greater interaction, with five scientific tracks covering diverse pediatric topics and a special emphasis on vaccinations, including those for children traveling abroad, highlighting the overarching goal of unifying evidence-based medical practices to ensure consistent high standards of care for children across the UAE. Dr. Eslam El-Baroudi, Professor and Consultant of Pediatrics, Vice President of the Emirates Pediatric Society, and Chief Medical Officer of KidsHeart Medical Centers in collaboration with Columbia University, highlighted cutting-edge innovations showcased during the event, including the nasal influenza vaccine, the expanded use of the RSV vaccine for all children, and new tools for the early detection of malnutrition, emphasizing that such advancements will enhance pediatric care and help standardize recommendations across the Gulf region. The conference featured more than 33 workshops with exceptional engagement between speakers and participants, alongside 12 scientific lectures delivered by physicians from the UAE, GCC, and countries including Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, enriching discussions with diverse perspectives, and also hosted two specialized expert-panel workshops whose outcomes will be developed into scientific papers for publication, further contributing to global knowledge-sharing. In addition, future collaborations between the education and health sectors were discussed, including children’s theater projects aimed at supporting holistic development for all children, including those with disabilities, and a child protection workshop led by Dr. Ali Al Matrooshi, Head of the Human Rights
Department at Dubai Police, with participation from the Dubai Health Child Protection Unit, focused on raising awareness of children’s rights, mechanisms for handling abuse cases, and communication channels with police and health authorities to ensure timely and effective interventions. The 2025 ESPN Conference was hailed as a resounding success, reinforcing the UAE’s commitment to advancing pediatric care through knowledge-sharing, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration.
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