Welcome to the Malaysian Paediatric Association official website

Overview

The Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) was founded in 1979. Today, the association’s membership has increased in strength from a mere handful to nearly 600 members.
Membership is made up of paediatricians, paediatric nurses, medical students and others involved and interested in paediatrics and child health.
MPA aspires to be the opinion leader in all issues related to paediatrics and child health. This covers not only health, but social issues and current controversies as well such as inappropriate advertising targeted at children and adolescents, unsuitable TV programmes for viewing, disabled children, young criminals and their rights, substance abuse and cigarette smoking.
MPA is affiliated with the Association of Paediatric Societies of the Southeast Asia Region (APPSEAR), now renamed Asian Pacific Paediatric Association (APPA), and International Paediatric Association (IPA). Locally, MPA is affiliated with the National Council for Child Welfare (Majlis Kebajikan Kanak-kanak Malaysia).

Activities

Annual Scientific Congress
- The annual scientific congress is the highlight of the activities of MPA. It is an important meeting that attracts paediatricians and paediatric nurses from all around the country. Many resolutions coming out of these meetings have become the basis for policies related to paediatric practice in the country.
- MPA has hosted and organized many regional and international paediatric congresses in Malaysia, such as the 9th Asian Pan Pacific Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Congress at the Shangri La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur in 2005, 2nd Asian Congress of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah in 2004, the 10th ASEAN Pediatric Federation Congress in 2000, 6th Asia-Oceanian Congress of Child Neurology in Penang in 1999, 4th International Congress of Tropical Pediatrics in 1996, 5th ASEAN Pediatric Federation Congress (Trauma in Childhood) in 1990, 5th Asian Congress of Pediatrics in 1985, 2nd ASEAN Pediatric Federation Congress (Perinatal Issues in Pediatrics) in 1983.

Berita MPA
- The Berita MPA is the newsletter of the Malaysia Paediatric Association.
- It provides information on activities, conferences, social events, movements of paediatricians and latest scientific updates on paediatrics and medicine from the local and international front.

Promoting Professional Development
- MPA has always made an effort to accumulate and disseminate information, which will be of benefit to its members in their professional development.
- Some of these include publication of MPA’s journal, large-scale studies as well as academic publications:
  1. Malaysian Journal of Paediatrics & Child Health
  2. Very Low Birth Weight Study
  3. Masalah Pediatrik Untuk Jururawat – a book for nurses
  4. The Total Child – a publication for the public
- Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali Research Award is given to any young paediatrician or trainee who wants to embark on any research involving paediatrics or child health.
- Malaysian Paediatric Association Training Fellowship for Asian Paediatricians

MPA Website
- The MPA website, which went online in 2001, is aimed at recording the history of MPA, increasing contact of the Association with the members and to provide a platform for its many educational activities. Resource material for members and the public will also be included.
- The website can be visited at http://mpaeds.org.my

Community and Charitable Activities
- MPA engages in many community and charitable activities, namely:
  1. Malaysian Paediatric Foundation – aimed at encouraging research and teaching of paediatrics and child health; and to provide financial support to paediatric trainees and paediatricians who wish to carry out research.
  2. Children Cancer Fund – a fund that began in 1984 with the hope of collecting enough money to start a halfway house for children with cancer in Hospital Kuala Lumpur. Through the years, the fund has helped many needy oncology patients particularly those at the Paediatric Institute, Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
  3. Rumah Pendidikan Kesihatan dan Pemakanan (RPKP) – started in 1979, the RPKP programme provided useful health and educational services for the poor in Sentul. It started at Kampung Tun HS Lee and subsequently moved to Bandar Baru Sentul when the squatter area was relocated. Its basic objectives were to provide health, nutritional and social care for the disadvantaged population living in the area. The project has been concluded due to improved social and economic status of the population concerned.
  4. Borderless Pediatrics – Some members of MPA have traveled to war-torn countries on humanitarian missions, including Kosovo and Afghanistan, to help children and their families. MPA has provided partial financial support for members who participated in such activity.
  5. Positive Parenting – initiated in the year 2000, it is MPA’s first major, multi-faceted parent education programme. Recognizing the role of parents in raising healthy and well-adjusted children, the programme is aimed at generating greater understanding of children’s health, safety, nutrition and well-being through practical information, advice and tips.
  6. "Make It Safe For Kids" Campaign – A collaborative child safety and injury prevention campaign with Johnson & Johnson Sdn Bhd with the support of Ministry of Health. The campaign aims to decrease the incidence of child injury in this country by raising awareness of child injury prevention amongst parents and child carers by providing them with essential information on proper child injury prevention techniques, first aid and resuscitation.

The Malaysian Paediatric Association can be reached at:

Malaysian Paediatric Association
3rd Floor (Annexe Block)
National Cancer Society Building
66, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz
50300 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03–2691 5379 / 2698 9966 Fax: 03–2691 3446
Email: mpaeds@po.jaring.my