Last updates Mar 23, 2020
Dear members,
Unfortunately we have to inform you that AEPC 2020, the scientific congress of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology, scheduled for May 13-16 has to be cancelled due to the recent developments around COVID-19.
Considering the rapid increase of numbers of infected persons globally and the restrictions that have to be applied, it is unrealistic to prepare for a scientific meeting with health professionals in May. It is clear that severe measures must be prepared, and that physicians and hospitals need to ready themselves to deal with the pandemic.
The decision to cancel the meeting has been taken by the Council with all members agreeing.
The preparations for the meeting have been successful with approximately 850 registered attendees and a fruitful collaboration with the industry. The Chair of the meeting, Jan Sunnegårdh, in close collaboration with the local teams, with Resia (the congress organizer) and with Nico Blom as the Scientific Secretary, have worked hard. Thanks to their efforts almost every part of the programme, the social evenings and the exhibition, have been almost fully prepared since some weeks.
The cancellation of our Annual Meeting comes as a great disappointment to all of us AEPC members as well as invited guests and attendees from outside our association, including our partners in the industry.
During the weeks to come we will discuss how to move forward: whether there is an option to deliver some of the planned content via the web; to hold the Business Meeting and other meetings online and to deal with all kinds of refunds of registration fees.
We will keep you updated as soon as more information becomes available. Meanwhile you are very welcome to contact the Council with any question or opinion, please use the mail AEPCoffice@kenes.com.
We wish you all the best in these difficult and uncertain times.
On behalf of the AEPC Council,
Katarina Hanséus
AEPC President