Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities Announced

Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities

The 7th International Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities in the Developing World (ICBD) is themed “Birth Defects in the Post-MDG Era: Joining Hands for Prevention and Care.”

It is being organized by March of Dimes in partnership with the Aga Khan Health Services-East Africa, the Aga Khan University-East Africa, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Conference will take place September 21-24 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Early registration deadline is August 7, 2015.

Birth defects is the 4th leading cause of neonatal deaths worldwide and a major cause of disability and must be included in any plan to prevent newborn death, the organizers said.

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Health care providers, policy makers, researchers, donors, parent-patient organizations, other non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and youth volunteers from around the world interested in strengthening adolescent, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health in their countries, are being urged to attend.

“The goal of this biennial conference is to provide specific, practical tools and approaches that developing country participants can use to improve the health care of mothers and babies when they return home,” says Christopher Howson, Ph.D., VP for Global Programs at the March of Dimes and a conference co-chair. “We’ll have presentations on best practices in the surveillance and prevention of birth defects and premature birth and care for affected children.”

For more information, visit March of Dimes website or icbd2015.com.

The March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. It is a leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health.

Photo courtesy: March of Dimes