The 56th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JSPACI) will be held at the International Conference Hall of Makuhari Messe in Chiba City on November 2nd (Sat) and 3rd (Sun), 2019. In the past, the 36th Annual Meeting in 1999 (President, Toshiyuki Nishimuta) and the 43rd Annual Meeting in 2006 (President, Yoichi Kohno) were held in Chiba city. All the staff are grateful and feel honored to be given a valuable opportunity to hold the 3rd time annual meeting of this academic society in Chiba.
　　The theme of the 2019 Annual Meeting is “Think radically and fundamentally about pediatric allergy : pathogensis, treatment and prevention.” The word “Radical” is used to reflect our stance that it is extremely important to take a fundamental approach to treat and prevent the ever-increasing cases of pediatric allergy. From a medical perspective, for example, it is now emphasized that allergen sensitization occur through skin and skincare from an early stage may prevent sensitization to food as well as inhalant allergens. However, skin sensitization alone cannot fully explain the recent increase in food allergy cases. In this sense, it is necessary to conduct a cohort study in Japan to identify factors that cause and exacerbate allergic conditions and verify the findings with intervention research. In terms of the use of early intervention to prevent progression of the so-called “atopic march,” it is also necessary to establish awareness, proliferation and improvement of allergen-specific immunotherapy, which is known to be “radical treatment of allergic diseases.” A “Radical” approach is also important with regard to medical care in building a mechanism to apply “scientific evidence” to “practical clinical care.” Self-care regimens are expected to bring improvement to patients’ QoL in many allergic conditions. There should be a greater call on patients, their families and guardians to establish full understanding about allergic conditions and make active participation in medical consultation/treatment. As for the prevention of allergic diseases, it is crucial to collaborate with healthcare professionals involved in pre- and post-natal health and medical care of mothers and newborns, including obstetricians, midwives, public health nurses and nutritionists. This year, central medical institutions have been set up in all prefectures across the nation under the Basic Law on Measures against Allergic Diseases. We must further promote multi-disciplinary collaboration, including doctors involved in primary medical care, to connect “scientific evidence” to “practical clinical care.” The shape of a tree is often used to describe the atopic march. The “root” or foundation part of the tree is extremely important for the prevention of atopic march. At the same time, the image also symbolizes the way children with allergies continue on to flourish and grow into healthy adults. All parties who are involved in children’s growth, including us healthcare professionals, must act as fertilizer, water and sunlight to support and nurture the tree.
　　The Annual Meeting features a mini-symposium as the JSPACI Chairman’s Program, offering presentations to be chosen from general submissions on the themes of pathogensis, treatment and prevention of childhood allergic diseases. We hope to receive a large number of submissions, which will be eligible for the honor of the Most Outstanding Presentation Award. To be jointly held with the Annual Meeting is an international symposium “Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS)” held by the Ministry of the Environment. We are certain there is a lot to learn from epidemiological studies from around the world. What’s more, the Annual Meeting also includes special lectures, invitation lectures and educational lectures from Japanese and international experts at the forefront of their respective fields. In order to give the primary focus on general presentations, which represents the origin of any academic gatherings, and to ensure active debate between presenters and attendees, we are designing the program so as to avoid time clashes between the symposium and oral/poster presentations as much as possible. Programs that were well-received in past annual meetings will also be brought back with enhancements. The theme of JSPACI’s 56th Annual Meeting might sound very ambitious, but we are committed to making the event a fruitful one that proves to be useful in your day-to-day practice and research and contributes to the advancement of medicine for pediatric allergy and clinical immunology. We hope to see presentations and active discussions by as many members as possible. The day after the conclusion of the Annual Meetimg is a public holiday. We suggest you may have some time to relax in Chiba Prefecture. We hope to see many members participating in this year’s Annual Meeting.