Siop Africa 2017

International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP) Africa meeting

International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Africa meeting is being held in Marrakech, Morocco from 5 th – 8 th April.

For some of us, Marrakech brings

back great memories of the 7 th SIOP meeting which was held here in 2006. That time we

were exposed not only to some of the best our continent had to offer in terms of

Paediatric cancer management but we also feasted our eyes on the rich culture of

Morocco, quite a sight to behold! At that time SIOP Africa was under the leadership of

Prof Msefer Alaoui. The SIOP Africa meeting has come a long way from the first one held

in 1994 in Stellenbosch under the leadership of Prof. Peter Hesseling who is one of the

pioneers of SIOP in Africa. As a continent we have a whole range of services from the

very basic, including only palliative care in some countries, to very advanced services in

South Africa and some North African countries. It is hoped that this meeting will promote

the sharing of high quality locally relevant evidence that will help inform and continue to

shape the practice of Paediatric Oncology in Africa. Our nurses and parents will also have

the opportunity to share experiences and best practices. SIOP meetings are always great

opportunities to network with colleagues. We look forward to deepening Francophone,

Anglophone and all other relationships across the continent so that in line with the

theme for this year, united we can become more effective in our fight against childhood

cancer in Africa. Thank you to all who have played important roles in supporting the

organization of this meeting, in particular the Moroccan Society of Pediatric Hematology

and Oncology.