SMC Hosts Experts At International Paediatric Symposium 2025
31 July 2025
Sunway Medical Centre (SMC) recently hosted the International Paediatric Symposium 2025, a landmark medical education event themed “Paediatrics Without Borders: Bridging Subspecialties, Saving Lives”.
Bringing together leading paediatric specialists from Malaysia, China, Singapore, and the United States, the hybrid-format symposium served as a vital platform for sharing expertise, advancing clinical practices, and fostering global collaboration in children’s healthcare.
The symposium was officiated by Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni. Also present was Dr Saravanan Sundaramurthy, director of the Health Performance Unit, Ministry of Health.
Across the Asia-Pacific region, children continue to face a wide range of complex health challenges, from congenital disorders to neonatal complications to cancer, autoimmune conditions, and developmental issues.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), childhood diseases are leading causes of under-five mortality in the region, including neonatal complications, congenital abnormalities, pneumonia, diarrhoeal disease, and malnutrition.
In Malaysia, the 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) revealed that children under five face a triple burden of malnutrition: 21.2 per cent are stunted, 15.3 per cent being underweight, 11.0 per cent experience wasting, and 5.6 per cent are overweight.
At the same time, the rates of childhood overweight, obesity, and excess weight stand at 13.9 per cent, 11.8 per cent, and 24 per cent respectively.
These figures have far exceeded rates of undernutrition and contribute to a growing risk of type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Pneumonia also remains another critical concern, accounting for nearly 5 per cent of all deaths among children under 14.
Another particularly urgent concern is childhood cancer, with an estimated 413,000 new cases diagnosed globally in 2020.
While high-income countries have achieved high survival rates exceeding 80 per cent, thanks to advances in diagnosis, anti-cancer therapies, and supportive care, low and middle-income countries, which account for the majority of childhood cancer cases worldwide, see survival rates ranging from just 10 to 60 per cent.
Some studies have also shown that the National Cancer Registry data is incomplete, and underdiagnosis is a known issue, especially in Southeast Asia, where up to 49 per cent of childhood cancer cases may go undiagnosed.
This disparity underscores the critical need for paediatric centres of excellence equipped with the necessary specialist expertise, cutting-edge technology and holistic care frameworks to close the gap.
In response, the symposium brought together paediatric specialists from SMC, Sunway Medical Centre Damansara (SMCD), Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (SMCV), Sunway Medical Centre Penang (SMCP), Sunway Medical Centre Ipoh (SMCI), Fudan Children’s Hospital Shanghai, Boston’s Children Hospital, and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital Singapore.
The event served as a useful platform for knowledge exchange, evidence-based practice updates, and regional standard-setting in paediatric care that goes beyond borders.
SMC’s Children’s Health and Development Centre offers a wide range of paediatric subspecialties across multiple disciplines. With purpose-built facilities, child-friendly environments, and experienced multidisciplinary teams, the Centre is a regional leader in holistic, patient-centred care for children.
Demonstrating its commitment to advancing paediatric care, the hospital offers patient-focused facilities, including a 24-hour dedicated Children’s Emergency Department that ensures urgent, comforting, and supportive care for young patients.
As part of ongoing enhancements in paediatric intensive care, the SMART PICU is supported by various technologies to facilitate patient monitoring and clinical management in critical care settings.
“Quaternary service anchors the complexity of care across all 26 paediatric subspecialties, enabling integrated management of critical cases, from medical and surgical to oncological and post-transplant care. No speciality works alone; we deliver care as one multidisciplinary team,” said Dr Seow Vei Ken, SMC chief executive officer.
Uniting Expertise And Empathy To Elevate Paediatric Care Across The Region
Throughout the symposium, participants explored a wide range of complex paediatric topics, from critical newborn care and adolescent oncology to cardiac emergencies and chronic conditions.
These discussions were grounded in rigorous science and heartfelt commitment to patient-centred care.
A standout session on regional health equity sparked dynamic dialogue around how countries can work together to close gaps in access, boost training for paediatric subspecialties, and implement early detection models that save lives.
“When we come together across borders, we build something far more powerful than protocols and procedures; we build a community that cares.
“This symposium reminded us that behind every clinical breakthrough is a shared hope to give every child a healthier, brighter future. It is through shared knowledge, compassion, and collaboration that we can truly transform the future of paediatric care,” said Dr Seow.
The symposium closed on a hopeful and united note, with all institutions reaffirming their shared pledge to advance paediatric care with urgency, empathy, and purpose.
Every talk, insight, and collaboration reaffirmed one core belief: that the health of our children is the cornerstone of a brighter, more compassionate future.
“This symposium exemplifies our ongoing commitment to comprehensive, inclusive, and integrated child health services.
“It is through open dialogue, professional exchange, and deep empathy that we can reimagine the future of paediatrics for the betterment of every parent and child in the region,” added Dr Ng Lee Li, general manager of Women and Children Services at SMC.
Source: OVA
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