Amsterdam, March 26, 2020
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Conference on the Maternal and Child Health Handbook made the difficult, tough but necessary decision to postpone this year’s conference, scheduled in July 2020, to July 14-16, 2021 at the University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands.
The pandemic has turned the world upside-down as governments seal their borders, restrict travel and put millions on lockdown to prevent the spread of the disease. In the Netherlands, the host of the conference, social life has been scaled down. Schools and childcare centers are closed and people are encouraged to stay at home and work from home.
These mitigation measures are scheduled to coming weeks, but it seems it will take much, much longer. It is not wise to hold a conference where speakers and participants from all over the world will fly in and share rooms. We want to do our part to prevent the spread of the disease.
We apologize that the conference is not taking place this year. We hope we can meet under better circumstances next year, with renewed energy.
We hope to invite you again to Amsterdam.
For now, we wish you and your loved ones the best of health,
Yasuhide Nakamura
Chair, International Committee on MCH Handbook
Professor, Emeritus, Osaka University, Japan
Professor, Konan Women’s University, Japan.
Anneke Kesler-Koppe
Chair Host/Local Organising Committee (Amsterdam 2020)
Member, the International Committee on MCH Handbook
Public Health Services Amsterdam, the Netherlands.