Kenji Suda, MD, PhD
President of the 60th Annual Meeting of JSPCCS/
Department of Pediatrics and Child Health,
Kurume University School of Medicine

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the Organization Committee of the 60th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery (JSPCCS), we are pleased to inform you that we have decided to hold the 60th Annual Meeting of the JSPCCS From Friday, July 11th to Sunday, July 13th, 2024 in Fukuoka. (https://www.c-linkage.co.jp/jspccs60/index.html). Fukuoka is the most southern metropolis in Japan, which is the center of politics, culture, and economics in Kyushu Island. Since the COVID-19 infection should have settled down, we are planning to hold the conference on-site only, and on-demand sessions later.

The main theme of the 60th Annual Meeting of JSPCCS is “Challenge, and Innovation for Sustainable Pediatric Cardiology: No one left behind”.
Pediatric cardiology has always provided seamless medical care from the fetal period to adulthood. However, in this era, how can we continue to provide appropriate medical care and pass it on to the next generation, and how can we pass on the knowledge and skills of subspecialty (sub-subspecialty) medicine, which may become an endangered species? We would like to make this a conference that will bring about a "change in behavior" among participants.

Since its foundation, this society has been a true embodiment of diversity, where medical staff from multiple departments and professions come together to discuss and engage in a variety of activities. I expect that discoveries will be made as participants from various professions, including pediatricians, cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, intensive care physicians, nurses, physiological technologists, clinical engineers, and pharmacists, interact with each other.

In conjunction with the 60th Annual Meeting of JSPCCS, the JCK Asian Pacific Heart Forum 2024 will be held on July 12th and 13th on-site. The Forum was originally started by pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons from 3 countries, Japan, China, and Korea; however, we would like to call for abstracts from all countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

The conference's duration coincides with the Hakata Gion Yamakasa Festival, Kyushu's largest festival, which is said to draw 3 million participants. Already since July 1, 14 decorative floats have been on display to the public in various parts of the city; from July 10, the Kakiyama (carrying floats) will start running, and the town will become lively with the daily chants of "oshoi" as it prepares for the Oiyama (chasing float) in the early morning of July 15. I hope that the enthusiasm of the participants will make this summer as hot as Yamakasa and give you a fruitful time.

We are looking forward to seeing you in July.
Sincerely,