My name is Rebecca Rhodes, I am a Paediatric Doctor working in the NHS in the UK with a particular interest in neurodisability, health inequalities and climate change. I am the Deputy Convenor of the International Child Health Group, a special interest group of the RCPCH.
It's my joy to share with you some of the highlights from the RCPCH Annual Conference held in Birmingham 25-27th April. Pre-conference a number of delegates chose to cycle from all over the UK as part of the Ride for their Lives initiative to raise awareness of climate change and air pollution and the serious health implications these have on children and young people. The cyclists joined a ride through the City Centre, led by children and young people, to Centenary Square where the RCPCH President gave a speech in recognition of the impact of air pollution on child health in the UK and across the world. Further information regarding the ride can be found at: https://ridefortheirlives.net/
The conference, titled 'Building a Brighter Future Together' was opened by RCPCH&Us - young people who volunteer with RCPCH to ensure that the voice of children and young people are at the centre of every aspect of work and policy that RCPCH does. Their challenge to Paediatricians to include them in conversations about their health and health services really set the scene for the rest of the conference which included inspiring plenaries ranging from Health Inequalities by Sir Michael Marmot, Genomics, Climate Change and AI in Paediatrics. These were accompanied by a vast array of workshops and specialty sessions. The International Child Health Group co-hosted a morning's sessions with the British Paediatric Respiratory Society. The plenary talks covered the impact of inhaled toxins on Children's Respiratory Health and Childhood TB research in West Africa (recording available to ICHG members via the ICHG website). There were many high quality oral abstract presentations and it provided a precious opportunity to network with colleagues working in this space.
I left the conference challenged and re-committed to put children at the centre of all I do and to think carefully about how the way I live now can make a difference to my current paediatric patients and those who I will serve in the future both in the UK and overseas.
CHIFA profile: Rebecca Rhodes is a Junior Doctor currently doing general medicine/surgical rotations through Hospitals in the East Midlands, UK. She has always had an interest in the role of paediatrics in the developing world and has had a short but valuable experience contributing to paediatric care in rural Bangladesh as well as a longer period of time working with young people with disabilities from ethnic minorities. In the future Rebecca is very keen to contribute what she can professionally to promote and improve child health in the developing world and seeks to learn how this can be done. bristystorme AT gmail.com
