April 2023
Dear friends and colleagues,
After 4 years of preparations, we are now ready to present the 25th World Congress of Dermatology in Singapore.
To get to this stage, we have called on the coordinated effort of numerous individuals in several organisations, viz. the National Organising Committee (NOC) of the Dermatological Society of Singapore, the Scientific Programme Committee (SPC), the Executive Committee, Board, and staff of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS), and Triumph our professional several conference organisers. Together, we have put in thousands of hours to make the 25th WCD outstanding scientifically and memorable socially.
The Theme of the WCD, Dermatology Beyond Borders, could not be more poignant in these times of geopolitical tension and turmoil. It reminds us of the need for us as healthcare providers and scientists to continue to strive for the betterment of all mankind. We can do this by keeping the platforms of discussion and channels of information exchange open, and we aim to leave a legacy to the next edition of WCD in 4 years’ time. To make the WCD a truly global meeting, the NOC and the SPC have tried to be as diverse and inclusive as possible when selecting chairs, co-chairs, speakers, session topics and moderators. We are happy to report that the number and proportion of chairs and cochairs of symposia who come from the Asia-Pacific, South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa have doubled compared to WCD2019.
Singapore welcomes persons from all nations and territories of the world. Most nationalities do not require visas, and if you do, we will try our best to expedite your application. Global tensions and armed conflict have led to spiralling inflation and large increase in airfares. This is something that is out of our control. We have responded by lowering the registration fees for low and lower middle-income countries. We have increased both the number and total amount of our scholarships programme and will continue to recommend reasonable accommodation.
The congress’s Subtheme is Science, Care and Communities. We will present a scientific programme that is both wide as well as deep, leaving no areas uncovered. There will be 15 keynote plenaries, 60 Symposia in 208 sessions, 8 Controversies in Dermatology debates, 24 Courses, 19 Expert Forums, 30 DSS/LADS sessions, 51 Free Communications sessions, 12 Residents sessions, 3 late-breaking sessions and 1 session for Hot topics. It will cover all areas of dermatology – from medical to surgical conditions, from infections to aesthetic procedures, from skin cancers to pigmentary diseases, from paediatric dermatology to diseases in the elderly, from basic science to quality of care, from dermatopathology to STI/HIV, from eczema to neglected tropical diseases, from skin aging to hair and nail diseases, and everything else in between. We will present the latest advances in diagnostics and therapeutics and take a glimpse into the future of where dermatology is headed. We would like to thank Prof Martin Rocken and Prof Henry Lim and other members of the Scientific Programme Committee; they have worked hard to design a truly outstanding programme. We are incredibly grateful for the chairs, cochairs and speakers who have agreed come to Singapore and to share their expertise. Without you there would be no WCD.
We have received a large number of abstracts and they will provide rich and informative free communications, residents, and late breaker sessions, as well as poster sessions and displays. The 25th WCD will truly be a festival of dermatology. You can find details of the scientific programme at https://www.wcd2023singapore.org/scientific-programme/interactive-programme/.
To encourage the participation of patient organisations, we have planned for more sessions and presentations for these groups and will have a community village. We have also lowered the registration fees for patient support organizations, as well as for nurses and allied health personnel.
To complement the scientific content, we will present a variety of entertainment performances at our social events. We hope to give you a taste of the colorful multicultural heritage that we have in South-East Asia and in Singapore.
Over the last 15 months, the NOC team has been present in person at several dermatology conferences from Madrid to Mumbai, from Semarang to New Orleans. From interactions at these meetings, we sensed the strong desire for an in-person World Congress. There is a lot of interest and excitement to attend WCD 2023, which will be the first global in-person dermatology meeting since COVID-19 restrictions eased globally.
For updates on WCD 2023, check out our website https://www.wcd2023singapore.org/ and subscribe to our WCD e-Newsletter. We consistently post news and information on our social media platforms viz. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
We hope that the frequency of flights will continue to increase to meet the demands of holiday as well as business and conference travels in the region and intercontinentally. In Singapore the number of visitors is now at two-thirds of the pre-pandemic levels and Changi airport has reclaimed it spot as the best airport in the world (Skytrax). As at the first week of January 2023, 96 airlines are operating over 5,600 weekly scheduled flights to Changi Airport, connecting Singapore to 143 cities in 48 countries and territories worldwide.
We are very grateful for the wonderful help from many colleagues and friends in the dermatology fraternity, especially WCD Ambassadors and ILDS Board who have actively promoted the WCD 2023 to all corners of the world.
Last but certainly not least, we acknowledge and thank our industry partners. It is with their generous sponsorship that we are able to stage the 25th WCD, and to increase the assistance for needy delegates.
We speak for all in the NOC and other presenting and supporting organisations when we say that we are incredibly excited and very much looking forward to welcoming you to Singapore in July. Lights, Camera, and Action!
With best wishes,
Prof. Roy CHAN
President 25th WCD
A/Prof. Yen Loo LIM
Secretary-General 25th WCD
