ESPE Abstracts

Background: There is much activity in Africa in Paediatric Endocrinology. The international societies, ESPE, and ISPAD helped significantly in the development of paediatric endocrinology training. Considerable research is being done at the PETCA in Kenya, PETWCA in Lagos and elsewhere, but too few of the studies are published. Owing to the pressure of clinical work in Africa most endocrinologists have difficulty in completing their research.

Objective and hypotheses: To devise a mechanism to increase the chances of the publication of African Paediatric Endocrinology studies.

Method: Presenters of high-quality research projects which were at an advanced stage produced a structured abstract for selection for the Publication Presentation Workshop at the ASPAE 2015 Congress. Presenters of the selected projects were to prepare an oral presentation of 20 min to be presented at the Congress, as well as a draft article. These will be submitted to the editor of the Journal of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of South Africa (JEMDSA), Prof. W Mollentze, who had agreed to be part of the workshop. After the presentation, two discussants per paper will discuss ways in which to improve it.

Results: Seven research projects were considered to be of sufficient quality. They concerned topics such as diabetes mellitus, puberty, obesity, vitamin D deficiency, and the knowledge of health care workers. Contributors came from Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zanzibar. The ASPAE 2015 Congress takes place in the first week of May. It is expected that the presenters will excel, that the discussants will contribute immensely to the improvement of the studies, and that the incentive of publication in an accredited journal will yield a completion rate of more than 50%.

Conclusion: This is a wonderful opportunity for people in underresourced areas to publish their research. The offer of Prof. Mollentze and JEMDSA is unique and highly commendable.