Dear Colleagues and Friends,

On behalf of the WSPID Board and the International Scientific Committee, it is my great pleasure to invite you to the 11^th World Congress of the World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases (WSPID), taking place in Manila, the Philippines, on November 5-8, 2019.

In 2017, we enjoyed a wonderful congress in Shenzhen, China, with 1745 delegates from over 70 countries. We now look forward to welcoming you all to Manila for another global educational and networking event that will again present a unique opportunity to learn from each other and to meet with colleagues from all parts of the world. Our International Scientific Committee is not only lining up a diverse and interesting selection of regional and international speakers but also working hard on developing new and improved ways of interaction and education.

We are delighted to organize our 2019 congress in partnership with the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines, and we have been impressed by the enthusiasm and expertise that the members of the Society have shown in developing the congress and in adding local flavor into it.

Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities, which makes it rich in history. Besides enjoying the congress, we invite you to take the opportunity to explore some of the famous sights in the city, be it art galleries, museums, architecture, local restaurants, or the oldest Chinatown in the world, established in 1594.

We look forward to warmly welcoming you to Manila!

Yours sincerely,

Terho Heikkinen

President, World Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases