Every four years the world’s leaders in anaesthesia care convene at the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists (WCA) for 5 days of talks, workshops, socialising, and exhibitions to discuss cutting-edge anaesthesia policy and practice.  

For the 2020 edition the ‘Olympics of Anaesthesia’ travels to the beautiful city of Prague in the Czech Republic from the 5-9 September. 

WCA2020 is co-hosted by the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) and the Czech Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (CSARIM).  For the WFSA, with its membership of 137 national societies representing hundreds of thousands of anaesthesiologists worldwide, the WCA is a major component of its work to unite the specialty and advocate for improved access to safe anaesthesia and perioperative care.  

By bringing together so many renowned experts WCA2020 is able to offer an extremely comprehensive scientific programme. With sessions covering topics from paediatrics to geriatrics (and everything in between) delegates can tailor their conference agendas to focus either on their own specialities or branch out and widen their anaesthesia horizons. 

Dr Jannicke Mellin-Olsen, WFSA President, said, “The World Congress is always a truly inspiring week, not least because it is the only anaesthesiology event that unites colleagues from all over the world to learn more and share their experience. It is a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new connections.” 

To open WCA2020, two leading figures from the global health community will be giving the Harold Griffith lectures.  Edna Adan Ismail, has been identified as one of Africa’s most influential women. She is at the forefront of the fight for women’s maternal health in Somaliland, which has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world. 

Joining Edna Adan on stage will be Professor Christina Maslach, Professor of Psychology at Berkeley, University of California, and eminent expert in occupational burnout and professional wellbeing. 

A breakdown of the workshops, presentations and lectures taking place over the packed 5-day programme is available on the WCA2020 website. <www.wcaprague2020.com>.

Speaking of the decision to hold the Congress in Prague, Julian Gore-Booth, CEO of WFSA, said. ‘We’re delighted that we’ve been able to join forces with the Czech Society and hold the WCA in the beautiful historic city of Prague. Prague is a very affordable city, making this WCA one of the most accessible ever for delegates. If you’ve always wanted to go to a WCA but could never afford it, this is the WCA for you.” 

Registration for the WCA is now open through the Congress website <www.wcaprague2020.com>. Discount tickets are available through the Early Bird Ticket scheme if you register before 31 January 2020. Poster presentation abstracts are being accepted until 31 December 2019.For all of the information on how to register, where to stay and the programme visit the WCA 2020 website: www.wcaprague2020.com. Your WFSA looks forward to seeing you in Prague!