The Belgian Academy of Paediatrics

The Belgian Academy of Paediatrics exists to represent and promote the interests of the child, based on the Convention of the Rights of the Child and therefore, in close cooperation with all child-centred organisations, we aim to inform and influence the political arena to advocate for children and youngsters.

The Belgian Academy of Paediatrics exists to represent and promote the interests of the paediatrician. Therefore, as an umbrella of all regional and Belgian scientific and professional paediatric organisations as well as all universities, we aim to improve standards in training, service and research and to represent the professional interests of paediatricians in Belgium as well as in Europe.

Statuten vzw.asbl Belgian Academy of Paediatrics na de statutenwijziging van 30 december 2024

Statuts asbl Belgian Academy of Paediatrics après la modification du 30 décembre 2024

Rules of Procedure 20th March 2026

The Board of Directors  of the Belgian Academy of Paediatrics consists of maximum 28 voting members  (a maximum of 14 directors are appointed upon nomination by the group of members affiliated with a university department of paediatrics AND a maximum of 14 directors are appointed upon nomination by the group of members not affiliated with a university department of paediatrics). When nominations are made, the Board of Directors ensures an adequate geographical distribution of the candidates.

The meetings are enriched by the presence of many other experts in paediatric health care (child psychiatrists, child nurses, …), paediatric welfare and children’s rights. 

We are proud of our dedicated trainees who are actively shaping the future of paediatrics. Their valuable contributions are recognised, as they serve as respected experts within our Board of Directors.

Discover more about Young BAoP.

We also take great pride in the active involvement of the presidents of the subspecialty societies, who are represented by a dedicated Chair of their Taskforce within the Board of Directors

Board of directors 

In 1999, the financial situation of paediatrics was extremely worrying and a large number of services were threatened with closure. A core group of leaders from the different associations (BVK/SBP, GBPF, VVK and professional associations) decided to unite in order to defend the place of the child and paediatrics in the political and medical world and to guarantee its place in society.

Through perseverance, demonstrations, strikes and lobbying, paediatricians were able to obtain considerable refinancing, mainly for hospital activities.

The Academy aims to represent the interests of the child inside and outside the health care system, as well as the role of the paediatrician.

The alternation of the presidency of the Academy at the linguistic level as well as at the academic and non-academic level was chosen from the beginning; it is an example of efficient functioning of an association and a guarantee for sustainability.

From the very beginning, the founders intended to bring the different paediatric groups together by creating a common contribution.

In June 2019, initial strategic discussions began regarding the merger of the associations involved, involving all presidents and boards of the current active general paediatric societies.  

The objective of this restructuring was to:

•  Establish a single point of contact for policymakers regarding paediatric healthcare; 
• Communicate with one unified voice; 
• Increase efficiency by eliminating duplicate administrative processes and overlapping meetings; 
• Reduce logistical support costs (one association instead of four); and 
• Enhance professionalism. 

Two potential approaches to achieve these goals were initially proposed: 

1. Retain the individual identity and legal personality of the merging associations. The Academy would act as a shared voice for policymakers and as a platform for task distribution among the merging associations. This approach would preserve the existing internal culture and language of each association.
2. Merge the associations into a single organisation with one president and one governing body. Different themes would be addressed through task forces or working groups, while regional operations would ensure members could access resources in their native language. This approach would provide clearer positioning for political decision-makers.

Several meetings were convened to deliberate on both options.

All merging associations discussed these options within their respective governing bodies. The second option, a full merger, was chosen and further deliberated in the general assemblies of March 2023 (BVK) and April 2023 (VVK and GBPF). A majority vote from all involved associations led to a preliminary decision to initiate preparations for the merger process. Draft statutes and internal regulations were developed and discussed in November 2023 within the Academy's governing body, with participation from all presidents of the merging associations. Revisions took place between January and June 2024, culminating in a final draft document shared with the associations on 30 July 2024.

On 30th December 2024, the merger of the societies was legally formalised in Brussels, and the name "Belgian Academy of Paediatrics" (BAoP) was officially introduced.  

• Michel Pletincx
  President 1999-2002 and 2014-2016
• Paul Casaer ♰
  President 2002-2004
• Gaston Verellen
  President 2004-2006
• Dino Barillari
  President 2006-2008
• Philippe Alliet
  President 2008-2010
• Georges Casimir
  President 2010-2012 and 2018-2020
• Dirk Mathijs ♰
  President 2012-2014
• Yvan Vandenplas
  President 2016-2018
• Ann De Guchtenaere
  President 2020-2026

Some words by:

We aim to speak with one voice to the government, the media, and all those who care for children.

Our goal is to achieve this by grounding our message in scientific evidence and the expert opinions of children, parents, and professionals.

We uphold the values of integrity, justice, and equality.