South Africa wins bid to host international congress 2012

The Down Syndrome South Africa were recently awarded the right to host the World Congress on Down Syndrome in 2012 by the international body, Down Syndrome International . The National Director of Down Syndrome South Africa, Mrs Vanessa dos Santos presented the submission for the bid at the board meeting in Vancouver in March this year.

Down Syndrome International hosts a World Congress every 3 years with the last one being held in Vancouver, Canada in 2006 and the next one will be in Dublin, Ireland in 2009.

“To host a congress of such grandeur is a first for us in Africa” said dos Santos. “Not only will we be able to show the world how beautiful our country is, we will also be giving many parents of children with Down syndrome an opportunity of attending a world congress in their own country”. “We also hope to encourage more research which will focus on Down syndrome within Africa, to be presented at our congress”. The congress will be held at the International Conference Centre in Cape Town in August 2012.

Down Syndrome South Africa www.downsyndrome.org.za is the national umbrella body and parent advocacy organisation and lobby group for the constitutional rights of persons with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities.