Strengthening pediatric endocrinology: ISPAE CARE, clinical guidelines, and the ISPAE midterm meeting

The early months of 2026 have been an encouraging period for pediatric endocrinology in India. Indian Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology’s (ISPAE) strong presence at PEDICON 2026 in Kolkata was a reaffirmation of our growing partnership with the larger pediatric community. Our chapter symposium was well attended, reflecting the relevance of endocrine issues in routine pediatric practice and the trust that colleagues place in ISPAE’s educational offerings. The invited talks covered a wide spectrum, from the practicalities of screening and early diagnosis to nuanced discussions on long-term follow-up and transition care. Panel discussions brought together pediatricians and pediatric endocrinologists, allowing for rich conversations about real-world challenges. The level of engagement, especially from younger colleagues, was heartening and underscored the importance of ISPAE maintaining a visible, active role in national pediatric forums.

At the same time, our internal work on clinical guidelines has continued steadily. The guideline groups on disorders of sex development (DSD), congenital hypothyroidism, and type 1 diabetes have made substantial progress, with draft documents now moving towards refinement and wider consultation. These guidelines are being developed with a dual aim of being anchored in international evidence and consensus and critically reviewed through an Indian lens that recognizes variations in resource availability, access to diagnostics, and sociocultural realities. For DSD, the emphasis has been on clear diagnostic pathways, sensitive communication, and multidisciplinary care that respects both medical and psychosocial dimensions. The congenital hypothyroidism guideline group has focused on ensuring that every recommendation is realistic for a wide range of practice settings, so that early detection and timely treatment become a consistent reality rather than an aspirational goal. In type 1 diabetes, the group is working to balance ideal standards of care, including technology-enabled monitoring and insulin delivery, with pragmatic approaches suitable for varied socioeconomic contexts.

The ISPAE CARE initiative continues to provide an overarching framework for many of these efforts. Conceived to move from isolated excellence to coordinated, equitable care, ISPAE CARE seeks to integrate guidelines, care pathways, capacity building, and data collection under a single umbrella. The aim is that where a child lives in India should not determine the quality of endocrine care they receive. Through ISPAE CARE, we hope to support centers in developing structured clinics, standardized protocols, and multidisciplinary teams; to create shared resources that make it easier to provide evidence-based care; and to foster collaborative networks that can sustain registries and multicenter research.

Looking ahead, the forthcoming ISPAE Midterm Meeting at Ahmedabad in 2026 promises to be an important milestone with its diabetes-centric theme. The midterm meeting will offer an opportunity to delve deeply into all aspects of pediatric diabetes care: from diagnosis to intensive insulin therapy, from acute complications to long-term surveillance, from nutrition and exercise counseling to psychosocial support, and from basic tools to advanced technologies such as continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pumps. We also hope to use this platform to discuss how best to operationalize the forthcoming type 1 diabetes guidelines and how to embed ISPAE CARE principles into daily diabetes care across diverse practice settings.

As we consolidate our presence, a common thread emerges: progress in pediatric endocrinology in India will be driven by collaboration. No single center, no small group, can achieve the scale of change our children need. It is the collective energy, diverse experience, and shared commitment of the ISPAE community that will determine how far we can go. I look forward to working with all of you in the months ahead and to seeing the ideas carried forward.

Anurag Bajpai

Senior Pediatric Endocrinologist Regency Center for Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Research Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

President, ISPAE 2025–26