GICS VI
April 24-26, 2026
Bogotá, Colombia
Conference Details
The Global Initiative for Children’s Surgery (GICS) VI meeting is scheduled for 24-26 April 2026, in Bogotá, Colombia.
We are excited to gather with colleagues from around the world to advance surgical care for children in low-resource settings.
This will be a hybrid event, with sessions available both in person and online, ensuring broad accessibility and participation.
Current GICS Members will enjoy a significant discount on registration rates. If your membership is lapsed or you are not yet a GICS member, we encourage you to join today!
Program
The Program Committee is busy at work creating an exciting and informative program for GICS members. We will post the tentative program soon.
In the meantime, the overall schedule is as follows:
Friday, 24 April: Arrival, registration, and Working Group Meetings
Saturday, 25 April and Sunday, 26 April: Full program
Monday, 27 April: Departure
Conference Registration
The prices below reflect Early Bird non-member pricing. Member pricing is substantially less.
The prices will go up by 30% on 1 January 2026, and again on 1 April 2026.
When you register, you will automatically be given the appropriate rate, based on the country of your passport. If you want to determine your rate before registering, you can determine your country’s classification by looking at the World Bank economy database.
Register Here!
Members please log into the member page to access member registration pricing.
If you receive an error message when you try to register as a member,
this means your dues are not current. Click here to pay your dues.
Member Pricing
Non-Member Pricing
| Category | Country Classification | Nonmember - In-Person Ticket | Nonmember - Virtual Ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Physician |
|||
|
High Income Country |
$800 |
$150 |
|
|
Upper Middle Income Country |
$450 |
$100 |
|
|
Lower Middle Income Country |
$250 |
$60 |
|
|
Lower Income Country |
$150 |
$50 |
|
|
Nurse |
High Income Country |
$250 |
$90 |
|
Upper Middle Income Country |
$150 |
$70 |
|
|
Lower Middle Income Country |
$70 |
$40 |
|
|
Lower Income Country |
$40 |
$35 |
|
|
Health Professional |
|||
|
High Income Country |
$750 |
$150 |
|
|
Upper Middle Income Country |
$450 |
$100 |
|
|
Lower Middle Income Country |
$150 |
$50 |
|
|
Lower Income Country |
$70 |
$35 |
|
|
Trainee |
High Income Country |
$220 |
$70 |
|
Upper Middle Income Country |
$70 |
$50 |
|
|
Lower Middle Income Country |
$40 |
$30 |
|
|
Lower Income Country |
$35 |
$10 |
Hotel Information
Our conference will take place in the Estelar Hotel Fontana, a 5* hotel in a lively neighborhood in Bogotá. We have negotiated a rate of USD 106 (including taxes) per night. Breakfast and WiFi are included in that rate.
If you are able to share the room with another person, your rate will drop to USD 53 (including taxes) per night. Soon we will create a list of people wishing to find a roommate, and you will contact that person to make the arrangements for sharing the expenses (you will make the reservation and make the payment, and the other person will give you money for their share of the expenses). Your roommate can check in with your reservation number and add their name at check in.
For those who wish to find hotels with lower rates, we plan to provide a list of alternate hotels nearby the Estelar Hotel Fontana.
To obtain the discounted rate, you must reserve your hotel room through the link that appears after you register for the meetings, or by clicking the link below. Once you have a reservation, you can amend it at any time.
Of note, the negotiated rate might increase in the coming months as the Hotel Estelar La Fontana occupancy increases, so reserve early to obtain this special discounted rate!
Click below to reach the Estelar Hotel Fontana discounted rate (available in English by pressing the option at the top right corner).
Abstract Submission
We are delighted to announce that abstract submissions for GICS VI are now open!
This is your opportunity to share your work, connect with colleagues from around the globe, and contribute to advancing safe, accessible surgical care for children everywhere.
Key Dates
- Opens: 1 October 2025
- Closes: 15 November 2025 (11:59 PM EST, USA)
- Notification of acceptance: 1 December 2025
How to submit
Please submit your abstract using our online form by clicking the button found below.
Both oral and poster presentations are welcome. Abstracts not selected for oral presentation will automatically be considered for posters.
Details on travel scholarships will be shared with acceptance notifications.
Next steps
All those submitting abstracts are invited to submit a manuscript to GICSmanuscripts@gmail.com by 24 March 2026 for consideration in Paediatric Surgery International or World Journal of Surgery .
We look forward to receiving your submissions and to welcoming you to Bogotá in April 2026!
Warm regards,
GICS VI Academic Programme Committee
Email: GICSabstracts@gmail.com
Visa Information
Citizens of many countries can enter Colombia without a visa. This document shows which countries require a visa:
ENTRY TO COLOMBIA AND COURTESY VISA INFORMATION
If you need to obtain a visa for Colombia, we encourage you to do so as early as possible. Please apply for a tourist visa. Applying for a conference visa is more expensive and takes more time to process. Since you will be applying for a tourist visa, you will not likely need a letter for your visa application. If you do need a letter, please email GICSurgery@gmail.com.
To apply for a visa to enter Colombia, click the following link.
Travel Information
You will fly to El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá (airport code BOG).
The Hotel Estelar La Fontana is located at: Avenida Calle 127 #15a10, Usaquén, Bogotá, Cundinamarca. Click here for a map to the hotel.
We hope to arrange transportation from the airport to the hotel. More information coming soon!
