Global Symposium on Cow's Milk Protein Allergy

About the Global Symposium 

The Global Policy Network is proud to be organising a global virtual symposium to bring together international experts to share their country perspectives on CMPA, the updated guidelines, pathways to diagnosis and treatment, and the opportunities and challenges in improving access to services. During the event, we will launch GPN’s first paediatric allergy policy report of 2026. By creating space for shared learning, collaboration, and forward‑looking discussion, the symposium brings together diverse voices committed to improving outcomes for children with allergies and supporting the families who care for them. 

Executive Summary 

Purpose

The purpose of this virtual global symposium is to bring together leading experts from across the world to address key challenges in the diagnosis and management of Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA). A coordinated global approach is now essential, as significant disparities continue to shape clinical practice: diagnostic pathways and management strategies vary between countries, referral procedures remain inconsistent, and access to specialist care is uneven. These differences are particularly pronounced between high‑income and low‑ or middle‑income settings, where resource availability, workforce capacity, and access to specialised formulas or diagnostic tools can differ substantially. Such inequities directly affect the quality and timeliness of care received by infants and families worldwide. 

By bringing together international experts, the symposium aims to facilitate cross‑country learning, highlight best practices emerging from diverse health system contexts, and develop collectively informed strategies to address these structural gaps. Through this shared platform, participants will work toward more coherent, evidence‑based, and equitable approaches to CMPA diagnosis and management globally.  

Why Now?

This symposium is being convened at a pivotal moment for paediatric allergy care, when the absence of a dedicated global forum for CMPA has become a barrier to consistent, high‑quality practice. Around the world, CMPA content remains fragmented across broader scientific conferences, where it is typically addressed briefly and without the depth required to support consistent clinical practice. The absence of a dedicated, international forum has contributed to persistent variability in diagnostic criteria, dietary management strategies, and access to evidence‑based guidance. 

The need for coordinated action is now particularly acute. Clinicians worldwide continue to face inconsistent guidelines and heterogeneous formula and dietary options, leading to avoidable misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and uneven standards of care. These challenges are compounded by significant regional differences in CMPA prevalence and management capacity, while most existing educational platforms remain concentrated in Europe, limiting equitable access for clinicians in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and other underserved regions. 

By convening this symposium now, we create the first dedicated international forum for CMPA, enabling the alignment of best practices, the strengthening of global research networks, and the advancement of harmonised, evidence‑based pathways for diagnosis and management. This moment presents a unique opportunity to address fragmentation, promote equity in knowledge dissemination, and drive system‑level improvements that will benefit infants and families worldwide.  

Expected Outcomes of the Global Symposium: 

• Global perspectives on CMPA, with international experts sharing their country-specific approaches, challenges, and innovations in diagnosis, management, and service design. 

• Market and system analysis, highlighting trends in paediatric allergy prevalence, access to specialised services, and unmet needs across regions. 

• Comparative learning across health systems, identifying transferable models, culturally relevant approaches, and opportunities to adapt best practice globally. 

• Improved understanding of pathways to treatment and care, including referral models, access barriers, reimbursement issues, and examples of effective integrated care. 

• Opportunities for collaborative research and policy development, fostering partnerships across clinicians, policymakers, patient groups, and industry. 

• Identification of global gaps and priorities for action, shaping a shared agenda for improving paediatric allergy outcomes. 

• Launch of the 2026 GPN Paediatric Allergy Policy Report, providing evidence-based recommendations to guide future initiatives. 

• Strengthened international community, with a platform that brings together multidisciplinary experts dedicated to better outcomes for patients and families worldwide. 

Chair and Speakers 

Chair: Prof. Carina Venter, Professor of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital Colorado  

Carina Venter is a Professor of Paediatrics, Section of Allergy/Immunology at the Children's Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, where she is conducting research in allergy prevention and working with children with food allergies. Dr. Venter obtained her B.Sc. Dietetics from the University of the Free State, South Africa and her PhD in Allergy and Immunology from the University of Southampton, UK. She is a registered dietitian in the UK and the United States. She has had publications in international journals, book chapters, and edited a book for the Health Professional's Guide to Nutrition Management of Food Allergies. She is a member of the FPIES guideline group. Dr. Venter is currently the chair of the EAACI work group on Immunomodulation and nutrition. Dr. Venter has received awards from American, British, European, South African and Canadian allergy and nutrition societies and academies for her contributions to the field of allergic diseases.