President Benetos' address and season greetings
Dear colleagues, dear friends,
The end of 2021 comes with very mixed feelings about the COVID pandemic.
On the one hand, the vaccination of the vast majority of European citizens can make us more optimistic; no one today can dispute the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing severe forms of the disease. No one can dispute the spectacular effects of vaccination on contaminations and especially deaths linked to COVID among elderly subjects, especially the most fragile among them.
On the other hand, the evolution of the pandemic following the significant contagiousness of the delta variant and especially the rapid spread of the omicron variant are sources of concern. It is certain that this pandemic, which has now lasted for almost two years, has health, economic and social consequences, which are still difficult to evaluate.
In this unprecedented context, the EuGMS continued its development with several actions to better inform, encourage and support doctors and other healthcare professionals in their action to better protect and care for the elderly.
The Boards, the Special Interest Groups and all the other Working Groups, in particular the Early Carrier Geriatricians and the Global Europe Initiative, functioned in full swing throughout the year 2021. We have developed collaborations with several other Academic Societies of various medical specialties. We have carried out concrete actions with the Presidency of the European Commission in favour of greater participation of the elderly in clinical research studies. We have voted our new Bylaws that correspond better to the development of the EuGMS.
After a digital Congress in October 2020, dedicated to the consequences of COVID in the older adults, we were able to organize and carry out in October 2021 in Athens our annual Congress with a record of attendance with more than 1,600 people from 56 countries, half of them face-to-face and with a scientific but also social and cultural program of a very high level and a great friendly ambiance.
We have also noticed that the number of candidates for the different elections of the boards of our Society has been higher than ever, which is a further indicator of the unprecedented investment of more and more European colleagues in the life of the EuGMS.
I am now completing my two years of Presidency of the EuGMS. Two difficult years, but also very rich in experiences and emotions. Two years of development of the EuGMS on the whole of our continent and above all two years of solidarity and common actions in an atmosphere that is both highly professional and very human and supportive.
I would therefore like to take this opportunity to deeply thank all the colleagues and friends of our Society, my comrades from the various bodies of the EuGMS as well as our secretariat and our PCO Aristea, for their dynamism and their unfailing support for the successful achievement of all these actions during my Presidency.
For the next 2 years, I will continue my action to help the new President Prof. Cornel Sieber in his mission and contribute to the development of EuGMS throughout Europe, especially in countries where geriatrics is less developed.
I close by wishing everyone a Happy New Year 2022 with good health and lots of positive energy to accomplish our collective and individual goals.
Prof Athanase Benetos
EuGMS President
