Presidential address 2022 by Cornel Sieber
There is a crack in everything,
that's how the light gets in
(Leonard Cohen)
Dear Colleagues, dear Friends,
receive my best wishes for a Happy, Healthy and Proactive 2022!
As we enter the third year of the pandemia with SARS-CoV-2 virus, more and more encouraging crackles – drugs besides vaccines - can be seen and so we will overcome the challenges and sad losses in many domains of our professional and personal lives. So, two years ago, nobody would have thought how the WHO proclaimed Decade of Healthy Aging 2020-2030 would demand all our enthusiasm to proceed this slogan with one common goal and plan.
As with all challenges, we were and are forced to stand still, reflect, set priorities and by this also have the chance to direct sunbeams into a prosperous future. This holds true for the activities of EuGMS as a scientific Society for its own development and priority setting as well as for our common task, the care for older adults and its visibility as a fundamental “tasty” ingredient of health provision in all our member countries.
The pandemia has also shown how important the over the years established role the European Geriatric Medicine Society has and how it can contribute to a better care of a still scientifically underrepresented but quantitatively big part of members in our societies. This holds true not just in research and teaching, but also on a political level. This should also be a major focus for our activities in 2022.
The last two years have also shed light how we interact and meet as a widely diversified scientific Society. Who would have thought that we can also productively interact not just physically, but also virtually, even we all missed and still miss personal encounters to smell the flavour of an engaged “fan-club” for older persons. Modern technologies have helped us to continue with core goals as integration of all European countries in our activities, tailored educational programs and new collaborations with other European and global societies. Our outreach is now broader, facilitated and more inclusive for those not being able to always be physically present at our different meetings all over the year and the important annual congress due to many different reasons.
“Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four” (The Beatles). Yes, we as members of EuGMS are convinced, that due to the help of basic and clinical research as well as treatment developments by many Geriatricians, a prosperous future also holds true for many older adults beyond the age of 80 years. In autumn 2022 in London, we will hear where we stand now and where we should and want enlighten the fog of knowledge for the years to come.
Best wishes for 2022 and warm regards
Yours
Professor Cornel Sieber
EuGMS president
