PRESS RELEASE

The 35th Balkan Medical Week, held in Athens, Greece on 25-27 September 2018 under the general topic: "Healthy Ageing: an endless challenge" was successfully completed recently.

The congress was attended by more than 600 registered scientists and students of multidisciplinary fields from the Balkan countries, members of the Balkan Medical Union; Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, FYROM, Greece, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Turkey. Moreover, professors and young scientists from Switzerland, France, Belgium, China, Kazakhstan and Ukraine participated in the congress this year. The active participation of members of the French National Academy of Medicine in the Balkan Medical Weeks designates the strong bonds of the Balkan Medical Union with France.

An exciting scientific program focusing on healthy ageing, intended to encourage collaboration, exchange of knowledge and experience among scientists within and beyond the Balkans. The congresses of the Balkan Medical Union, since 1932, aim to promote medical knowledge and create a strong health network in Balkan countries, but also to serve and endorse the fundamental goal of the Union, "Santé, Amitié, Paix" - Health, Friendship, Peace.

The opening ceremony of the 35th Balkan Medical Week took place at the central historical building of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens on Tuesday 25/9. The ceremony was attended by more than 500 distinguished scientists, academicians, professors and students.

The Presidents of the organizing committee of the congress, Assoc. Professor Theodore Papaioannou and Assoc. Professor Marianna Karamanou, President of the Hellenic Section of the B.M.U., presented the main features of the congress' scientific program and activities (i.e. satellite conference on history of geriatrics, 40 sessions in various topics related to ageing, 120 chairpersons, 280 abstracts and 216 oral presentations) as well as the history of the first years of the establishment of the Balkan Medical Union during 1929-1932. The main objectives and the history of Balkan Medical Weeks were presented by the international Secretary General of the Balkan Medical Union, Assoc. Professor Camelia Diaconu.

The central keynote lecture of the opening ceremony "Understanding the molecular underpinnings of ageing" was given by Prof. Nektarios Tavernarakis at the Medical School of the University of Crete and President of the Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH).

During the ceremony, the Balkan Medical Union awarded three internationally distinguished Greek professors for their exceptional research, clinical, educational and academic work. The "Achievement Award on Oncology-Hematology" was presented to Prof. Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos, Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, by the Academician Pierre-Francois Plouin of the French National Academy of Medicine. The "Achievement Award on Surgical Oncology" was presented to Prof. Odysseas-Ioannis Zoras, Rector of the University of Crete, by the Prof. Daniela Bartos, past president of the B.M.U. and former Minister of health of Romania. The "Achievement Award on Cardiology" was presented to the Honorary and Emeritus Prof. Christodoulos Stefanadis of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and President of the Research Institute for Longevity and Prevention of Aging Diseases, by the international Secretary General of the Balkan Medical Union, Camelia Diaconu, Assoc. Professor in "Carol Davila" University at Bucharest.

The three past presidents of the Hellenic Section of the Balkan Medical Union were honored for their contribution to the Union's promotion and activities; Emeritus Prof. Niki Agnantis, Emeritus Prof. George Androutsos and Assoc. Prof. Ioannis Karaitianos.

The opening ceremony of the 35th Balkan Medical Week was closed by the musical ensemble "Allegria", with music of Goran Bregovic and Manos Hatzidakis.