During the days of the Fifth Congress of Urologists of Uzbekistan, the Chairman of the Board and Owner of “BIONORICA SE” Company, Professor Michael Popp, visited a Psychoneurological Clinic named after Kurbanov for treatment and rehabilitation of children afflicted with infantile cerebral palsy. For more than a decade, ill children from Germany, Uzbekistan and other countries have been receiving assistance from Natureheart Charity Foundation (previously known as Phytokids and Leon Heart Foundation) established upon the initiative of Professor Michael Popp. Within these frameworks, regular joint charity events have been organized for children at this Tashkent-based hospital in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan since 2011.                   Uzbek-German humanitarian collaboration along these lines resulted in setting up a rehabilitation playroom “Phytoland” in 2011 at the clinic named after Kurbanov followed by opening a sensory room in 2012 – a specially equipped room designed for therapeutic and rehabilitation sessions for children with deviations in their development, and installation of an X-ray machine in 2013, renovation and launching of two classrooms in 2016, and a computer class that was opened in 2017 and equipped with a sensory board and latest computers to give a child with mobility impairments a chance in the future, which he or she did not have previously, to engage into highly skilled and high-paying work and send it to employers electronically via e-mail and feel like everybody else. During the visit, Professor Michael Popp discussed prospects of organizing future charity events and was informed about the operation of children’s rooms and classrooms created by the foundation and about how the previously provided equipment had been used. A concert with participation of little patients of the clinic was organized to honour his visit. All children received gifts and books.                   A sensory room is a specially equipped room designed for therapeutic and preventive  sessions necessary for children with deviations in their development THE HISTORY OF ORGANIZING CHARITY EVENTS FOR CHILDREN. FROM PHYTOKIDS AND LEON HEART FOUNDATION TO NATUREHEART FOUNDATION Besides production and research of phytomedicines, “Bionorica SE” also conducts charity events for children. In 2007, Professor Michael Popp – the owner of the company – set up the Phytokids Charity Fund, which received a new name Leon Heart Foundation in 2015. A lion is symbol of protection of children and embodies the purpose of the foundation: “Children fight as lions to achieve good health. And the foundation will also fight like a lion to create better life for children,” – explained Professor Michael Popp. The Leon Heart Foundation has been recently renamed into Natureheart Foundation for Kids. The foundation has been renamed to reflect its restructuring. The overarching goal of the foundation is still about helping children and adolescents at social care and health care institutions in Germany and many other countries around the world. Reorientation of the groundwork and subsequent renaming are related, in no small measure, to a socially significant antibiotic resistance theme. Excessively frequent and inappropriate use of antibiotics results in increased risks for microbioms, i.e., microbiological diversity in a human body. “Here, we intend to bring the power of nature closer to children and their parents and send a clear message that in most areas of use there are effective alternative medicines or therapeutic concepts that are natural, based on plants,” – says Professor Michael Popp. Relevant scientific education is one of the central objectives of the new foundation for children of nature. “Medical Express” correspondent  “Medical Express” photo and video reporter                   A concert with participation of little patients of the clinic was organized in honour of the visit of Chairman of the Board and Owner of “BIONORICA SE” Company, Professor Michael Popp                 A computer class equipped with a sensory board and latest computers                                                                                                                                                                      

More than 1200 internists from across Europe and the world gathered in Amsterdam to attend the 15th European Congress of Internal Medicine on September 2 - 3. Prof. Mark Kramer, the Chair of the ECIM 2016, and Dr. Frank Bosch, the EFIM President, welcomed the participants during the opening ceremony. The largest number of participants came from Portugal (319) and Turkey (273), followed by Spain (134), Netherlands (85), Romania (47) and UK (42).  The scientific program focused on topics relevant for the internal medicine in the 21st century in line with the slogan of the congress: “Connecting with the Patient”. 12 Plenary sessions, 24 parallel sessions and 2 workshops were presented by well know clinicians from around the world. Prof. Rudi Westendorp from the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen addressed the audience with his presentation entitled “Ageing People - Who is at Risk?” discussing the innovative solutions for promoting healthy living and active aging. Prof. Victor Montori presented the challenges associated with caring for patients whose life is complex because of accumulation of multiple chronic conditions. Other sessions included global climate change and health, patient advocacy, and education in the 21st century. Participants at the congress had the honor to listen to Wouter Bos, Netherlands former Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister discussing the modern society, changing expectations and the impact in the medical sector. A one day Ultrasound for Internal Medicine Workshop was organized in collaboration with VUmc Amsterdam and Philips on Sunday 4 September for all practicing internists and internists in training interested to gain proficiency in the use of ultrasound in clinical practice. A total of 1023 abstracts from authors in 45 different countries were accepted for electronic poster presentation during the congress. The greatest number of submitted abstracts came from Portugal, Spain and Turkey, followed by Tunisia, Greece and UK. During the Congress, 3 outstanding posters were selected to be presented by the authors in a special session. FDIME presented the Research Grant for 2015 and awarded 3 best poster awards. Like in previous congresses, the best case reports were selected together by EFIM Young Internists and the European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine. In addition to the inspiring and innovative lectures, the congress offered a serious game “The Battle”, which was introduced using an interactive format developed by the Section of Acute Medicine of the Erasmus University Medical Centre in Rotterdam. During this battle, teams consisting of 3 to 4 participants competed with each other in treating acutely ill patients. The 3 winning teams received their prizes during the Best Poster Award session. During the congress, a Young Internists Corner was organized where varied and interactive program of debates and meet-the-expert sessions were held. The young internists had the opportunity to debate on Choosing Wisely at the End-of-Life session with well-known experts. The two-day event concluded on, Saturday September 3, with a short introduction of new EFIM President, Prof. Runolfur Palsson who welcomed the participants to the next European Congress of Internal Medicine in Milan on September 1 and 2 of 2017. The congress was granted 12 CME credits by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). http://www.ecim2016.org/ Aneta Trajkovska EFIM Executive Manager Photo and video corr. by Medical Express. Photo report of the 15th European Congress of Internal Medicine                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

14-th European  Congress  of  Internal  Medicine The X Anniversary National Congress of Russian Internists and the 14th European Congress of Internal Medicine (ECIM) On 14- 16 October, 2015, the X National Congress of Russian Internists and the 14th European Congress of Internal Medicine (ECIM) took place at Moscow’s International Exhibition Center “Crocus Expo”. They were organized by the Russian Scientific Medical Society of Internal Medicine (RSMSIM) with the support of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, a general partner of the congress, a pharmaceutical firm GSK Consumer Healthcare, official event sponsors including Dr. Reddy’s, Bayer, Sanofi, Zentiva (a company in Sanofi group) and Takeda. Gedeon Richter and Niarmedik were sponsors of young internists. The opening ceremonies were held for the 14th European Congress of  Internal Medicine (a link to the video   first part  second part ) and X National Congress of  Russian Internists (a link to the video   first part  second part ). The President of the European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM), Frank Bosch, and President of RSMSIM, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Anatoly Martynov, addressed to all present with salutatory speeches. Minister of Health of the Russian Federation, Veronika Skvortsova, welcomed the participants on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation. The attendees were honored to have Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Nobel Laureate, Evgeny Chazov (a link to the video), and Vice-President of  Russian Railways for Healthcare and pilot-cosmonaut, Oleg Atkov, who delivered their honorary lectures (a link to the video). In their speeches, they outlined key achievements in Internal Medicine over the recent decade. A broad variety of presentations were delivered during the 14th European Congress of Internal Medicine (ECIM): “Ultrasound and Internal Medicine” by Dr. Frank Bosch (Arnhem, the Netherlands), the President of the European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM) (a link to the video), “The New Guidelines on Pericardial Diseases: an Overview for the Internist” by Dr. Antonio Brucato (Bergamo, Italy) (a link to the video), “Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment – Problem of Modern Medicine” by Dr. Lubos Kotic (Prague, Czech Republic) (a link to the video), “Actual Therapy Strategies of Diabetes Treatment Type 2 Diabetes” by Dr. Petra-Maria Schumm Draeger (Munich, Germany) (a link to the video), “Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms in Non-ischemic Heart Failure” by Director General of the V. A. Almazov North-Western Federal Medical Research Center, the President of the Russian Society of Cardiology, RAS Academician, Evgeny Shlyakhto (Moscow, Russia) (a link to the video), “Arterial Hypertension: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” by Chief Freelance Cardiologist of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, the President of the Russian Medical Society on Arterial Hypertension (RMSAH), the Vice President of the National Stroke Association (NSA), the Russian Society of Cardiology, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Irina Chazova (Moscow, Russia) (a link to the video), and “Evaluating the Effectiveness of Long-term Treatment with Beta-blockers in the Quality of Life of Patients with Chronic Heart Failure” by Deputy Director on Scientific Research from the Republican Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Therapy and Medical Rehabilitation, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Umida Kamilova (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) (a link to the video). RAS Academician Anatoliy Martynov (Moscow, Russia) delivered an address at the plenary session of the National Congress of Russian Internists “10 years: Contemporary History of  RSMSIM” and Sergey Boytsov (Moscow, Russia) made a presentation entitled “Epidemiology and Prevention of  Noncommunicable Diseases in the Russian Federation”. Furthermore, Z.Z. Balkizov (Moscow, Russia) presented his speech on “New Principles of Continuous Medical Education. The congress also hosted a number of symposia: “Urgent Issues of Chronic Heart Failure in the Practice of an Internist. Jointly with RSMSIM, Russian Society of Heart Failure Specialists (RSHFS), Eurasian Association of Therapists (EAT), “Relevance for Practice (a symposium dedicated to the memory of V.P. Pomerantsev)”, “Urgent Issues of Internal Medicine”, “Systemic and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertensions: Similarities and Differences”, “New Possibilities of Diagnostics and Treatment of Vascular Pathologies in the Clinical Picture of Internal Diseases”, “Nephrology Problems in the Practice of an Internist”, “Dorsopathies. What a Primary Care Physician Should Know and Do”, “Innovations in Gastroenterology”, “Secondary Prevention of Myocardial Infarction and Acute Cerebral Circulation Disorders”, “Topical Therapy Aspects of Occupational Medicine”, “Deep Venous Thrombosis and Pulmonary Artery Thromboembolia (PATE): Complex Issues in Daily Practice. Jointly with the Russian Association of Phlebologists, jointly with EAT”, “Chronic Kidney Disease in Real Clinical Practice”, “Stable Forms of Ischemic Heart Disease in an Internist’s Practice. Complex Issues of Drug Therapy”, “An Elderly Patient in Practical Internal Medicine: Modern Principles of Geriatrics”, “Urgent Issues of Internal Medicine” within the frameworks of which, Anatoliy Martynov (Moscow, Russia) delivered a presentation “Diabetes and Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) – How to Help without Harm?”, “Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Complex Issues of Treatment in Practical Internal Medicine”, “Diabetes Mellitus in Daily Practice of an Internist. Complex and Unresolved Questions. Joint Session of RSMSIM and EAT”, “Modern Medication Techniques in Rheumatology Practice”, “Comorbidity in an Internist’s Practice: Solving Complex Problems”, “Choosing Drug Doses for Patients with Chronic Liver and Kidney Diseases”. There were also satellite symposia of Boehringer Ingelheim Company “Prevention of Stroke during Atrial Fibrillation According to Real Data from Clinical Practice”, Novartis Consumer Health Company – “Modern Approaches to Treatment of Rhinitis of Various Genesis”, Takeda Company – “A High-risk Hypertension Patient: Who is this?”, “Diuretics. Coordinated and Non-coordinated Positions”, Egis Company – “Arterial Hypertension and Dyslipidemia: Key Areas of Treating a Patient with a High Cardiovascular Risk”, and a satellite symposium of Materia Medica Company – “Innovations in the Area of Respiratory Infections: a Path from Research to Practice”, a satellite symposium of Bayer Company – “A Consensus on Managing Patients with Osteoarthrosis and Comorbidity in General Practice”. The general partner of the congress, Novartis Consumer Health, also hosted a satellite symposium “Pain Management for Articular Syndrome in Elderly Patients: Problem and Solutions”, which was a platform for the following presentations: “Comorbidity during Ostheoarthrosis. The Problem of Treatment” (a link to the video) by V. V. Badokin (Moscow, Russia) , “Ostheoarthrosis with Deposition of Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystals. From Clinical Examples to European Recommendations on Diagnosis and Treatment” by V. V. Tsurko (Moscow, Russia)  (a link to the video) , and “Specific Features of Using Non-steroid Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in Elderly Patients: A View of a Clinical Pharmacologist” by D. A. Sychev (Moscow, Russia)  (a link to the video) and others. Master classes such as “Prevention of Sudden Death in an Internist’s Practice”, “A Strategy of Determining Doses of Nephrotoxic Drugs for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease (antibiotics, NSAIDs, statins, and diuretics)”, and “Differential Diagnostics of Ascites in an Internist’s Practice” as well as others were held during the congress. Over 9,000 delegates from more than 70 countries around the world took part in the congress.  (a link to the video)   Corr. of Medical Express. Photo and video corr. by Medical Express.   Photo report of the 14th European Congress of Internal Medicine                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       The general partner of the congress, Novartis Consumer Health hosted a satellite symposium “Pain Management for Articular Syndrome in Elderly Patients: Problem and Solutions”, which was a platform for the following presentation:  “Ostheoarthrosis with Deposition of Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystals. From Clinical Examples to European Recommendations on Diagnosis and Treatment” by V. V. Tsurko (Moscow, Russia)  (a link to the video) The general partner of the congress, Novartis Consumer Health hosted a satellite symposium “Pain Management for Articular Syndrome in Elderly Patients: Problem and Solutions”, which was a platform for the following presentation: “Comorbidity during Ostheoarthrosis. The Problem of Treatment”  by V. V. Badokin (Moscow, Russia) (a link to the video) The general partner of the congress, Novartis Consumer Health hosted a satellite symposium “Pain Management for Articular Syndrome in Elderly Patients: Problem and Solutions”, which was a platform for the following presentation: “Specific Features of Using Non-steroid Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) in Elderly Patients: A View of a Clinical Pharmacologist” by D. A. Sychev (Moscow, Russia)  (a link to the video)