Dear Colleagues and Friends,

 

You are cordially welcome to Helsinki! We are sure that the 19th ECCMID gives you a unique opportunity to hear and present the latest research and information in the fields of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases and, moreover, to meet your friends, colleagues and world-renowned experts.

 

Helsinki is called Daughter of the Baltic and is home to well over half a million people with almost as many more in its satellite towns. In spite of its size, the city preserves much of the charm of a small Baltic seaport and with the many islands sprinkled in front of it, boasts a remarkable amount of space and greenery. Evidence of Finnish creativity and design is everywhere with many stunning architectural gems, handicrafts, decorative arts and hundreds of pieces of monumental sculpture. Harsh winters, with up to 18 hours of darkness in December or, as compensation, the silvery twilight of a midsummer nightmay have inspired these talents for arts and music.

 

The city of Helsinki and its surroundings offer many opportunities for excursions. Senate Square is the heart of the town with the landmark neoclassical Lutheran Cathedral. Many well-kept parks, museums and art galleries, the colourful Market Place, harbour, shops, cafés and restaurants,make Helsinki a pleasant destination.

 

The duty of all of us, as professionals in the fields of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases is to arrange a better ECCMID every year. In doing so we serve medical and scientific communities to fight against and protect people from infectious diseases, not only in Europe but also in other parts of the world.Moreover, newest scientific achievements and options in diagnostics and treatment are, if possible, more important today, in the middle of worldwide economic uncertainty.

 

On behalf of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases as well as the Finnish clinical microbiology and infectious diseases community we welcome you to the 19th ECCMID in Helsinki.

 

 

Pentti Huovinen 19th ECCMID President

Giuseppe Cornaglia ESCMID President

Andreas Voss ECCMID Programme Director