9th Council Meeting
held on 15th-18th October 2009 in Bad Hofgastein (Austria)

Participants of the meeting were delegates from 18 countries: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway as well as Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Report on the negotiations with the World Health Organization (WHO) concerning the initiation of a World Ankylosing Spondylitis Day by ASIF President Dr Jon Erlendsson (Denmark).
Executive Committee member Jane Skerrett (Great Britain) reported on the admission of ASIF into «People with Arthritis/Rheumatism in Europe» (PARE).

Presentations of three successful national campaignings:
Seoirse Smith (Ireland) presented a campaign, in which a famous sportsman was included.
Laurence Carton (France) talked about the advertising campaign «On Board Against Ankylosing Spondylitis».
The Swiss campaign included a bike-tour with informative events on ankylosing spondylitis. It was presented by René Bräm.

ASIF president and rheumatologist Dr Jon Erlendsson gave a lecture on spinal fractures in AS patients. In his presentation «We are not Like the Others» he explained why it is so important for health personnel to know the right precautions when dealing with AS-patient with a spinal injury. Vice-president Ernst Feldtkeller (Germany) distributed a leaflet that shows how to bed, to give artificial respiration and narcosis to injured AS patients.

Dr Gudrun Lind-Albrecht (Germany), former head physician of the Gasteiner Heilstollen, gave a lecture on multimodal treatment strategy including patient education.
Visit to the Gasteiner Heilstollen, where the radon therapy and rehabilitation treatments were presented. So the delegates could experience the effect of the therapy by themselves. By the way, the Gasteiner Heilstollen has the highest number of AS patient worldwide.

Report by Ruth Kurz (Austria) on the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in her country.

Future goals and challenges for ASIF were discussed in three workshops. They contained different subjects such as under-researched areas of importance for patients with AS and the possibility to submit proposals to ASIF members in the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society (ASAS). The results of the workshops were presented.

The meeting also included an excursion to Salzburg with sightseeing tour and «Mozart Dinner Concert».

A new ASIF-president and vice-president
Elections of the ASIF Executive Committee were an important issue: Jon Erlendsson decided to step down as the president. Seoirse Smith (Ireland) was elected as the new president of the ASIF Executive Committee. Moreover, vice president Ernst Feldtkeller withdrew his candidacy. He was replaced by Hedley Hamilton (Great Britain).
Dr Tuncay Duruöz (Turkey) was elected as the new member of the ASIF Executive Committee.

 

Participants of the 9th ASIF Council meeting during their excursion to Salzburg, Austria.

The former and new president of the ASIF Executive Committee: Dr Jon Erlendsson and. Seoirse Smith.

The new vice president Hedley Hamilton and ASIF secretary Ken Mulholland (Canada).

View of the scenery around Bad Hofgastein, a world famous resort in Austria.

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