2013 SOE congress opens in Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Enlivened by the music of Verdi, Puccini, Lehar and Gershwin, the European Society of Ophthalmology congress was opened June 8 by SOE President Stefan Seregard, MD, PhD.

In his speech, Seregard reminded the audience that the reason to gather at such a comprehensive and extensive congress is "to teach and learn for the benefit of the patients."

Stefan Seregard

"In our days, people still lose sight, and by losing sight they risk losing their friends, their jobs and even their home. We know that there is an association between visual impairment and social deprivation," he said.

Ophthalmologists have "a moral obligation to preserve vision whenever they can," and even beyond their role as physicians, "remove whatever economical, bureaucratic, logistical and technical obstacles that might stand in the way of the patients’ right to have the best of eye care," Seregard said.

Working together to achieve common goals has become increasingly important for scientific societies in the context of a globalized world, David W. Parke II, MD, executive vice president and CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, said.

"In a rapidly changing environment, ophthalmology societies face a more complex task than ever. More and more our efforts deal with issues of guidelines, clinical data registries, computer-based assessment tools, patient education and Web-based learning resources. We are a global community, and our major organizations are now global in their scope," Parke said.

During the opening ceremony, the Charamis Medal was awarded to Ioannis Pallikaris, MD, PhD, the Henkes Medal to Luc Missotten, MD, and the Mark Tso Golden Apple Award for education to Gabriel van Rij, MD, PhD.

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