Photography for this section by Dr. Steve Hedlund
Conference participants
L-R, Trustee Jose Dahan, Romanian Dr. Marian Vladimir Constantinescu, President Chuck Eller, and Georgia's Professor Vladimer Margvelashvilli
L-R, Trustee Jose Dahan, Vice President Hubert Ouvrard, and German Section Chair Frank Braun
Cologne, Germany
27-28 March 2009
PFA 1st European Conference on Oral Health Promotion
Cologne (Koln), the largest city/port in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of over 1 million, was the host location for the Dental Exhibit, with the capacity to welcome a dental trade show that attracts over 100,000 participants from 57 countries viewing some 1,850 dental exhibits. International Trustee Jose Dahan and German Section Chair Frank Braun hosted a PFA reception with PFA International Officers President Chuck Eller, President-elect Steve Hedlund, and Vice President Hubert Ouvrard in Koln. Present were Belgium representative Dr. Christiaan Colpaert, Latvia representative Dr. Ilza Maldupa, Georgia representative Professor Dr. Vladimer Margvelashivilli, Hungary representative Professor Dr. Nagy Katalin, Poland representative Professor Dr. Eugeniusz Spiechowicz, Romanian representative Professor Dr. Marian Vladimir Constantinescu, and Senegal representatives Dr. Rokhaya Diakhate-NDour and Professor Dr. Malik Sembene.
International Trustee Jose Dahan then addressed the Region 1 activities and a code of honor in determination, dedication, devotion, worship, and perseverance. Professor Dahan suggested having each Section form a committee of three called the Committee for Humanitarian Action in Prevention (CHAP) to attend every dental function in the name of PFA. At the behest of Dr. Bertrand Piccard, President of the International Foundation Against NOMA, that PFA initiate a project in Madagascar and report the results at a 2nd Conference in Brussels during winter 2009.
PFA Vice President Hubert Ouvrard discussed the role of the PFA Foundation in financially supporting research and education. Dr. Ouvrard had the delegates introduce themselves and discuss their professional activities.
Apologies for not being able to attend were received from Czech Professor Dr. J. Vlacek, Ireland's Dr. Ch. Lynch, Italy's Professor A. Pantarotto, Kenya's Professor P. Patel, The Netherlands' Dr. J. Van De Pol, Portugal's Dr. G. Alforado, and Swiss Chairman Rolland Soellner. The PFA event was held at the Allegro during the World's Dental Fair after a short address by German Section Chair Frank Braun. President Chuck Eller followed with a description of the PFA mission. President-elect Steve Hedlund discussed the PFA Foundation.
Dr. Charles Pilipili, Director of the Pediatric Department at the University of Louvain (Belgium), was the keynote speaker and gave an inspiring presentation on healthcare in normal and disabled children. The German Section sponsored a repast at a typical German Beer Garten near the beautiful Cologne Cathedral where they inducted three new Fellows.