The Arab Medical Union in Europe ( ArabMed)  

Brief Profile and Recent Work

 This brief report summary will highlight the Arab Medical Union’s profile and its major recent work. However, the Arab Medical Union was first established in Germany 1983 and has now branches in several European Countries including France, Italy, Germany and the UK with over 2000 members. Proposals and plan are underway to have branches in other European countries to accommodate the needs of our members who work in main land Europe and beyond.     

The aims of this professional body - which is open to all Arab doctors and professionals working in the allied fields to medicine- are two fold. That is first to promote knowledge, links and enhance cooperative scientific activities including joint medical research work among its members and others colleagues who work in the same fields in Europe and elsewhere. The second major task of this professional body is to contribute and engage in the medical relief efforts which might be needed in various disaster regions including war, famine  and areas hit by ethnic conflict etc.   The ArabMed union relief effort team particularly in the last decade made vital contributions and used its medical expertise in the training of local professionals and treatment of patient in many disaster regions. For examples in Bosnia, Kosovo, Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somali and Sudan.  Medical supplies were also covered and included in many of the  relief  efforts conducted by the ArabMed in the recent past.

 On the other hand, the Arab Medical Union in Europe publishes and for several years now ( since 1991, 3 times a year) our widely circulated ArabMed Journal.  The journal tends to promote medical, scientific and ethical knowledge and publish highly authoritative medical papers in three language English, German and Arabic.  Work in progress, UN initiatives, scientific meetings and relief activities are also highlighted in the journal. Furthermore, the ArabMed Scientific Committee annually takes the task of organising the AraMed annual conference which is often held in a chosen European city.  Here are few examples of our more recent annual conferences, Munich 1998, Dusseldorf 1999, Dubai 2000, Hannover 2001, London is chosen to be the host and the venue of 2002 conference, i.e., the ArabMed 19^th annual conference, September 27^th-29^th, 2002 and our 20^th annual conference was held in Bonn 2003.   And our forthcoming one will be in Istanbul August 6-12,2004. However, we have included for information- copies the ArabMed Journals and conference programmes in the website.

 We are at the ArabMed often overwhelmed and take pride by the responses of our members to both our annual conferences and journal articles contributions.   It worth noting at this stage that almost all our delegates who attended previous conferences with their families provided very positive feedback comments on the scientific programme and the social events which take place during the conference.

 Additionally, the Arab Medical Union in Europe  web site on the internet is now fully functional. Hence our web site (www.arbmed.de) tends to promote our main activities (mentioned above) in three language (Arabic, English & German), and to a large audience including a wide range of professionals who may be interested in our activities, and of course to the main users of the health services . That is to the public at large whose well-being is also our main concern. 

Focusing on cooperation and links, the Arab Medical union has co-operated and maintained good relationships and throughout the years with several international and professionals bodies such as the World Health Organisation (Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean); Department of Health and Medical Services in the Arab World; the Medical Associations in the region; Federation of Islamic Medical Association as well as with the Red Cross, Red Crescent Societies and other European Medical agencies.

 Finally, our future and strategic plan which recently approved (in a meeting in Frankfurt on April 7^th, 2002 by both the ArabMed Governing Council and ArabMed Consultative Board) included the establishment of the the Arab Academy of Medical Science (HQ in London).   This grand initiative has been proposed as strategic plan for the future. Though the WHO(ie,  the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean) has been informed and promised to lend us with some technical support to achieve this task which will certainly benefit the whole population in the region.