The human face of medicine in a hi-tech world - 15. þing norrænna heimilislækna í Reykjavík

Hanna Katrín Friðriksson aðstoðarmaður heilbrigðis- og tryggingamálalráðherra ávarpaði 15. þing norrænna heimilislækna í fjarveru Guðlaugs Þórs Þórðarsonar heilbrigðisráðherra þann 14. júní 2007. Þingið var haldið í Reykjavík dagana 13.-16. júní. Um 1.300 manns frá 19 löndum sóttu þingið. Þetta er fyrsta þing norrænna heimilislækna sem einnig er alþjóðlegt. Yfirskrift þingsins var "The human face of medicine in a hi-tech world" sem þýða mætti sem Mannleg hlið læknisfræðinnar í hátækniheimi. Á þinginu voru um 200 vísindaviðburðir; fyrirlestrar, málþing, málstofur og veggspjaldasýningar.

Dear health care physicians and other guests:

The Minister for Health and Social Services asked me to give you his best regards.

It is often said that the health services of each country are among the services which tell us most about that particular society.

In Iceland, all of the political parties have made a point of trying to ensure that every resident has equal access to health services, regardless of age, financial circumstances or social status.

One characteristic aspect of health care is close contact between the physician and patient. It is precisely this contact which entails great opportunities for the health services, not least in such fields as preventive measures.

By virtue of this contact, you can counsel patients on what will benefit them most, revealing to them what they can do themselves to improve their own health or directing their attention to the responsibility that each of us has for our own health. These factors are important for achieving results in warding off chronic illnesses through systematic preventive action.

Your position in this matter is very important, since it is conceivable that under your leadership it will be possible to establish cooperation among the many figures who naturally have to be involved both in preventive medicine and also in the attempt to make patients and the public aware of the complex interplay of factors leading to most illnesses.

This has always been a focal point of Icelandic activities in the international arena, for example concerning the World Health Organisation (WHO), with Iceland emphasising that this calls for a joint undertaking by health authorities and professionals as well as by NGOs.

Each and every one of us must her- or himself learn to shoulder a greater responsibility for our own state of health; therefore, we have to be able to look to you as our health care physicians. During the coming years and decades, it will be exactly this factor, individual responsibility, which will increasingly lead the discussion on health affairs. Such concepts as prevention, public health and responsibility for one's own health will become ever more customary for us in the future.

Populations are becoming heavier, lack of exercise is a growing problem, and the West is constantly more plagued by so-called lifestyle or prosperity illnesses.

In this respect Iceland is no exception, so governmental authorities have, for instance, responded by analysing the problems connected to unhealthy living patterns, obesity, eating disorders and lack of exercise, and have presented proposals on coordinated actions to address related issues. These responses followed a parliamentary resolution in which Parliament was reacting to repeated warnings from the WHO stating that today's physiques were the most underrated health challenge of our time. According to the WHO, over 70% of such problems may be traced to individual lifestyles, environmental factors and other aspects that anyone can influence to some extent. I also pointed out earlier that with a view to the future, your association and health authorities need to make a tremendous attempt to inform the public of these facts and wholeheartedly encourage healthy lifestyles.

As in so many other respects, each of us determines our own fate; nonetheless, it sometimes takes a health care physician to open our eyes to what we ourselves can do.

I do hope that you, our foreign guests, will enjoy your stay here in Iceland and

I’m sure that all of you will benefit from this ambitious program that lies ahead.

Thank you.

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