Álfheiður Ingadóttir
Minister of Health

International Association for Adolescent Health 15th European Annual Meeting
organized by The Icelandic Pediatric Society and
The Icelandic Association of Pediatric and Adolescent Psychiatry
in Reykjavík June 14th – 15th 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Russel Viner, president of the European Section, Mrs. Linda Bearinger president of the IAAH, dear guests,

It is my great pleasure to be here today at the opening of the 15th European Annual Meeting of the International Association for Adolesenct Health.

Your assisiation and conference here today is a sign of the times that we are all getting increasingly aware and conscious of the importance of adolescent health and it is good to see so many pediatricians and pediatric and adolescent psychiatrists gather here in Reykjavik to discuss this very important topic.

Our young ones hold the future of society and their well-being, both mentally and physically is of utmost importance. I hope that this conference will draw attention to the needs of our children and teenagers and provide inspiration both internally within the professional groups and externally to the community-at-large. It is our duty to meet the existing needs of youth in an ambitious manner.

Experience has taught us all that teenagers are sensitive souls – even if they like to put up a tough front. The ordinary teenager will go through physical and mental turbulence – some call it a hormonal roller-coaster. Emotions may swing between the highest of high and the lowest of low in a matter of seconds. The adolescent is in a transition and developing from childhood to maturity– one the most dramatic changes in our lives. This can be a trying experience – as I'm sure we can all agree.

Living under conditions which internally are characterized somewhat by extremes makes you vulnerable to external conditions and pressure.

And during this critical time of life, individuals adapt a lifestyle which will affect their well-being for the rest of their lives. There are temptations lurking around every corner. There is a great deal of peer-pressure, that may sometimes have serious consequences and I must also mention the advertisements and stereotypes for the young who must be healthy, beautiful and not to forget: sexy, even at 10 or 12 years of age.

Lifestyle related disorders which may plague us later in life are rooted in a lifestyle which we adopt during our years of adolescence: Smoking, bad nutritional habits, alcohol and substance abuse and irresponsible sexual behavior.

Scientific research and the application of its results are needed to help society fulfill its responsibility and take care of its youth. Therefore I welcome the opportunity for us to meet all of you so that together we can discuss and learn and improve together towards a common goal of better health of our young people.

As we all know our part of the world is suffering from a grave economic recession – which hit Iceland heavily a year and a half ago.

We must take care not to let the bank crash and the economic consequences it had, result in a social crisis.

Research indicates that children and adolescents are at particular risk of being affected under such critical conditions. The young one is becoming independent enough to be at risk of being forgotten when the attention of adults is directed towards – what seems to be the most important thing at the moment - earning a living or towards recovering from loss of job  crisis. Yet, this is something that must not happen. Therefore, taking good care of the mental well-being of children and adolescents is of paramount importance not only for the individual concerned but for society at large.

All too often, children and teens have to spend much time on waiting for help – waiting for crucial interviews with healthcare personnel. Every child´s or teenager´s name on such a waiting list represents a distraught family – every interview can make a world of difference in the development and mental health of the individual.

Long waiting lists were a problem here in Iceland well before the crash and I wish I could say they were over and dealt with. But no. Not yet. On the other hand I hope that in the next year´s budget, 2011, contrary to cutting, we can change this course for the better.

One of the reasons which have been cited for long waiting lists in Iceland is the fact that relatively few people devote themselves to pediatrics – and all too few to pediatric and adolescent psychiatry.

Therefore I'm pleased to be standing in a room filled with so many of you who have taken the opportunity to spend two days in Iceland two days of learning and co-operating with collegues and hopefully forging new alliances and aqauintances.  

What I would like to ask of you is to get more doctors to join your specialized ranks!

Co-operation and interaction with other nations is of utmost importance. Being big or small we all can gain from the varied and creative input and experience of other nations.

I welcome you all here to this conference and wish you a fruitful and enjoyable two days to come.  Thank you.

(Talað orð gildir)