Northern European Conference on Travel Medicine (NECTM2)
21–24 May 2008, Helsinki
This was classed as a “regional” meeting supported by the International Society of Travel Medicine, but over 800 delegates represented 37 countries at this truly international get together in the land of saunas and Sibelius. Sandra Grieve gives an overview.
The aim of NECTM2 was to share new evidence-based research on travel medicine issues, focusing particularly on those related to travel in the Northern European Region, and addressing issues of public health importance in a global context. Local themes included travellers’ health in Russia and the Baltic countries with related sessions looking at issues for travellers and health professionals from each side of these borders.
The scientific programme looked at the full range of travel-related diseases, from prevention through to diagnosis and treatment – both re-emerging “old” diseases and newly emerging trends and diseases, including their impact on individuals and host countries.
With more travellers going further afield, cultural issues and the responsibilities to the host countries and the wider global impact of health tourism were hot topics for discussion. The Finns proved what wonderful organisers they were and the conference did not disappoint in any way.
In the hot seat
The opening ceremony was an opportunity to meet with friends from far and wide. The social programme included a reception at Helsinki City Hall followed by a session in the sauna where beer and barbequed sausage were on the menu in true Finnish style.
The Conference Dinner is the social highlight of any conference and delegates were not disappointed. A wonderful quartet entertained the diners and serenaded the organising chairs who made such a conference possible.
The sun shone throughout the week, and having the perfect location of the Congress Centre overlooking the Marina was a wonderful boost for many delegates leaving winter behind in their home country.
Flying the flag
The Travel Health Forum (THF) was actively involved in the planning and execution of this meeting, and committed to highlighting the work of nurses from the United Kingdom within the international community in the field of travel medicine. Our poster was on display (somewhat later then intended as it was lost in transit) and the RCN stand was manned by the forum committee.
With travel health mainly nurse-led in the UK, but not in other countries, it was important for us to emphasise the role of education and the admission of nurses to the Faculty of Travel Medicine (FTM) at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG).
The previous Chair of the Travel Health Forum, Jane Chiodini, presented an overview of the development and importance of our Competencies for practice for nurses in the field. As the current Chair, I was involved in chairing sessions on epidemiology related to global issues on measles and the new vaccine development for the prevention of Japanese encephalitis, as well as the role of education in Northern European countries.
This debate showed how advanced travel medicine education is in the UK compared to other European countries and how nurses in these countries are less involved in delivering travel health services.
This was a valuable meeting for the forum and we have been invited to participate in the next meeting (NECTM3) taking place in Hamburg in 2010. Both ourselves and the RCN should capitalise on the fact that the speciality is nurse-led in the UK. Issues surrounding the international spread of disease through travel are well addressed as global public health issues which can be highlighted through organisations like the RCN and the international network of nurses and other health professionals involved in the speciality.