The Global Europe Initiative - GEI

Dear colleagues and friends,

Recently, the European Society of Geriatric Medicine (EuGMS) took the initiative to reinforce its actions in spreading the educational activities and high professional standards across European continent and in particular in the countries where geriatric medicine is still emerging or has yet to obtain well-established professional and scientific independence and recognition. In addition, similarly to most other European Academic Medical Societies, EuGMS aims to reinforce the relations and collaboration with non-European Mediterranean countries in which an increasing number of physicians try to develop the geriatric medicine.

In order to accomplish these ambitious goals, EuGMS created the Global Europe Initiative (GEI) group which includes members of the Executive Board and young active members of the EuGMS coming from Eastern Europe, South-Eastern Europe, the Balkans , and Mediterranean countries.

According to the EuGMS statistics, 50% of the participants in our annual congresses come from 5 out of the 33 European countries-members of the EuGMS and out of the 53 countries included in the list of the WHO for the European region. Similar figures are also observed in other activities of the Society, such as the Special Interest Groups, Task & Finish groups, education and research activities, etc.

Thus, with the support of the Executive and the General Assembly of our Society, GEI develops concrete actions within three axes:

  1. Mapping Geriatric Medicine throughout the European region
    Establishing stable connections and collaboration with the countries where geriatric medicine is till emerging will only be possible through reliable and reactive referent persons. Members of the GEI Group are invited to share personal contacts with the Group and to set professional basis for future joint actions. The GEI group has already identified such referent persons in more than 10 countries with the above described characteristics.
  2. Facilitate the participation in the annual Congress of the EuGMS
    GEI decided to propose scientific and financial opportunities for junior physicians, medical students and other health professionals coming from these countries. In this respect, we have already proposed some financial facilities for participating in the Berlin Congress and such measurements have now been significantly amplified for the upcoming Cracow Congress.
  3. Promote joint actions (seminars, workshops etc.) with local societies and groups of physicians in different countries. Since the creation of the GEI group several joint actions have been developed or are scheduled for 2019 in many countries targeted by the GEI group.

We are convinced that the GEI will make EuGMS stronger by:

  • Increasing the number of individuals and countries participating in the academic activities of the EuGMS, 
  • Promoting the development of geriatrics in the countries where geriatric medicine is still emerging
  • Developing contacts and collaborations among physicians and other health professionals from countries with different cultures, social and health care systems.

Discover SPRIN-G - Ageing Trajectories
An educational project and annual event of the EuGMS Global Europe Initiative
SPRIN-G 2022, June 7-8th , Interest and impact of diet patterns on the trajectory of neurocognitive decline

Prof. Athanase Benetos
Immediate Past President
Coordinator of the GEI group