5th Croatian Epidemiological Congress with international participation

18.-21. May 2023., Osijek, Croatia

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

I am glad that, as the president of the Croatian Epidemiological Society, I can once again invite you all to join us and participate in the work of the 5th Croatian Epidemiological Congress with international participation. The congress titled “Continuity, challenges and the future of epidemiology” will be held from May 18-21, 2023 in Osijek – as the most famous city graffiti says “the unconquered city”. The city with 90-90-90 measures: it is located at 90 m above sea level, the highest point is the Cathedral tower at +90 m and the lowest at -90 m which is the depth of the water well. A city of licitars (colorfully decorated biscuits made of sweet honey dough) and dumplings, but also of residents who will greet you with a somewhat drawn-out “warm Pannonian” pronunciation when you go to meet your friends.

For the last Congress four years ago, I wrote in the introduction that epidemiology as a profession is at a major turning point, faced with the change in morbidity and mortality among the inhabitants of the Republic of Croatia, referring to two leading groups of diseases: diseases of the circulatory system and malignant neoplasms. Furthermore, these are huge public health problems and priorities, and, at the same time, a big challenge for epidemiology as a profession.

I also wrote that epidemiologists never for a moment forget or underestimate the still present potential dangers of certain infectious diseases, which due to globalization and the free flow of people, goods and services, aided by environmental factors, can spread from one hotspot to another at any moment. And then, not even a year after that, the pandemic of the disease COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus happened and is still ongoing. Another proof that we must always be ready to respond to new challenges and that we must be able to face unknown agents in the epidemiology of infectious diseases, as well as to know how to respond to multicausality in chronic non-infectious diseases. All of the above is easier to implement in cooperation with other healthcare and non-healthcare experts, with the support of the healthcare administration, which must significantly support prevention, as well as institutions that deal with organized preventive work, such as the Institute of Public Health. I hope and believe that the announced healthcare reform will show that.

Therefore, I invite you all to join us, because at the congress we expect the participation of numerous scientists and experts from other specialties in addition to epidemiologists. Everyone who wants to make a personal contribution to the success of the 5th Croatian Epidemiological Congress with international participation, either through lectures, e-posters, round tables, workshops or sponsored presentations, is welcome and will be our dear guest.

With expressions of the deepest respect, we look forward to your participation! come and support our work!

Kind regards and see you in Osijek,