Dear colleagues, friends, and partners!
I would like to welcome you as the new president of EHF. It is a privilege and honor to serve in this position for the next two years, doing so, I thank the Council for putting their trust in me. I will continue the hard work made by the past presidents, Prof. Zaza Katsarava and Prof. Paolo Martelletti. Their visions, leadership and energy have brought about many significant and positive developments to ensure our leadership across headache science all over Europe.
With my election and the election of the new board, EHF can feel confident, that we as an organization are inclusive, multidisciplinary, working hard and progressive.
Today I would like to share an overview of my Presidency plan.
My vision for EHF is to strengthen and enlarge our leadership in headache across Europe by the following pillars:
- Advancing our educational national and transnational portfolio
- Increase the awareness of headache disorders to reduce the burden of the diseases - on the one hand at the side of physicians, on the other side on the level of health policy within the European Union (EU) and at national levels
- Expanding the EHF profile by supporting transnational research, in developing position papers / recommendations across the field of headache science
- Keep close contact and engagement with member states, so that they are appreciated and feel there is a major value in being part of the broad EHF community
- Continue and enhance the status of the exceptional “School of advanced Studies – SAS” with a new position, so called “Director of SAS”, being also a board member “ex officio”
- Making clearer and more visible that the Journal of Headache and Pain – JHP is the core journal of our Federation and the Editor in Chief is a board member “ex officio”
All these activities will enhance our reach, range of influence and will give a boost to form our community. We must be the key organisation for driving policy change at an EU level underpinned by our education and research initiatives. I will of course continue to support Springer and team with their great work they do with the Journal of Headache and Pain.
In December 2022 we will hopefully have a face-to-face congress in Vienna, followed by a congress in Rotterdam in 2023. Furthermore, due to the COVID-Pandemic situation, we have learned and got lot of experience in the use of virtual platforms , so that EHF can also reach a broader scientific and patient audience with more patient-centered information.
Finally, I guarantee that the extended EHF-Board will consistently exchange their ideas for the further development of our organization in a transparent way, visible for all state-members and partners. Our stable finances are furthermore largely dependent on our annual congress, but we are taking steps to diversify income streams. Of course, these initiatives will develop and expand over time.
I look forward to working with you all to develop our Federation further and to support your priorities nationally.
Christian Lampl