This Article Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by FRAPS, P. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by FRAPS, P.

Major General, Director Military Medical and Health Agency of the Bundeswehr

Nuclear medical defence plays a key role in the research and development projects of the Bundeswehr Medical Service. Even before 11 September 2001, emergency medical preparedness for radiation accidents as well as for terrorist incidents had been a matter of paramount importance. Worldwide, however, both the civilian and military sectors have seen their resources substantially reduced in the fields of radiation medicine and radiobiology. For this reason, international cooperation and dialogue are needed to address the problems associated with establishing and maintaining general preparedness for all kinds of radiation emergencies. I am delighted to welcome highly acclaimed international experts to this Workshop and to discuss with them present and future matters of concern.

The theme of this Workshop, namely the pathogenesis of radiation-induced multiorgan failure, is of particular importance. The radiation accidents that have taken place in the past few years have shown that many aspects of the pathological mechanisms underlying radiation syndrome are still poorly understood. What is required is identification of the relevant pathomechanisms and their utilisation in causal treatment. This can only be done in a joint effort. For this reason, I very much welcome the intention of the organisers to use this forum for gathering as much information as possible and for delineating new areas of research. The declared objective of this Conference is to produce concrete results that can be used in practical applications. The proceedings of this Workshop will therefore be published in a special issue of the British Journal of Radiology.

A look at the very busy programme that is planned for the next few days will show you that there is a lot of work to be done. When you take a closer look at the planned events, however, you will see that the programme not only offers opportunities for an intensive exchange of scientific information, but will also leave us time to establish contacts, renew acquaintances and cultivate friendships. I am convinced that the special atmosphere of this venue will help make the Workshop a success.

I would now like briefly to draw your attention to the role of the military in this Workshop. The task spectrum of the Bundeswehr – like that of other armed forces –has undergone fundamental changes in recent years. Whereas the Bundeswehr previously performed peacetime tasks only, it is now undergoing a transformation to become a mission-oriented force. The Bundeswehr Medical Service plays a very special role in this context. According to its guiding principle, it must ensure that soldiers deployed abroad receive the same standard of medical treatment as they would in Germany. This means, however, that enormous technical and in particular personnel requirements must be met. The presence of physicians and other medical personnel is indispensable wherever German soldiers are deployed. For example, you may have read in press reports that approximately 300 German soldiers will be deployed to the Kundus region in Afghanistan as part of the expansion of the Bundeswehr's mission there. What this means is that up to 50 physicians and other medical personnel will also be assigned to this region. It is clear from this example that the Medical Service is deeply involved in such operations. By taking part, our soldiers are exposed to a wide variety of dangers. Special attention should be given to the threat posed by NBC agents. We have been confronted with a fearsome array of threat scenarios in recent years, even before 11 September 2001. There is a pressing need for further research and development activities in this area, especially since we are no longer dealing with threat scenarios but instead with real terrorist acts. This new situation was taken into account last year by our top political officials when they considerably strengthened medical research into NBC agents and NBC threat situations. The Institute of Radiobiology, the Institute of Microbiology and the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology have been assigned to the Military Medical and Health Agency of the Bundeswehr in Munich. The capacities of these three institutes have been significantly enhanced both in terms of infrastructure and personnel. The number of organisational posts for academics and non-academics was increased to 48 at the Institute of Radiobiology, making it one of the largest radiobiological institutes worldwide. What is more, a task force that can be deployed throughout the world has been established within the new structure of the Institute of Radiobiology.

This Conference here is further evidence that the new task structure of the German Armed Forces Medical Services necessitates even closer cooperation and more intensive exchanges with civilian university and non-university institutes at both the national and international level. All research results obtained in the area of nuclear medical defence are published regularly. These results are, for example, presented and discussed at conferences held by the three Institutes in Munich every year in which more than 150 national and international experts from a wide range of fields take part. The Institute of Radiobiology will conduct its next conference from 29–30 March 2004. Anyone interested is welcome to take part.

Let me conclude by extending my special thanks to Professor Fliedner, from the WHO Collaboration Centre for Radiation Accident Management at the University of Ulm, and Dr Meineke, from the Bundeswehr Institute of Radiobiology in Munich, for the excellent work they have done as the main organisers of this Workshop, as well as to Professor Dainiak, Professor Gourmelon and Professor Akashi, who all agreed to serve as Co-Chairmen and thus helped to enable this conference. I know very well that it requires a great deal of effort to convene such a high level conference. I would also like to thank the conference secretaries, Dr Doerr and Dr Paulsen. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to all those in the background who helped make this Workshop possible.

I wish this conference every success.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by FRAPS, P. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by FRAPS, P.