Welcome Message from the President of IASP

Dear Friends & Colleagues,
As President of the International Association for the Study of Pain, I send greetings from the Association to the European Federation of Chapters of IASP (EFIC) as it prepares for its fourth congress, which will take place in early September 2003 in Prague - a great city of culture and learning with a University over 600 years old. Previous EFIC congresses in Verona, Barcelona and Nice attracted increasing numbers of delegates indicating the high standard of their scientific programmes and social arrangements.

The organisers of the fourth congress led by Professor Harald Breivik, President of EFIC, and the Local Organising Committee represented by Dr Koz?k, Chairman of the Czech Pain Society and Professor Roykta, General Secretary of the Local Organising Committee have put together a further attractive programme of events for delegates and those who accompany them.

As an international organisation with members from more than 100 countries worldwide, the International Association for the Study of Pain is very dependent on the health and well being of its many Chapters. EFIC represents an important and major grouping of Chapters and has done much in its relatively short life to promote in Europe the values and aspirations of the association through its programmes for the improvement of pain services and education, and in particular for its governmental and public awareness campaigns. The congresses themselves are a very important aspect of EFIC's work and I know that in Prague this tradition will be continued and I look forward to seeing you there.

Michael Bond
President, International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP)