CONFERENCIA NO URUGUAI EM 2009

It is our great pleasure to welcome you to the 3rd Hemispheric Conference on Medical Geology (3rd HCMedGeo). Montevideo is a great city for this scientific meeting and Uruguay has a rich medical, geological, and cultural history that we hope you will enjoy during the conference. The International Medical Geology Association (IMGA) is now an outstanding International organization bringing geosciences and medical sciences education and research activities to the wide world. Throughout our regional chapters, short courses and Hemispheric Conferences, IMGA have endeavored to spread the message of medical geology and to build bridges between the earth sciences, public health, and biomedical communities. In some regions, such as Africa, South America, China and Australia, we are fostering young Medical Geologists and assisting those in training to build the skills they need to establish medical geology research activities and training centers. In all these activities, the IMGA Educational Committee has played a significant role in encouraging these regional developments, and has provided the necessary professional support. Every two years we gather for a major Hemispheric Conference, where we are kept up to date with an outstanding Scientific Program on the latest global perspectives on medical geology and this is the case of our Montevideo Conference. There is no doubt that the 3rd HCMedGeo will be a major learning experience for all of us attending – the young Medical Geologists as well as for those of us that have been around for a few years and are still learning –. We see excellent plenary lectures, pre-conference short courses, oral and poster presentations. This scientific meeting also gives us the opportunity to learn more about Uruguay, its traditions and natural beauty. We live in challenging and difficult times of economic and political uncertainties in many parts of the world. The International Medical Geology Association can be a great instrument for building a more peaceful world as we all work together in understanding our natural environment. Friendships formed and re-energized across this Conference will enrich and broaden our personal and professional contacts. At the end of this meeting, we will leave with a better understanding of those risk factors that are important to study the range of environmental and health issues we all face. On behalf of the Scientific and Organizing Committees we welcome to Montevideo with great enthusiasm and we hope you will take with youOn behalf of the Scientific and Organizing Committees we welcome to Montevideo with great enthusiasm and we hope you will take with you, lasting memories of a productive and remarkable scientific event. Enjoy this 3rd Hemispheric Conference on Medical Geology! Nelly Manay, Chairperson 3rdHCMedGeo Jose A. Centeno, Chairman, IMGA Chair-International Scientific Committee, 3rdHCMed, lasting memories of a product