Prof. Johannes Bijlsma

Dear Colleagues,

The 20^th EULAR Annual European Congress of Rheumatology has begun! I invite you to read about the wide range of sessions, activities, and events taking place in Madrid 12-15 June 2019 in the EULAR Congress News.

This 20th annual congress is again the major event in the calendar of world rheumatology, unique for the exchange of scientific, clinical, and patient-focused information on a global basis. Our congress is jointly organised with the Paediatric Rheumatology European Society (PReS), assimilating knowledge across the spectrum of the “decades of life.”

Possibilities for new treatments as well as the impact, burden, and cost of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases for the individual and society remain our focus. EULAR Congress 2019 once again addresses a wide range of topics including innovation in population, health service, clinical, translational, and basic science research. Sessions dedicated to People with Arthritis and Rheumatism in Europe (PARE) and Health Professionals in Rheumatology (HPR) are featured prominently! We again offer high-quality healthcare industry sessions providing in-depth and focused insights.

EULAR Congresses arouse tremendous interest in terms of participation reflected by the remarkable quality of contributions. We have received 4,900 abstract submissions. Overall, 45% have been accepted for presentation and another 30% for publication. More than 350 were accepted as oral presentations this year, and the congress features over 125 sessions and poster tours with more than 500 speakers. Our poster presentations and poster tours offer a highly interactive exchange of knowledge and solutions amongst participants. Out of the 2,226 poster displays plus 10 late-breaking posters spread over 3 days, 425 posters are explained in 36 themed poster tours.

We are very happy to visit the city of Madrid again. We take great pleasure in welcoming physicians, including our paediatric colleagues, patients, their families, health professionals, and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry to EULAR 2019, and hope that their stay in Madrid is informative, educational, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Johannes W.J. Bijlsma

EULAR President