Dear friends and colleagues,

it’s a pleasure for us to announce you that, from the 21st to the 25th of October 2012, it will take place in Sorrento, the 9th Mediterranean Forum of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, together with the 40th SIMFER Congress (Italian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine):
“The Rehabilitation Medicine in the Mediterranean Area: Strategies and Experiences”.

The Congress will represent a unique occasion to face rehabilitation problems concerning clinical, technical, organizational and research aspects on the basis of both the ever-increasing scientific progress and the Evidence Based Rehabilitation and to confront with the rehabilitation realities of the various Mediterranean countries.
The participation in the Congress of specialists coming from the Mediterranean Area including three continents very different the one from the other such as Europe, Africa and Asia, will contribute to the exchange of information necessary to uniform the procedures to meet the globalization challenge.
The Sessions will consist of an opening lecture concerning the state of the art of the topics themes which will be assigned to the best proposal sent as Abstract, then there will be 3 consecutive speeches, as well as the oral presentations and the poster session on the same theme.
The Programme will also include hands-on workshops, meetings with the experts and round tables.

The future challenges will take place on the basis of the quality and efficacy of the services offered by the rehabilitation medicine, therefore it is necessary that research and training are reskilled in order to train experts motivated to assist of persons with disabilities.
On this purpose it will be dedicated a whole Session to all the PRM trainees, as well as to all the young physiatrists who have attended the Haim Ring EuroMediterranean PRM School in Syracuse and the European School of PRM in Marseille.
We are sure that, although the present period of financial crisis, a scientific Event will be the starting point for a new way of thinking about the rehabilitative assistance needs and also by means of the biopsychosocial approach of ICF, as well as with regards to the aging of population.
We are also convinced that the congress venue is an added value since the Sorrentine Peninsula offers wonderful sceneries in October and it is located close to other world known tourist and archaeological places.
We therefore invite you to take part at the Congress with scientific works and innovative proposals, thus offering everybody the opportunity to know the rehabilitative activities taking place in the various countries overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Prof. Raffaele Gimigliano
Congress President

Prof. Jorge Lains
MFPRM President

Prof. Vincenzo Maria Saraceni
SIMFER President