With the conclusion of this magnificent Medinfo, my term as President of IMIA, the International Medical Informatics Association, will begin. It is an exceptional honour for me that the IMIA General Assembly has demonstrated their trust and confidence in me to lead IMIA over the next three years. It was a privilege for me to accept this responsibility and challenge with enthusiasm.

My predecessor, Nancy Lorenzi has earned her place in IMIA's journey for her dedication, her wisdom and guidance. She has been successful in leading IMIA towards a promising future and building the foundation for new visions, and the means whereby IMIA can transform itself to be a versatile organization and thrive in these times of constant change.

I will work together with all of you, the members of IMIA, to ensure the growth of IMIA's increasingly important role in health and biomedical informatics on a broad global basis. As IMIA’s President for the years 2007 to 2010, I will focus my efforts towards achieving the following:

• that IMIA become the leading international organization in health and biomedical informatics for stimulating and communicating high quality research, education and application in a new and global world. With medical informatics now being one of the central disciplines for achieving health for the people in all of our societies, through our field’s contributions to high-quality, efficient health care and to high-quality research in biomedicine and in the health and computer sciences;
• that this is done jointly with IMIA’s constituent national, regional and institutional members through conferences and meetings, through publications and awards, through its working groups, special interest groups and other committees; through supporting excellent students and excellent young researchers in our field in their career, regardless of where they come from, by striving for the aims defined in IMIA’s Strategic Plan, approved by IMIA’s General Assembly in 2007;
• that IMIA with its members become advisors to and partners with national and international bodies devoted to health, health care and health and biomedical informatics research, such as WHO;
• that IMIA’s secretariat and organizational structure be prepared for this new set of opportunities and responsibilities; and
• that IMIA provides a model example for successful, tolerant and peaceful collaboration of individuals, beyond any nations and cultures, for the sake of health and quality of life of the people in our world.

I hope that you, as the members of IMIA, agree that we can be proud to have the privilege to live today, in a world with a quality of health care and with a life expectancy never achieved before in the history of humankind. I trust that you also agree that we need to recognize the urgent need to reshape health care in our new societies. We should be aware that we all, as members of IMIA, play an important role for successfully developing our societies in a world that is worth living in. Please, let us aspire to reach these aims together.

Reinhold Haux
President, IMIA
August 24, 2007
Closing Ceremony of MEDINFO 2007
Brisbane, Australia