DEAR COLLEAGUES,

COVID-19 is still affecting our lives worldwide. In some parts of the world, the crisis has been very challenging. To name some areas, colleagues in Brazil and India have been putting an enormous effort to care for everyone in the best possible way. We stand by our friends from India, Brazil and every part of the world where ICU’s teams are still fighting; your efforts and commitment to patient’s care are inspiring; our heart is with you.

The current worldwide situation reminds us that the end of the pandemic will come when everyone in the world is protected against COVID-19. I believe that everyone around the world should have fair access to vaccines as early as possible.

While vaccines are administered, we need to remain vigilant and work together with citizens so that public health measures are in place to prevent the spreading of the virus further. It is also essential to keep learning and studying the pandemic, and this can only be done by collaborating and treasuring from each other’s experience. 

ESICM has been doing so since the outbreak of the pandemic: in March 2020, we united more than 130,000 health care professionals, from 160 different countries, for a digital marathon on COVID-19. This year, I hope to see you again on 22 May for our LIVES C19 Marathon, an eight-hour LIVE digital event featuring discussions and interviews with a host of international experts. It will be an occasion to share best practices and lessons learned and talk about challenges and opportunities to rebuild the future.

We will also discuss how to carry out training for an ICU Surge, drawing on our experience with the COVID-19 Skills Preparation Course (C19_SPACE). Now coming to an end after eight months, the EU-funded programme has helped train healthcare workers not regularly working in Intensive Care to better prepare our hospitals for further waves of COVID-19 in all EU Member States and the United Kingdom.

We are delighted to share that the programme enrolled more than 20,000 healthcare workers, one of the most extensive training ever provided in a health emergency context. We are proud that ESICM has been identified by the European Commission as the leading Intensive Care Society in Europe to partner with to build the C19_SPACE programme. Together, we have contributed to a stronger and more prepared European response for future cross-border health threats.

This is just the foundation of our ambition. ESICM has long been advocating for the recognition of Intensive Care Medicine as a profession able to move and apply its competencies without restrictions across the EU especially, but not only, in times of crisis where an immediate response is vital. To this end, we are committed to finding a structured, flexible and long-term solution to the free movement of intensivists, as we have detailed in a recent editorial in the ICM Journal.

This is just the foundation of our ambition. ESICM has long been advocating for the recognition of Intensive Care Medicine as a profession able to move and apply its competencies without restrictions across the EU especially, but not only, in times of crisis where an immediate response is vital. To this end, we are committed to finding a structured, flexible and long-term solution to the free movement of intensivists, as we have detailed in a recent editorial in the ICM Journal.

Beyond the COVID-19 crisis, we have digitalised all our 2021 educational events, such as the European Diploma in Intensive Care Medicine (EDIC) exam and our Master Classes, to meet the needs of our healthcare community while ensuring interactivity and critical thinking for the best learning experience. I want to thank all the healthcare professionals who have dedicated their time, energy, and passion to offering state-of-the-art education to our community.

In October, we will have our annual congress. To ensure that everyone can participate, despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, LIVES 2021 will be a digital event. LIVES 2021 represents a unique opportunity to join a network of colleagues from every part of the world. It will be the best place to discover the latest groundbreaking science in intensive care medicine. If you and your colleagues have been working on research projects, I encourage you to submit your abstract to the congress and seize the chance to present it and discuss it with peers worldwide.

My goals are to create more opportunities for everyone to propose and join the several projects currently ongoing in the ESICM.

In the last months, the Intensive Care Community has gone above and beyond in their daily practice while also delivering research and education. We have been able to navigate this crisis by sticking to our values: Diversity, Respect, Inclusiveness, Vision and Excellence. I am sure that these values will DRIVE our actions with the ultimate goal to improve patients and families lives and experiences.

Thank you for all your efforts. We should be proud of being part of this global community.

Maurizio Cecconi, ESICM President