Report: Annual UIAA Medical Commission Meeting

The UIAA Medical Commission held its annual meeting on the 3,000m ski resort of Telluride, Colorado (USA) on Thursday 4 August. The meeting was one of many international committee meetings that were incorporated into the 7th World Congress of Mountain & Wilderness Medicine, a biennial congress which was held from 30 July – 4 August.

The following report is courtesy of UIAA Medical Commission President Dr David Hillebrandt.

“Our heads were spinning with the science of mountain medicine by the time we sat down for our UIAA Medcom meeting on the final afternoon of the Congress but most of us had already met and socialised over meals during the week. During the meeting it was confirmed that Professor George Rodway would take over from myself as Commission President as I am retiring from the role of after six years work.”

“George outlined his plans for making the UIAA Medcom even more inclusive stating he was looking forward to working with the Indian Mountaineering Federation and continuing our close cooperation with ICAR Medcom. Thomas Kuepper outlined our increasing work on advice papers. The current one on “Drug Use and Misuse for Medical Professionals” is due to be published in a respected peer reviewed journal in the near future and work continues on one titled “Diabetes in the Mountains”. We plan to update our paper on “How to choose a commercial trekking or expedition company” which may go some way to make ascents of Kilimanjaro safer with more sensible ascent profiles which is another of our action areas. The international UIAA/ICAR/ISMM diploma of mountain medicine continues to flourish and expand as do other relevant course with our UIAA Medcom label.”               

For more information on the UIAA MedCom, the Diploma in Mountain Medicine and its Advice and Recommendations please click here.

Images Courtesy: Urs Hefti (Switzerland)