Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of the Republic of Bulgaria

Hasumi International Research Foundation-Bulgaria

The Elderly People – Life with a Future

Meeting with International Participation 2008

Under the Patronage of

Academician Sendov

Ambassador of Bulgaria in Japan

October 10-12, 2008

Plovdiv Hall of the CongressCenter

„International Fair-Plovdiv”

Program

Friday, October 10, 2008

16.00Departure of buses from Alexander Nevsky Cathedral Square, Sofia

16.00 – 17.30Travel, arrival and accommodation in HotelSankt Peterburg, Plovdiv

19.00 – 22.30Official welcome dinner for the participants and guests – “The traditions of Bulgarian cuisine”- Business-restaurant of the Hotel

Saturday, October 11, 2008

All sessions will be held in the Plovdiv Hall of the CongressCenter of International Fair-Plovdiv.

Shuttle busses will transport all participants from the hotel to the CongressCenter and back

9.00 – 9.30Opening of the Meeting - Mrs. Emilia Maslarova, Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria, Dr. Kenichiro Hasumi, Founder and Member of the Board of Hasumi International Research Foundation-Bulgariaand Prof. Ivan Chernozemsky, Chairman of the Board of HIRF-Bulgaria

Greeting addresses from the official guests

First Plenary session

“Social Aspects of the support for Elderly people in Bulgaria”

Chairpersons: Mrs. Ivanka Hristova, Advisor to the Minister of labor and social policy of Bulgariaand Academician Evgeni Golovinski, Institute for Molecular Biology-Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

9.30 – 9.50Keynote Lecture- „The Elderly people – legislation and state policy of Bulgaria” - Mrs. Emilia Maslarova, Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Bulgaria

9.50 – 10.10“The ‘Social Patronage’ in Bulgaria – phenomena with a good outcome” Mr. Velkov, Deputy-mayor of PazardjikTown

10.10 – 10.30„Interaction between the Homes for Elderly People and the Local governments” –Mr. Joro Kovatchev, Ex-Director of the Home for Elderly People in Veliko Tarnovo, Mrs. Rosiza Dimitrova, Director in Veliko Tarnovo Municipality

10.30 – 10.50Coffee-break

10.50 – 11.10“Position of the National committees of the Red Cross from the EU-countries

for ameliorating the life of the elderly people” – Mag. Pharm. Hristo Grigorov, President of the Bulgarian Red Cross, Dr. Nadejda Todorovska, Vice-President of the Bulgarian Red Cross

11.10 – 11.30“The Anasta Project – a new home for the elderly” – Mr. Michel Dumont, President Anasta Foundation, Mrs. Florance Hazard.

11.30-12.00Discussions

12.00 – 13.00Press-conference

13.00– 14.00Lunch(in the CongressCenter)

14.00 – 14.30Special address by H.E. Sergei Stanishev, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria

Second Plenary Session

“Health Status of the Bulgarian Elderly People and measures for improving it”

Chairpersons: Prof. Dr. Frank Rösl, Division of Viral Transformationmechanisms,GermanCancerResearchCenter, Heidelberg and Prof. Bogdan Petrunov, Chairman of the Scientific Council of Hasumi International Research Foundation-Bulgaria

14.30 – 14.50Keynote Lecture- „Tendencies in the Health Status of the Elderly People in Bulgaria” - Assoc. Prof. Tanya Cholakova, BulgarianNationalCenter for Health Information

14.50 – 15.10Viral infections and cancer in the elderly people - Prof. Dr. Frank Rösl, Division of Viral Transformationmechanisms, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg

15.10 – 15.30“The elderly person in the transition period. Health status, personality and social aspects of adaptation”- Assoc. Professor Ignat Petrov, Medical University Sofia and Bulgarian Society “Vital Old Age”

15.30 – 15.50“Nutrition of the Elderly People”- Prof. Bojidar Popov, Chair of Hygiene, Medical Ecology and Nutrition, Medical Faculty-Sofia

15.50 – 16.10 “Climatic and Balneological factor in support of the Health Status of the Elderly People in Bulgaria” - Assoc. Prof. Marin Marinkev, Chairman of the Bulgarian National Association of Physical Therapy (BNAPT), Prof. Ivan Angelov, Member of BNAPT

16.10 – 16.30“The Hospices in Bulgaria – Vratza’s experience”-Dr. Nikolai Iordanov, Head of Palliative Care Unit, VratzaDistrictOncologyHospital

16.30 – 16.50Coffee-break

Special Session

“Advanced and traditional medical approaches against ageing.

Chairpersons:Prof. Zlatko Kalvatchev, NCPID,Assoc. Prof. Milcho Minchev, Gene Therapy Laboratory, National Institute of Hematology andBlood Transfusion

16.50 – 17.10“The Sports’ Groups for Health and Longevity in Bulgaria – 40 years of Good practice”-Assoc. Prof. Enyo Boyadzhiev, Chairman of the Club of Sports’ Veterans

17.10 – 17.30Wine as an anti-ageing factor - Prof. Kiril Farzov, Institute for Cryobiology (IC), Academician Zvetan Zvetkov, IC

17.30– 18.30Discussions

19.30 – 22.30Dinner

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Final Plenary Session

Chairpersons:Prof. Ivan Chernozemsky, Chairman of the Board of HIRF-Bulgaria, Dr. Kenichiro Hasumi, Chairman of Shukokai Inc.

9.15 – 9.35Wholesome sexual life – a prerequisite for good health of the elderly people - Assoc. Prof. Rumen Bostandjiev, Center for Humanities, Bourgas Free University

9.35 – 10.00Fermented milk – the way for active and healthy old age - Prof. Hristo Chomakov, Institute for Cryobiology

10.00 – 11.15General Discussion – Problems and Future of the ElderlyPeople. Conclusions.

11.15 – 11.35Coffee-break

11.40– 12.00Keynote Lecture -„The Spiritual support for the elderly people”- The Right reverendNikolai, Bishop of Plovdiv

Closing remarks – Dr. Valeri Tsekov,Deputy-Minister of Health; Dr. Kenichiro Hasumi; Prof. Ivan Chernozemsky;

12.30 – 13.30Lunch

13.30End of the meeting; departure with busses for Sofia

14.00 – 17.00Social Program for foreign guests – sight-seeing in Plovdiv’s OldTown

***

Hasumi International Research Foundation-Bulgaria

Second meeting from the Annual National Meetings with International Participation

under the moto

Immune Support of Health through Nature and Science

in Bulgaria

***
Scientific Advisory Board of the 2008 Meeting

Prof. Bogdan Petrunov

Prof. Ivan Chernozemsky

Prof. Zlatko Kalvatchev

Mrs. Ivanka Hristova

Assoc. Prof. Milcho Minchev

***
Administration

Mrs. Georgieva, Head of the Cabinet of Minister Maslarova

Mr. Nikolai Chernozemsky, Director of Hasumi International Research Foundation-Bulgaria

Ms. Tony Abadjieva – Unipharm JSC

Ms. Gergana Veselinova - NationalCenter of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases

Ministry of Labor and Social Policy of the Republic of Bulgaria

Hasumi International Research Foundation-Bulgaria

Meeting with International Participation 2008

The Elderly People – Life with a Future

Profiles of some of the participants and some summaries

(in order of appearance)

Under the Patronage of

Academician Sendov

Ambassador of Bulgaria in Japan

October 10-12, 2008

Plovdiv
Park-Hotel Sankt Peterburg

CongressCenter of International Fair-Plovdiv

Plovdiv Hall

Mrs. Emilia Maslarova

MINISTER of Labour and Social Policy

Born on 3 July 1949 in Yakoruda. Graduated from the University of National and World Economy in 1972 and specialized in the Economy Institute of the BulgarianAcademy of Sciences in 1983 where she became a PhD in Economy. Mrs. Maslarova is a Senior Research Associate with the TrakiaUniversity in Stara Zagora. Speaks Russian language.

Between 1989 and 1990, worked as Senior Research Associate, as well as a lecturer and head of section in the Ministry of Economy and Planning. From 1990 until 1991 she was Minister of Employment and Social Affairs and in 1992 became President of the Democratic Union of Women.

In the period 1995-1997 was Director of the Bulgarian Foreign Investment Agency. Member of the 9th Grand National Assembly, as well as of the 38th and 39th National Assembly. From 2001 to 2005 Deputy-Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Labour and Social Policy Committee and member of the Healthcare Committee.

From August 2005, Emilia Maslarova took over the position of Minister of Labour and Social Policy.

***

Mr. Joro Kovatchev

Born 07 September 1977. Completed “St. St. Kiril and Metodii” University in VelikoTarnovoTown, Social services – education degree Bachelor; Finances – education degree Master. Up to May 2008 Chief-manager of the Home for elderly people “Veneta Boteva” in VelikoTarnovoTown.

From June 2008 until now, Head of department “Social services, programs and projects” in VelikoTarnovoMunicipality.

***

Rosiza Dimitrova

Born 22 March 1967. Completed Medical college in VelikoTarnovoTown – Medical auxiliary specialty; “St. St. Kiril and Metodii” University town ofVeliko Tarnovo, Social services – education degree Master; Management in economy – education degree Master from VelikoTarnovoUniversity. PlovdivUniversity “Paisii Hilendarski” 2004-2006, Management of European Projects, Master Manager Degree.

During 11 years was teacher in practice and theory to students from the medical college in VelikoTarnovoTown. From the year 2000 up to February 2003 Director of Regional Directorate Social assistance VelikoTarnovoTown, in the period March 2003 up to this moment works as chief expert “Social activities”.

Since 01.09.2006 until now Director of the Directorate “Social activities and health care” in VelikoTarnovoMunicipality.

The good interaction between the Home for elderly people “Veneta Boteva” and Veliko Tarnovo Municipality in providing social services for senior people

The good interaction between the Municipality and Home for elderly people “Veneta Boteva” in the provision of social services for the senior people is depicted in the report. All the achieved actions and the major investments from VelikoTarnovoMunicipality and “Beautiful Bulgaria Program”, in total over half a million Leva,are described. Some of the problems that have led to the need of renovation of the building and the good atmosphere for livingthere are shared.

***

Mag. Pharm. Hristo Grigorov

President of the Bulgarian Red Cross
Date of birth: October 14th, 1944. Place of birth: Gorna Gjumaia (Blagoevgrad)
Education:

1987 International economic relations
1967 Higher Institute of Medicine - Sofia, Faculty of Pharmacy

Professional Experience Record:

2001 - President of the Bulgarian Red Cross
2000 - Member of the Governing Board of the Bulgarian – German Forum
1992 - 2000 Vice President of the Bulgarian Red Cross – three mandates
1995 - 2002 President of the Sofia City BRC – two mandates
1993 Member of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
1991 - 1994 Member of the Board of Directors of the Bulgarian - American Bank for investments and development
1998 Member of the Governance of the National Health Insurance Institute
1988 - 1994 Chairman of the Supervising and Governing Board of Sredets Trade Bank
1987 Director General of Medabyk - the first joint Bulgarian-German company in Bulgaria
1987 - 1997 Director General of Bristol – Myers Squibb - USA for Bulgaria
1973 - 1987 Head of the Big Gulden – Germany Representation Office in Bulgaria
1970 - 1973 Head of the Pharmaceutical Department at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Bulgaria

Dr. Nadejda Todorovska

Date of birth:11January 1968

Education:

Institution
[ Date from - Date to ] / Degree(s) or Diploma(s) obtained:
1988 – 1992 / DS (Doctor of Stomathology) Dentist
2005 – 2007 / Master of Economics (Health Management)

Language skills: Indicate competence on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 - excellent; 5 - basic)

Language / Reading / Speaking / Writing
English / 2 / 3 / 3
German / 1 / 1 / 1
Russian / 2 / 2 / 3

Other skills: (e.g. Computer literacy, etc.) Word, Excel, Power point

Present position: Deputy Director General, Bulgarian Red Cross; Head of Social Welfare and Operational Activities Division, Bulgarian Red Cross. Years within the firm: 8

Key qualifications: Manager of the Home care Program, which led to the establishment of the National Centre for Vocational Education and Training

Professional experience

Date from - Date to / Location / Company / Position / Description
1992-1996 / Sofia,
Bulgaria / Quintessence-BG Publishing house / Director / Managing 5 specialized medical magazines
1996-1999 / Sofia,
Bulgaria / Prudenta Ltd. / Executive Manager / Advertising medical products and publishing specialized editions
1999-2003 / Sofia,
Bulgaria / Global Cross Centre Ltd. – Firm of the Bulgarian Red Cross / Executive Manager / Managing all activities of the firm
2003-2004 / Sofia,
Bulgaria / Bulgarian Red Cross / Manager of Home care Programme / Managing all activities of the program
2004 - 2005 / Sofia,
Bulgaria / Bulgarian Red Cross / Head of the Health and Social Welfare Directorate / Managing all activities in this field
2005 and at present / Sofia,
Bulgaria / Bulgarian Red Cross / Deputy Director General, Head of Social Welfare and Operational Activities Division / In charge of the overall activity of the Organization, including:
- social activities;
- health promotion;
- first aid training;
- fundraising;
- International relations and communicationsPR;

Other relevant information

Participant in international and local conferences and PR activities of the Red Cross.

Position of the National committees of the Red Cross from the EU-countries

for ameliorating the life of the elderly people

In the presentation are compared the activities of the National Committees of the EU-member countries and Bulgaria.

The Bulgarian Red Cross implements the Program “Care at Home” which is co-financed by the Swiss Red Cross.

The Program has the following components:

-Centers for Home care in which professional care is provided to elderly people, people with chronic diseases and to permanently impaired persons;

-Raising the awareness of the society about the problems of the elderly people and lobbying for their rights– it is conducted in 10 regions all over the country and with the participation of elderly volunteers.

***

Mr. Michel Dumont

Born in 1960 in Dinant, Belgium.

After a short term of service as a hospital nurse and free-lance nurse in France, now - for over 20 years - works in the field of providing help for the elderly in their homes. At present is in charge of a medical care facility where 100 nurses provide help for over 3500 patients per month. Owner and publisher of the biggest Belgian edition in the field of providing medical care “Infimag”, distributed to 35000 nurses. Over 10 years is Chairman of the Belgian National Nurse Federation. At present is finishing a pilot-project for constructing a new model Home for elderly people in Belgium in which there will be a separate housing for everyone with provided all types of health and social services,incl. organization of the free time and rest of the elderly people.

Mme Florance Hasard

Born in Bordeaux, France.

After a short term of service as a hospital nurse and free-lance nurse in France, now - for over 20 years - works in the field of providing help for the elderly in their homes. At present is Director in charge of the medical care in a Facility for elderly people with 115 beds in Belgium.

The Anasta Project – new home for the elderly people

For more than 20 years Belgium holds a leading position in the care for the elderly people, the policy in this aspect is based on two basic pillars:

  1. Care for the elderly in their homes but this is often limited only to logistic support – cleaning, doing the laundry, etc...
  2. Coordination of the different specialized care provided by nurses, GPs, kinesitherapists and other services provided to the elderly in their homes.

In order to surmount the difficulties for providing home care in Belgium was created a whole network of homes for the elderly. It is important to underline that this policy has its price. In Belgium the budget allocated for her was increased from 88 million € in 1989 to more than 1 billion and 200 million € in 2008 which is an increase of 14 times for 20 years.

All researches show that 80% of the elderly people prefer to live in their homes for the rest of their lifes. How could this be achieved? By the Anasta Project: with the help of specialists who take care of them. Regardless of the health status of the elderly Anasta provides individualized general care for them in close collaboration with their GPs thus helping them stay at home.

***

Sergei Stanishev

Born on 5 May 1966 in Kherson, Ukraine.

PhD in History

He graduated in history from the MoscowStateUniversity with outstanding results in 1989. In 1994, he defended his Doctor’s thesis “The System of Career Development of State Dignitaries in Russia and Its Transformation in the Second Half of the 19th Century”.

Sergei Stanishev specialized in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, 1999-2000; specialized at the MoscowSchool for Political Studies.

Journalist in 1994-1995 with many articles treating foreign policy issues, published in Bulgarian dailies and weeklies and in the foreign press.

Appointed senior expert at the Foreign Policy and International Activities Department with the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s Supreme Council, 1995. Appointed head of the Department, 1996.

Elected member of the Supreme Council and of the Executive Bureau of the BSP’s Supreme Council as secretary in charge of international activities, 2000.

Elected by the 19th Multi-seat Constituency of Rousse to represent it at the 39th National Assembly, June 2001 parliamentary elections.

Chairman of the BSP Supreme Council, elected at the second session of the 44th Congress of the Bulgarian Socialist Party on 15 December 2001. In December, the Coalition for Bulgaria Parliamentary Group elected him its leader.

Re-elected BSP Chairman by the 45th BSP Congress, June 2002.

Member of the PES Presidency since 2002. Under his chairmanship the BSP became a full member of the Socialist International in October 2003 and of the Party of European Socialists in May 2005.

Elected by the 2nd Multi-seat Constituency of Bourgas to represent it at the 40th National Assembly, June 2005 parliamentary elections. Chairman of the Coalition for Bulgaria Parliamentary Group till 16 August 2005 when the Bulgarian Parliament elected him Prime Minister.

Fluent in English and Russian; working knowledge of French and Polish.

The economic growth permits the development of policies and

targeted measures for the elderly people

The idea to develop a policy for providing a holiday-recreation for the pensioners is justified and should be developed further.

Due to the unfavorable external environment – the Global financial crisis, the economic and social policy should be conceived with utmost care in order to guarantee the stability of the country. The changes in the demographic characteristics of Bulgaria demand a much better targeted policy of the state in order to guarantee a wholesome life for the elderly people. In the last 20 years there were many social injustices and the group that was most affected were the pensioners – they were the ones that suffered most greatly from the economic changes. But now Bulgaria is a different country and the real economic growth permits the development of policies and targeted measures for the elderly people. The state is obliged to guarantee the possibility for access to holiday-recreation for the Bulgarian pensioners. This is a supportive policy and I will withstand it before anybody. It is not only a matter of state but also of local policy and the Municipalities of Targovishte and Smolyan are a good example, as they gave opportunities for recreation of the elderly people living on their territory. We should seek for opportunities to expand this practice and to spread it as a whole network together with the National Association of the Municipalities in Bulgaria.

Source: The Official Site of the Bulgarian Government - =

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Assoc. Prof. Tanya Cholakova,MD, PhD, MPH

1. Personal information:

Date of birth: 16 January 1942

Contact information: Office: Sofia 1431, 15 “Akad. Ivan Geshov” Str.

NationalCenter of Health Informatics

Tel.: +3592 9515302, fax: +3592 9515238, GSM: +3592 889238543