WPA Section on Biological Psychiatry – 18th October 2012, WPA, International Congress 2012, Prague

Present

Mohammed T Abou-Saleh (Chairperson)

Afzal Javed (WPA Secretary for Sections)

Ihsan Salloum

Walid Sarhan

Helen L Millar

Update on Section

Mohammed T Abou – Saleh updated the members on the recent activities of the Section including his submission for the reinstatement of the Section to the WPA Secretary for Sections. In view of not having a meeting in the WPA World Congress in Buenos Aires it was important to have a meeting of members of the Section attending the Congress in Pague as proposed and requested by WPA Secretary for Sections to elect its office bearers.

Views were discussed on potential activities/projects for the Section. The meeting elected the following to take up the roles of office bearers :

- Mohammed T Abou-Saleh (Chair)

- Ihsan Salloum (Co-Chair)

- Helen L Millar (Secretary)

Thanks was offered to previous office bearers including Michael Maes(Co-Chairperson), Adib Essali (Honorary Secretary) for all their work.

Agreed action points

  1. All those presentwere requested to recruit further members with an interest in Biological Psychiatry
  2. Mohammed T Abou-Saleh and Pichet Udomratn have agreed to organise a symposium at WFSBP Congress in Kyoto June 2013
  3. Update to be provided on the activities on the Biological Section, along with new office bearers details and photographs
  4. General report to be provided for the end of the year from the Section
  5. Discussion regarding potential links for joint symposia with other sections
  6. Further email discussion regarding topics for further meetings/projects
  7. Helen Millar discussed the preparation of an antidepressant guidelines for a recent project namely Diabetes and Depression African Nurse Training Programme and prepare a position statement endorsed by the WPA in liaison with other colleagues involved in the project from the WPA .

Office bearers agreed to attend meeting of all WPA Section office bearers 1215 -1315 20th October 2012 Club D.