Message from your President.
(Newest on top.)
15 December 2011
Dear members of EOA, dear friends,
Time flies and it's almost the end of 2011.
A lot has happened in the past year.
Right now it's been over one year ago, in Frankfurt the last IOA conference was organized.
During this conference the decision was taken the three regions (ASPOA, OAA and EOA) continue as autonomous associations.
A big change, but a good thing, because from that moment on the EOA has more possibilities and financial resources for what need our attention in our own region.
Also there are activities being setup in the Middle East and North Africa. You can read about this on our website what is happening in Zimbabwe, Ethiopia and Ghana.
EOA congress in Lviv.
With great pleasure and fond memories we look back at the EOA congress in Ukraine.
ASTOM did a very good job of hosting this conference.
Thanks for all the efforts of Professor Lozynsky and his team at ASTOM.
During the meeting in London the EOA-EC decided the next conference in 2014 will be in the beautiful city of Krakow in Poland.
World Ostomy Day October 6, 2012.
Even though EOA nowadays is an autonomous region, there are good contacts with the other two regions. Together we will celebrate WOD 2012.
EOA (Anne Demick and myself) is responsible for the coordination of this day.
We do this together with the President of the ASPOA Barry Maughan and IOA webmaster Ronaldo Lora.
Theme and Logo WOD
After intensive discussion it was decided to choose the theme of WOD 2012:
As ostomates, we live in different countries, we have different cultures, we have different histories, have different problems, but ...... we have only one message:
"We want quality of life."
That means quality of life for all ostomates in all regions and all countries of the world.
Our mission is to raise all our problems to surgeons, doctors, nurses, governments, health insurers and manufacturers of ostomy materials.
LET'S BE HEARD
I'm sure that World Ostomy Day 2012 will be a great success, and I wish all of you good luck with your preparations for the October 6, 2012.
The WOD logo.
Here's the new logo for World Ostomy Day.
Regularly check our EOA website for more information on all WOD activities.
Finally, I wish you all, on behalf of the EC-members, Giuseppe de Salvo, Anne Demick, Jón Thorkelsson, Marie Steen and Kes Klare, the webmaster, Merry Christmas and a prosperous and above all a healthy New Year.
Rijssen, the Netherlands, December 15, 2011
Ria Smeijers,
President
27 November 2011
Hello friends all over Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
In the weekend of 11 - 12 November the EOA-EC had their first meeting in London.
I must say, it was a very nice and fruitful meeting and above all to meet EC members again.
We discussed several issues.
During the congress in Lviv, two countries were nominated to organise the next EOA congress in 2014. After extensive discussions the EOA-EC decided the 2014 EOA congress will be in Poland.
After consulting the president of POL-ILCO we choosed for the beautiful city of Kraków.
Jón Thorkelsson, our treasurer, reported all financial procedurers with the bank in Switzerland are solved now. And the happy message is most EOA associations have payed the 2010 dues. If your association has not payed the dues for 2011, please do so.
World Ostomy Day will be on the 6th of October 2012.
Anne Demick and I are busy to start-up the World Ostomy Day activities.
In London we have had very vauable meetings with two manufacturers about their ideas about sponsoring WOD 2012.
Soon I will inform you about the theme and the new logo for World Ostomy Day 2012.
Marie Steen informed us about her findings and developments in Zimbabwe.
Swedish ILCO have started a twinning project with ILCO Zimbabwe.
They started an ostomy organisation in january 2010 and ILCO Sweden give them support.
Guiseppe de Salvo told us about the trip he made together with Arne Holte to Ethiopia.
A comprehensive report is HERE.
Being in London, I used the opportunity to meet Roslyn Anderson. She lives in London, but after her retirement she will move to Ghana. I came in contact with her via Di Bracken.
Roslyn started a support group for ostomates in Ghana.
Click HERE for more information about the Ghana Ostomy Support Group
I wish you all the best with your work for your association and the ostomates in your country.
Ria Smeijers, President EOA
Rijssen, The Netherlands.
8 Oktober 2011
Hello friends all over Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
It has been a bit silent the past few months, but that does not say nothing has happened.
ECET Congress, Italy.
In June I was invited to the ECET congress in Bologna, Italy. I met a lot of interesting and important people, ET’s and manufacturers, for our work on EOA level.
Treasurership.
Also in June the treasurer ship is official transferred to Jón Thorkelsson in Iceland. Jón said: “It is with proud, I saw most of the Associations paid their dues for 2011.”
Thank you very much for doing so.
COPA Denmark.
In September I was invited by COPA, the Danish Ostomy Association, to celebrate their 60th year anniversary. COPA is the first, and the oldest ostomy association in the world. It was nice to see a delegation of the Odessa, Ukraine Association, the twinning partner of COPA and delegations of the Nordic Associations.
Our webmaster placed a few photo’s on this website from this event.
World Ostomy Day 2012.
We started the preparations for World Ostomy Day 2012. Barry Maughn from New Zealand, Anne Demick from the UK and I are the organizing committee.
We will inform you about the theme for WOD 2012 as soon as possible.
The date of World Ostomy Day is fixed on 6th October 2012.
EOA Congress 2014.
Two associations, Iceland and Poland, offering the next EOA congress in 2014. At the first meeting on 12 – 13 November in London, the EOA-EC will decide which country shall organize the congress,
Ethiopia.
In September Arne Holte and Guiseppe de Salvo travelled to Ethiopia. We hope a new association will be founded there in the future.
To read the report of this trip to Ethiopia HERE.
EOA-EC Meeting.
The EOA-EC will have their first meeting on 12 – 13 November 2011 in London.
If your association want to put an item on the agenda, please let me know as soon as possible.
I wish you all the best with your work for your association and the ostomates in your country.
Ria Smeijers, President EOA.
Rijssen, the Netherlands
8 October 2011.
17 May 2001
Dear friends,
On the 7th of May 2011 the House of Delegates elected me as the new President
of the European Ostomy Association.
It is a great honour for me and I will do my utmost best to put the interest of ostomates on the map.
To ensure a better qualitative care for people with a stoma,
in all European countries, including Eastern Europe, 
The Middle East and Northern Africa.
The House of Delegates, have chosen a great team.
Anne Demick from Great Britain, Marie Steen from Sweden, Guiseppe da Salvo from Italy and last but no least
Jon Thorkelsson from Iceland.
I am proud to be given the opportunity to work with the new EC.
Just like me, most of you know, what it means to live with a stoma, with appliances.
To arise from a life-threatening situation, we have learned to live again.
We have been given a second chance. It was a difficult, a hard and a long way, but we now have “anormal life”.
And that’s what we, as European Ostomy Association, aim for: “A NORMAL LIFE FOR ALL OSTOMATES”.
I am convinced, that ostomates can make a difference, by co-operating on a national and international level,
not restricted by any boundaries.
We can use our influence, more than we imagine, to increase the care for ostomates.
WE KNOW.....What is involved when we talk about quality of stoma-care.
WE KNOW.....That Ostomates cannot live without appliances.
WE KNOW.....About the necessity of after-care and psychosocial care
WE KNOW.....That contact between ostomates and organising meetings help patients to learn how to live with a stoma, to regain a full and normal life.
WE KNOW.....WE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE !!!!
I WILL GO FOR IT !!
AND I COUNT ON YOU AND ON YOUR CO-OPERATION.
Rijssen, The Netherlands, 17 May 2001
Ria Smeijers, President EOA
13 May 2011
Message from the Past-President
Dear all EOA associations, friends and colleagues!
As most of you will know my two periods as president of EOA came to an end at the EOA Congress in Lviv in Ukraine a few days ago.
I want with this letter to say thank you for seven great years where the cooperation with the EOA organizations has been the very best.
I also wish to thank the EOA Coordinating Committee - including appointed persons to the CC and Maria Hass at the EOA contact office.
Thank you to all of you for your support and also for many fine meetings with hard work, but also much fun.
The new president of EOA is Ria Smeijers from The Dutch Ostomy Association.
I wish her, her team and all of you the very best working for the best quality of life for ostomates in Europe, The Middle East and also some places in Africa.
I have been so lucky to visit some of you, which always have given me good feelings to bring home – and also inspiration to go on working.
I hope to meet many of you also in the future.
Kristiansand, Norway May 12, 2011
Arne Holte, past president EOA.