On behalf of the Swiss Society for Infectious Diseases (SSI) and the Swiss Academic Foundation for Education in Infectious Diseases (SAFE-ID), it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the 34th Annual Infectious Diseases Symposium. The Symposium is organized by SAFE-ID under the scientific patronage of the SSI.
In the last three years Lucerne has been the host city for the Annual Infectious Diseases Symposium (before that, Zurich had hosted the Symposium for 30 years). The positive feedback from participants, the central location, great facilities and pleasant surroundings were important reasons to come back to Lucerne.
In choosing the topics and speakers of the Symposium, the Scientific Committee has focused on diseases and pathogens that are at the center of today's medical research and where important progress has recently been made. Over the years, we have managed to balance cutting-edge science and clinical topics of major interest. I am convinced that the 2012 Symposium will maintain this tradition.
SAFE-ID and SSI hope you will enjoy the Symposium and wish you a very pleasant day.
Bernard Hirschel President of the Swiss Society for Infectious Diseases and Chairman of the Symposium
