The 38th World Congress of ISMH, the International Scientific Meeting of Medical Hydrology, Balneology and Climatology, took place in Granada – Spain, Lanjarón, 20-23 June 2012. The purpose of the International Society of Medical Hydrology and Climatology (ISMH ) is to design, plan, and co-ordinate scientific research in the fields of Health Resort Medicine and Spa Therapy for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation programs.

Prof. Chervinskaya’s presentation at ISMH Congress in Porto, Portugal, 2008

Since 2008, Prof. Dr. M. Zeki Karagülle (Department of Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology of Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University) is the president of Congress.

I am an active member of ISMH since 2005. I had participated in Congresses of ISMH in Istanbul (2006), Porto (2008), and Paris (2010), where I had presented following reports and publications: “Respiratory Hygiene in Health Resort Medicine”  61 KB , “Halotherapy in health resort medicine”  2.3 MB , and “Efficacy of halotherapy in asthma patients”  1 MB .

The motto of the 38th Congress «Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects» reflects the importance of the preservation of the natural balneotherapeutic factors; water, mud, climate in general and the “healing environment” of the traditional spa resorts in particular. The President of 38th World Congress of ISMH was Professor F. Maraver (Spain).

Chairman of “New Trends” symposium

Hundreds of professionals from the most of European countries, and also from USA, Canada, Turkey, and Japan participated in Congress.

Main topics of the Congress covered all aspects of common field, and were comprehensively presented as up-to-date lectures by the invited expert speakers. I was the member of Scientific International Committee and the chairman of “New Trends” symposium.

I had presented the lecture “Salt Rooms and Halotherapy in European Health Resorts and Spas: Fashionable Trend or Real Therapy?”  1.7 MB and the report “Halotherapy in Rehabilitation of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease”  1 MB .

Left to right: Dr. Jacek Chojnowski, Prof. Irena Ponikowska, Prof. Alina Chervinskaya, Sussanna Czeranko, N.D.

The report was prepared in cooperation with my colleagues from Poland, who were leaded by Prof. Irena Ponikowska, and had presented the result of our joint project of studying efficiency of halotherapy in patients with COPD. All the research work was carried out in balneological clinic  headed by prof. Ponikowska in Ciechocinek, Poland.