Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the Malta College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, I would like to invite you all to this year’s 4oth International Congress on Pathophysiology of Pregnancy. I would like to thank Gestosis for choosing Malta as a venue and would like to welcome all the delegates to our Island. Malta is ideally suited for hosting such a conference. It is central with excellent communication facilities and is easily reached, having very good and frequent connections with several of the main European International airports. From these airports it is, in general, only a short trip to Malta, the equivalent of an internal flight in many countries. There are frequent scheduled flights to many destinations and the island, which is a favourite tourist destination, also enjoys the service of several low cost airlines.

Malta has an ancient tradition in Medicine and an old Medical school. It has had the best of British medicine increasingly incorporating the best of European medicine. Its colourful history, in particular the long period of rule by the Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem, known more popularly as the Knights of Malta has left an undeletable link on the Islands, which were further heavily influenced by almost two centuries of forming part of the British Empire. Now as an independent country for over four years and a European Union Member, the Islands are writing a new chapter in their history and developing rapidly. The Gestosis conference will be held against this background and will suitably be one of the many events that are opportunistically falling in the first year of operation of the new built teaching hospital.

Professor Mark P Brincat
PhD(Lond) FRCOG FRCPI