I turned 65 in July, and have shifted since August 1st to the status of (young) retiree. That is indeed the rule at the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp, and for that matter also at Belgian universities. Not that I would have considered to stay longer (even if it were possible). I was/am actually looking forward to more time for...

In many countries around the globe, the debate in the public arena has become harsh. Yes, the Internet and social media platforms have dramatically multiplied opportunities for people to share opinions, comment on social, cultural and political events, interact with like-minded and other people,… which is great. At the same time, however, this...

On 23 October, an ITM symposium, titled ’40 years after Alma Ata, Primary Health Care in 2018 and beyond, In South and North’ took place in Antwerp. The event was of course a dwarf in the company of the two Primary Health Care (PHC) conference giants, Alma Ata and Astana respectively.  We know our place, do not be mistaken. No hubris at pla...

At the very time of writing this editorial, a few days before Christmas, Berlin, the capital of Germany, the land of Angela Merkel – about the only remaining top politician in Europe with a humanist view (Wir schaffen das!) on the challenge of hosting refugees from the war-ridden Middle-East – was hit by a brutal and murderous attack in a public...

This speech was given by professor Bart Criel (ITM) at the graduation ceremony of this year’s MPH students (July 3rd).   Dear Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues, dear MPH graduates, This ceremony for the 50th anniversary of our Master of Public Health (MPH) course is a time to celebrate, to acknowledge the achievements of the course, to th...