IASO and Assisted Reproduction Unit (IVF) Institute of Life-IASO announced the official opening of the two-year Anti-Smoking Program “Help Her Quit” online on Wednesday 23rd September at 12:00, in the context of the international conference on tobacco harm control (3rd Scientific Summit: Tobacco Harm Reduction, Novel products, Research and Policy www.nosmokesummit.org.).

You may attend the event via the Link: https://zoom.us/j/91287314462

IASO is a remarkable example of a hospital aligning with the National anti-smoking and quit smoking campaign.

Ms. Zoi Rapti, Deputy Health Minister for mental health and addictions, opened the program. The coordinator of the program, Dr. Aikaterini Charvalou, MD, former Assistant Professor of the University of Crete, National Expert at E.U, Competent of the Department of IMRI, welcomed and thanked the minister, on the part of IASO Group BoD’s President, Dr. Georgios Stamatiou and the scientific committee HHQ. Followed the proposals of Mr. Georgios Patoulis, Head of the Region of Attica, President of the Medical Association of Athens, Orthopedic Surgeon, Mr. Makis Papataxiarchis, Consultant of the Ministry of the Interior, Mr. Athanasios Tsakris, Professor of Microbiology, Director of the Laboratory of Microbiology of the School of Medicine of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Vice Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Dr. Kalliopi Papa Associate Professor of Obstetrics Gynecology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Researcher at the Laboratory of Cell and Gene Therapy of the Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens. Mr. Panagiotis Prezerakos, General Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Public Health sent a message of support.

A short welcome was addressed by the coordinator of HHQ, Professor Aikaterini Charvalou and Mr. Themis Mantzavinos, Associate Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the Medical School of the University of Athens, Scientific Competent of Assisted Reproduction Unit (IVF) Institute of Life-IASO, and President of the Scientific Committee HHQ.

Ms. Catherine Georgopoulos, PhD, Biologist, Women’s Health Specialist, ROCHE, Switzerland, sent a video presentation. On behalf of Junior HHQ Ambassadors was addressed Ms. Theodora Georgakopoulou, Junior Doctor in Cardiology, promising the contribution of Junior Doctors to the work. A reference was made to the member of the scientific committee HHQ and to more than 30 distinguished European scientists and experts, who even they were not able to attend, they support the work.

The keynote speech of Professor Mr. Themis Mantzavinos, based on the latest scientific data, was focused on the harmful effects of tobacco on female reproductive system. The speech of Dr. Kostas Kostaras, Obstetrician/ Gynecologist, founder member of Institute Life IASO, specialized in In vitro fertilization, was focused on the effects of tobacco on gynecologic cancer and fertility. Finally, the professor Ms. Aikaterini Charvalou presented HHQ program and thanked the donor PMI Science (www.pmiscience.com) for the discretion and respect to HHQ team scientific work.

A constructive dialogue followed intervened by Ms. Dimitra Chouchoula, Associate Professor, Chemist, Department of Food Science and Technology of the University of West Attica, Dr. Georgios Iatrakis, Professor of Obstetrics/ Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics of the University of West Attica, Dr. Andreas Mentis, Director of the Hellenic Pasteur Institute and Dr. Apostolos Papalois, Director of the Experimental Research Center of ELPEN.

The program Help Her Quit (HHQ) is sponsored by Philip Morris International, Science (www.pmiscience.com)

For more information relatively to program visit: https://hhquit.eu