The ESHRE Congress online 5-8 July 2020 was unusual in this most unusual year, but as interesting and exciting as ever! We were lucky to participate in the lectures and presentations and many were enjoying the opportunity to learn from the comfort of their own sofas.
ESHRE did an amazing job preparing and coordinating such a grand event online in a short period of time!
Online booth: people behind treatment
Fertility Europe presented their online booth as part of the Virtual Exhibit, showing our projects from the recent months including the materials from the European Fertility Week 2019 about fertility education and a brand new video ‘There are people behind the treatment’
The patients’ perspective session
We have contributed to the programme of the Congress with our own Anita Fincham (FE Office Manager and Nasz Bocian, Poland) presenting “Infertility: the political treatment” as part of Patients’ Perspective session along Debbie Kennett and her “Genetic ancestry testing and the end of donor anonymity”. Both presentations emphasized the importance of good understanding of patients’ needs by the fertility specialists and the policymakers. We have received a lot of interesting questions and arranged some interviews about the issues raised during the sessions, which encourages us to keep on talking about the need for equitable regulations in Europe.
ESHRE funrun fundraiser
ESHRE fabulous organizers decided that we cannot miss the annual fundraising event Fun Run and this year Congress participants were running their 5k at home and sending donations straight to Fertility Europe! ESHRE kindly donated 5 passes to next year’s Congress in Paris for the fastest runners and the most generous donors. Thank you, ESHRE and thank you all who run and donated to Fertility Europe!
Fertility Europe’s AGM
Traditionally during the ESHRE Congress Fertility Europe holds the Annual General Meeting and in this year’s spirit we had to also organise it online. It was great to see so many Members on Zoom and all the voting and discussions were efficiently done and the best news, we have 3 new Candidate Members:
- Videnscentret/Fertility Care from Denmark
- BAMP from France
- To a baby through IVF from North Macedonia
Welcome, Friends!
(full list of FE Members is here)
Of course it was very disappointing not to have our usual few days together of formal and informal meetings and chats. Let’s hope to make up for it next year!