This is the first time that the annual meeting of the Portuguese Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology has been held on Madeira. This is a great honour for us, and also a heavy responsibility.
Allergology and Clinical Immunology was born in this region in 1978, with a specialist appointment with its own case history, at the Hospital Central of Funchal.
In a place with a hot, humid climate, kapok trees, endemic flora and the lapas shellfish, it is easy to see the work which lay ahead.
To the Allergology and Clinical Immunology Unit of the Hospital Central of Funchal, with its own staff, fully supported by us, and particularly my co-workers, I offer my sincere acknowledgement, which I extend to all the colleagues who have helped me greatly over the course of my 26 years of hospital work.
To the board of directors of the Portuguese Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SPAIC), I offer my recognition of and gratitude for their availability and willingness to help, which I extend to all former directors.
To the colleagues and their guests who have visited us, I offer the certainty that they will be made extremely welcome, as is the characteristic of the region!
Fernando Drummond Borges
Honorary President of Annual Meeting
