Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The COVID-19 pandemic continues unabated worldwide, particularly in the Americas. We, together with the IUSTI-Europe Board of Directors, have been closely watching the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) and European national authorities guidelines.

We were very reluctant to let go of our usual ‘Face to Face’ Congress.

We had hoped that, by the first week of September, the inferno would have burnt out. However, it still smoulders in even the most successful countries to control it. Lockdowns, quarantines and travel restrictions are the norm. Even if the skies opened, most Health authorities are not permitting their Health workers to travel. Travelling to Bucharest is restricted from many European countries. In Bucharest, indoor gatherings are limited to 20 participants.

We have received many messages all over the world with the sad news of institutional travel bans, or restrictions imposed by local health authorities. So, only a limited number of speakers, mainly from Romania, were able to confirm their participation at the Congress.

It became inevitable that we have no option but to change the IUSTI 2020 Bucharest Congress format to a Virtual Congress. We will do our best to keep alive the vibrant spirit of an IUSTI – Europe Congress. We will present our programme in a Virtual Format. We will have CPD recognition for registrants.

Very soon you will receive the information needed to access the Virtual Congress. We hope that you will continue to participate in this unique medical event dedicated to Sexually Transmitted Infections and HIV/SIDA. A distinguished group of researchers and practitioners will share their knowledge and expert opinions with you. They will present the latest information directly from the source. It will be different, but we will do our utmost to make it worthwhile.

We are very saddened that we have been deprived of the opportunity to meet everybody. We were looking forward to hosting you in Bucharest in the traditional IUSTI manner. Perhaps another time!

Thank you for your understanding!
Sincerely,