1. The organisation of research on thermalism in Europe – The situation in eastern Europe and Turkey M. Zeki KARAGÜLLE Department of Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul University

2. 35th Congress of International Society of Medical Hydrology and Climatology 6-10 June 2006 Istanbul, Turkey

6. In 1938, the first Medical Hydroclimatology Department has been founded in Istanbul University

7. Department of Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology of Istanbul Medical Faculty geological and chemical researches on thermal mineral water springs clinical and physiological studies in balneology

8. Department of Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology of Istanbul Medical Faculty Postgraduate School of Medical Hydroclimatology. Medical specialization in Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology; a training program of 3-4.5 years of duration including clinical and theoretical training Master of Science and PhD programs of Medical Ecology and Hydroclimatology for MDs, physiotherapists, biologists and meteorologists and so on.

9. The balneological treatments in Turkey are mostly indicated for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Almost 90% of the Turkish patients, who visit spas by a required prescription or by traditional way, are rheumatic patients. Balneotherapy and Spa Therapy of Rheumatic Diseases in Turkey: A Systematic Review M.Z. Karagülle, M. Karagülle Research in Complementary and Classical Natural Medicine 2004;11:33-41

10. In these studies the effectiveness and efficacy of different balneological and spa therapies on a variety of rheumatic diseases such as –Osteoarthritis –Rheumatoid arthritis –Fibromyalgia –Ankylosing spondylitis and –Low back pain could be shown

12. Atatürk Balneotherapy and Rehabilitation Center, Uludağ University, Bursa, Turkey

14. Altan L, Bingol U, Aslan M, Yurtkuran M. The effect of balneotherapy on patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Scand J Rheumatol. 2006 Jul- Aug;35(4):283-9. Yurtkuran M, Yurtkuran M, Alp A, Nasircilar A, Bingol U, Altan L, Sarpdere G. Balneotherapy and tap water therapy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.Rheumatol Int. 2006 Nov;27(1):19-27.

15. National Institute of Rheumatology and Physiotherapy, Budapest, Hungary Balint GP, Buchanan WW, Adam A, Ratko I, Poor L, Balint PV, Somos E, Tefner I, Bender T. The effect of the thermal mineral water of Nagybaracska on patients with knee joint osteoarthritis-a double blind study. Clin Rheumatol. 2006 Nov 7; [Epub ahead of print] Balogh Z, Ordogh J, Gasz A, Nemet L, Bender T. Effectiveness of balneotherapy in chronic low back pain - - a randomized single-blind controlled follow-up study. Forsch Komplementarmed Klass Naturheilkd. 2005 Aug;12(4):196-201.

16. Institute "Niška Banja“, Serbia Natural factor (thermomineral water, mud, and climate) highly educated, scientific stuff and the contemporary medical equipment make the Institute "Niška Banja" the unique institution for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of rheumatic and cardiovascular diseases.

17. Institute "Niška Banja“, Serbia B N STAMENKOVIC, AM STANKOVIC, JM NEDOVIC, DB DJORDJEVIC, BK LOVIC, AN DIMIC, SK STOJANOVIC: Decreased C- reactive protein in ankylosing spondylitis during the balneotherapy

18. Chair and Department of Balneology and Metabolic Diseases, L. Rydygier Medical University in Bydgoszcz, Poland

19. Conclusions Most research has been carried out in Turkey and Hungary that has been published in internationaly indexed peer- rewied journals There is a need to reach the results of the studies of other east European countries that have been published in their own journals and language

20. Perspectives We must encourage the east European researchers to publish their studies in international peer-reviewed journals We should create an Europoean (international), multilingual data base in Balneology, Medical Hydrology and Climatology