The World Congress of the FIAMC (Barcelona, Spain, 11th - 14th May 2006) offers health as well as non-health companies and institutions the opportunity to collaborate in the organisation of this global event as sponsors or collaborators, in order to:

• Facilitate the highest level of internationalization of the Congress by encouraging the participation of medical professionals from all countries, seeing to the needs of professionals from low-income areas.
• Facilitate scientific and humanistic education for over a thousand professionals committed to practicing medicine as a service to patients and the entire society with the highest level of respect for the dignity of the human person.
• Facilitate access to the most up-to-date and reliable information on the major ethical challenges as regards investigation and new medical practices.
• Facilitate possible resources for different social initiatives supported by the FIAMC and its federated associations in favor of development, the eradication of poverty, and improvement of sanitary conditions in different parts of the world.
• Achieve the organisational success of an outstanding professional event and contribute to the consolidation of Barcelona as a leading site in worldwide medicine.

The Congress Organising Committee seeks to contribute to promoting the city of Barcelona as an example of excellence in medical investigation and treatment: the 22nd Congress is an ideal forum for exchanging knowledge. The Organising Committee expects the presence of over 1,500 participants and significant news coverage in the countries of origin of those attending. Based on the recent congress in New York (1998), the extraordinary congress with over 2,000 participants held in Rome (2000), and the Seoul Congress (2002), it is reasonable to foresee a similar success.

The subjects dealt with in the main sessions of the Congress are:

1. Access to health: the rights of the poorest, a question of justice.
2. Distance education in medicine: opportunities and risks.
3. The international health bodies and their attitude towards poor countries.
4. Catholic physicians and professionals from other religious traditions: respect for life and the dignity of man.
5. The physician at the service of peace.

Other activities:

1. Exhibition by NGO and institutions that work to eradicate poverty.
2. General Assembly of the FIAMC. Election of posts. Activity Report. Proposals. Lines of action for future years.
3. Cultural tour for companions.
4. Visits to leading worldwide health institutions.
5. Formal dinner to close the World Congress.
6. Parallel symposiums in different specialties.