Kypros Nicolaidis is considered the “father” of cervical transparency and is the founder of the non-profit Fetal Medicine Foundation which has developed critical and multifaceted work in the prevention of perinatal mortality.
By Thanasis Gavou
On behalf of the President of the Hellenic Republic, the internationally renowned Cypriot professor of fetal medicine at King’s College and the University College of London Cyprus Nikolaidis was awarded the Golden Cross of the Order of the Phoenix of the Greek state by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias.
Kypros Nicolaidis is considered the “father” of cervical transparency and is the founder of the non-profit Fetal Medicine Foundation which has developed critical and multifaceted work in the prevention of perinatal mortality.
The award is a recognition of both the scientific achievements of Kypros Nicolaidis and his philanthropic actions.
The health of women and children is one of Greece’s priorities and is included in the Four-Year National Program for International Development Cooperation (2022-2025).
In this context, the General Directorate of Development and Humanitarian Aid of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with Professor Nikolaidis’ Fetal Medicine Foundation will jointly implement a Fetal Medicine Program which will initially be offered in eight selected countries for the period 2022-2025.
Mr. Dendias has sent relevant letters to his counterparts in these eight countries of the Western Balkans (Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo), Eastern Europe (Armenia, Moldova) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda).
Among other things, the program in question will include the establishment of fetal medicine units, which will be integrated into public maternity hospitals with free access for all women, as well as the creation, for medical personnel from each selected country, of a postgraduate program in fetal medicine which will be accompanied by a two-year internship at the Foundation of Fetal Medicine at King’s College London.
The awarding ceremony took place at the embassy residence in central London on Friday evening, with the Greek ambassador Ioannis Raptakis welcoming “a special Greek” in the person of Professor Nikolaidis.
Mr. Dendias said in his speech that the professor is the founder of fetal medicine and that “hundreds of thousands if not millions of children owe their lives to him”. The Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs made a brief reference to the rich biography of the Cypriot doctor and noted that it is a “special honor” for him to receive the medal of Mr. Nikolaidis on behalf of the President of the Republic Ekaterini Sakellaropoulos.
Professor Nikolaidis, for his part, visibly moved, declared that he was proud and said that he accepted this honor as recognition by the Greek state of the work of doctors “who do not accept the tragic reality that every minute somewhere in the world a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth, deaths which in the great majority can be avoided”.
He praised the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs as a “patriot” who works for the interests of Cyprus.
Both Mr. Dendias and Mr. Nikolaidis emphasized in their speeches and in their statements to journalists the importance of the Fetal Medicine Program that will be offered to the aforementioned eight countries with the funding of the Institute of Fetal Medicine, within the framework of Hellenic Aid, the program development aid of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
As Mr. Dendias stated, it is important that the units that will operate in the eight countries will have the Greek flag on the outside “as a presumption of the contribution of the homeland and of Cyprus Nicolaidis to the world community”.
Mr. Nikolaidis added that he wants this program to be extended to as many countries as possible in the future. “I look forward to working with the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs to achieve what I have wanted for many years, to transfer the results of our research to as many people as possible without for the benefit of women and children.”
It is noted that last year in July, Dr. Nikolaidis was decorated by the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis, with the Grand Cross of the Order of Makarios III.
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