In his keynote address, MP Dr Borislav Antonijevic stressed that birth rate, health and education are intrinsically intertwined and influence the very future of our society.

“These are fundamental issues. It is the organisers’ wish to speak about them openly, expertly and responsibly, to hear different experiences and suggestions, and have this gathering go beyond mere words, to be the origin of clear messages and concrete conclusions”, said Dr Antonijevic.

The participants of the conference were also addressed by representatives of civic associations and experts from a variety of areas. Prof. Dr Valentina Arsic Arsenijevic spoke about the importance of education as the foundation of the future development of Serbia, while Dr Jovana Stojkovic broached the topic of modern challenges in the area of health policy and protection of children in her address “Are healthy children a danger for Serbia’s public health?” Marija Stajic spoke about demographic trends and challenges in Serbia in terms of birth rate in her speech on “Future is not born: birth rate in Serbia”.

The speeches were followed by a discussion in which the participants exchanged opinions, experiences and suggestions concerning measures which could contribute to the advancement of demographic policy, protection of children’s health and strengthening of the educational system.

At the end of the conference, the participants adopted conclusions on which to base further actions and launch concrete initiatives in the areas of birth rate, health and education.