More of our spirals. Crochet work, which is still very common in Brazil;
a naturally occurring spiral in a green garden; and sand from a Rio beach

Access Rio2012 dedicated website here
Access Rio2012 programme structure here
Access Rio2012 theme, purposes and principles here
Access Rio2012 spirals explanation here
Register for Rio2012 here
Check out the rules for submission of your abstracts here

Yes, we are more online than ever. This includes Rio2012. The State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), our congress host, in 2003 started Telessaúde, its system of interactive electronic communication. This initiative includes many activities designed to improve and protect health and well-being and protect against disease. Since 2008 Telessaúde has been promoting research and long-distance education opportunities for health professionals of all areas, including nutrition. These include an e-learning platform, courses by teleconference and broadcast of events on the internet. Telessaúde will be our partners for the online participation in our congress.

The current infrastructure used by Telessaúde, sponsored by government with public funds, includes the facility for multiple simultaneous internet connections, anywhere in the world. In Brazil, this allows them to reach cities and towns that are geographically far distant from the big centres for research and training. Our plan is for online broadcasts in real time of the main events of Rio2012, such as the plenaries and symposia. These will be for institutions that will be able to gather bigger audiences – such as health centres, universities, civil society organisations, and other groups. We will soon start the process of registration for institutions, to enable these connections.

Telessaúde in action: supporting a videoconference meeting with participants
from cities and towns that are geographically far distant from one another

Telessaúde has experience participating in international events, broadcasting for the US, Australia, and some parts of Europe, South America and Asia. Alexandra Monteiro is the coordinator of all these activities for Telessaúde. She says that one of her most special experiences so far has been 'to gather, using videoconference, an international team of doctors in a difficult case, and having the opportunity to see that everyone shared the same doubts and that acting together we managed to establish an appropriate conduct for the successful treatment of a very ill child'.

Alexandra says that World Nutrition Rio2012 will be an excellent opportunity for Telessaúde to provide support infrastructure and to promote the sharing of successful experiences among all involved. And for us, this will be a great chance to maximise the impact of our congress and to make our work interact with people not physically present in Rio next April. Rio 2012 will truly be a world event.