A FIRST FOR A WOMAN IN EUROPE

Our interviewee today is Professor Leyla xanim NAMAZOVA-BARANOVA, M.D., director of the Institute of Preventive Paediatrics and Rehabilitation of the Scientific Centre of Children's Health of the Russian Academy of Medical Science (NTsZD RAMN), deputy director of the Scientific Centre of Children's Health and President of the European Paediatric Association [EPA]. She is also the editor-in-chief of the "Paediatric Pharmacology" journal, the science editor of the journal Current Prob-lems in Paediatric and Adolescent Health Care and a member of the editorial board of the international journals World Journal of Paedi-atrics, Asian Journal of Paediatric Prac-tice and The Turkish Journal of Paediatrics.

- Leyla xanim [mark of respect when addressing an Azer-baijani woman], you have been president of the European Paedi-atric Association for two years now. As far as I know, it is the first time that the post has been occupied by a woman. This means it is a great responsibility…

-You are right. There has never before been a female president in the history of the European Paediatric Association. I believe the reason for this is the following. The European Paediatric Association (EPA/UNEPSA) brings together all the doctors working on the European continent, ranging from the Scandinavian countries in the north to Turkey and Israel in the south and from Portugal in the west to the Russian Federation in the east. As you know, on the territory of the former Soviet Union paediatricians were customarily women, while in Western, Northern and Central Europe the opposite was true, they were mainly men. Male doctors traditionally held the key posts everywhere. It is therefore quite logical that in the top structure of our professional association (in the executive committee or council) out of nine people at best there have been two women. So, you can work out what the likelihood of a woman becoming president is. Well, to be absolutely frank about it, the chances are close to zero. In my case, I think it was due to the coincidence of a few factors. My age (considerably younger than many members of the council, on which I had served since 2004), respect for and interest in Russian paediatrics, which has particularly been fortified since we made a fantastic job of holding the European Congress of Paediatricians in Moscow in 2009, which was incidentally the first congress of its type to be held on the current territory of the former Soviet Union and in contemporary Russia, my numerous ideas aimed at boosting the effectiveness of our organisation's operation and finally our excellent, competent, highly qualified Russian team of paediatricians, whose splendid performance in the latest international projects has highly recommended them.

- In one article you were referred to as a Napoleon in a skirt, who had conquered Europe without going into battle. Are you a strong woman?

- I hope so. You can see that I was brought up to be... I am the oldest in the family, and my father, Seymur Avaz oglu Namazov, a well-known scientist and radio physicist in the USSR taught me that the most important thing was, no matter what you are doing, you should always have a precise idea of what you want to achieve, select the optimal way of attaining it and never stop until you have achieved your aim. I can always hear his favourite saying in my head, "It is always easy to start something, but hard to finish it"…

- You have achieved colossal heights from a professional point of view. You have been awarded masses of regalia, titles and posts. Could you tell us what you consider your greatest success?

- For all that, I believe that my greatest success is being a wife, the mother of two children and a grandmother with two grandchildren!

- You are the founder of the Institute of Preventive Paediatrics and Rehabilitation. They say that you were even involved in designing it…

- It's true that, if I take up something that I know about, there are always important elements to tackle. If we want the kids to recover more quickly at our institute, it means that even the walls have to help…. I spent quite a lot of time in hospital when I was a child. I didn't like white walls, white wards, and white corridors because that makes it look like a hospital. So, in our institute the walls, the doors and the floor are painted in cheerful, bright colours and there are definitely no hospital-type smells! 

- Leyla xanim, do you come from a family of doctors?

- My mother is a well-known historian, the author of numerous books on the new history of Europe, including the best books on the history of Belgium, on the countries which she devoted her entire life to studying. My father was a radio physicist, but his four sisters were all doctors! His eldest sister, my passionately loved aunt, Adila Avaz qizi Namazova, was undoubtedly my idol and most adored paediatrician!

- What precisely made you choose paediatrics?

- Probably all the ailments I suffered as a kid. Having had to undergo many ordeals owing to illness, I wanted to help sick children to get back on their feet more quickly. 

- According to you, not everyone can be a paediatrician. What else do you need besides professional knowledge?

- Paediatricians are special people. I won't talk about the usual things like putting your heart and soul into it, all the obvious things… It is simply that children sense when something is false. Therefore they never calmly let a doctor examine them who really does not like them! The well-known Russian paediatrician, G. N. Stepansky, who is said to be the "father" of the Russian system of paediatric aid to children, quite rightly tells paediatricians: "Doctors, when you are dealing with a sick child, don't forget that you have to treat his or her mummy as well". This means that paediatricians naturally need to be excellent psychologists.

- Have you been inspired by any particular pedagogue or mentor?

- I think that, besides my own favourite aunties, there were also my remarkable lecturers at the establishments of higher education (I began my studies at the Narimanov Azerbaijan State Medical Institute and graduated with honours from the N.I. Pirogov 2nd MOLSMI [Moscow Order of Lenin State Medical Institute], now the N. I. Pirogov RSMU [Russian State Medical University]). 

- Your husband, Alexander Baranov, is an academician, the head paediatrician at Russia's Ministry of Health. Do you ever ask his advice about anything?

- Of course, I do. My husband is the main person I consult (first and foremost, I ask him what he thinks about all my ideas), the very best adviser and a highly constructive critic. But what is most important is that he is a person from whom I never stop learning! He has wisdom, organisational experience, a socially aware mentality and an amazing sense of humour!

- Your job, your home, your family, your trips… How do you manage to fit it all in?

- I don't waste time watching television, chatting with girlfriends on the phone for hours, on unnecessary arguments and sorting things out. You know, you save lots of time that way, which can be used more purposefully on your job, the trips and family, of course!

- Do you get time to relax?

- It depends what you mean by relaxation. I am very pleased when all our friendly family - my husband and I, my mother, my sister and her husband and three daughters, my husband's daughter with her family, my children with their own children and new relatives, all in all 20 people, - gets together for a hearty lunch once a month in our home. I make something good to eat, we catch up on what has happened since we last met, recall the funny stories in our past and plan future trips. This is what I consider to be the best relaxation! I simply don't waste time watching television and spending hours on the phone chatting to girlfriends. 

- Have your daughters followed in your footsteps?

- I have two daughters. Maria, the oldest is herself the mother of two children. She is a sociologist, currently finishing her thesis. My youngest daughter, Anastasia, is, as they say, devouring medical science and working her way through it. She is a third-year student at the I. M. Sechenov 1st MSMU [Mos-cow State Medical University].