4th Lecture of the 16^th Cycle

The 4^th lecture of the 16^th Cycle of the “Ierokipeion Free University in Paphos”, entitled “Antimicrobial resistance: a real threat to public health in Cyprus”, which will take place on Friday, 28 February 2020, at 7:00 p.m., in the Events Hall of the Geroskipou Multipurpose Centre, will host Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the Medical School of the University of Cyprus and Head of the Experimental Pharmacology Laboratory, Mr Nikolas Dietis.

Since 1929, when Alexander Fleming discovered the antibiotic action of penicillin, the course of humanity changed forever. Incalculable are the human lives that have been saved by antibiotics from hundreds of infections that once haunted the planet, leaving thousands of victims in their wake. Now, this golden age appears to be reaching its end. The continuous and excessive consumption of antibiotics by citizens, mainly of the western world, and their unreasonable prescription by many doctors is creating a growing antimicrobial resistance; that is, the microbes that were once eliminated by our antibiotics are now resistant, and the diseases they cause are now untreatable. Fewer and fewer antibiotics are still effective. More and more resistant microbes are appearing. Pharmaceutical companies gave up long ago. The World Health Organization has been sounding the alarm for a decade now, but it seems we are not listening. The microbes now emerging on the planet are so resistant that they are ready to take us back to the 1900s, when a simple infection was a cause of certain death.

Unfortunately, our Cyprus is the champion of antibiotic consumption in Europe and the country with many cases of microbial resistance. Although the state recognizes the danger and has from time to time set targets and actions, the use of antibiotics in Cyprus is steadily increasing every year. If we continue this way, an epidemic in Cyprus from a super-resistant microbe that we will be unable to confront will not be science fiction, but a real danger to the public health of the country, which, as an island, will experience unprecedented consequences. Informing citizens and more intensive action by the state to combat this danger in a coordinated manner is the only way forward.

The Medical School of the University of Cyprus, as the only public Medical School in the country, has taken important initiatives to inform citizens, as well as scientific action against microbial resistance. The Experimental Pharmacology Laboratory of the Medical School is the only scientific laboratory for the exploration and discovery of new antibiotics in the country. Our goal, and that of our collaborators, is, among other things, to explore the Cypriot flora and the natural wealth of our country in order to help discover new medicines that will give us the time we need in the battle against microbial resistance.

The lectures of the “Ierokipeion Free University” are open to the public and are broadcast live by Radio Paphos Pancyprian 93.7 and recorded by the University of Cyprus Radio Station UCYvoice 95.2. At the end of the presentations, the public, as well as the audience of Radio Paphos Pancyprian, can participate actively in the discussion that follows.

Media sponsors: “Politis” newspaper, UCY Voice 95.2

Information: 22894305/ 26960857

Invitation to Express Interest No. 5/2020 for the granting of a licence to provide services on beaches in the municipal area of Geroskipou

The Municipality of Geroskipou is accepting tenders for the granting of a licence to provide services to bathers (sunbeds and umbrellas) on various beaches located in the municipal area of Geroskipou. Interested persons may obtain the tender documents from the Municipality’s website under the “Tenders” category.

Applications must be placed in the Municipality’s Tender Box no later than Friday 6 March 2020 at 12.00 noon.

Neapolis University Pafos, true to its development pillar and to its declared commitment to contribute to the growth of local society, together with the Municipality of Geroskipou, the second largest municipality in the Pafos district with a long historical, cultural, social and folklore tradition, formalized their cooperation through the signing of a Cooperation Agreement, with the shared aim of providing a modern response to and addressing all the important issues and challenges facing Local Government.

The signing of the Agreement took place during a meeting of the two partners on Thursday, 6 February 2020, at the Geroskipou Municipal Hall and was signed by Mr Michalis Pavlides, Mayor of Geroskipou, and Prof. Pantelis Sklias, Rector of Neapolis University Pafos.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed the open challenges facing Local Government and the competitive business environment, and underlined the need for cooperation between the university community, as a body of applied knowledge, scientific innovation and also cultural cultivation and pioneering work, and the local government authorities, with the aim of sustainable progress and social cohesion.

The cooperation between the two partners refers, in the first instance, to the participation of the Municipality of Geroskipou in the broad network of cooperating organizations and businesses of the European Project “Career Offices Linking with the Labour Market”, implemented by Neapolis University Pafos for the purpose of placing students in the labour market.

At the same time, it will provide for, strengthen and promote actions and synergies that will simultaneously highlight the cultural, social and economic activity of the local society of Geroskipou, in conjunction with and supported by the academic, research and cultural work of Neapolis University Pafos.

The Municipality of Geroskipou and the Electricity Authority of Cyprus (Unregulated Activities Directorate) have reached an agreement for the provision of services to upgrade and maintain street lighting in the Municipality of Geroskipou.

The agreement covers the replacement of energy-intensive high-pressure sodium light fittings with LED-technology fittings, in order to improve their performance and save primary energy. The replacement is estimated to take twelve weeks and to be completed by the end of August. The agreement also provides for eight years of maintenance of the new LED fittings at no additional charge.

The cost of the contract to the Municipality will amount to €268,674.21 plus VAT. The project contractor guarantees that, with the use of the new LED fittings, energy savings will be around 60%.

The Municipality of Geroskipou, as part of its social contribution and with the primary aim of providing tangible support to students, is offering a number of scholarships and grants for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The main criteria for selecting scholarship recipients are:

• Resident of Geroskipou
• Exemplary conduct
• Clean criminal record
• Secondary school leaving certificate grade of 18.5/20 or higher.
• Completion of military service obligations prior to the submission of the application, or exemption or deferment.
• Certificate of year of study at universities in Cyprus, at higher education institutions in Greece or in another country.
• Maximum family income of €30,000 (father – mother).
• In the case of a large family (4 or more dependent children), the income limit is increased by €2,000 for each child. In the case of single-parent families and orphaned children, the maximum family income limit is €32,000.
• Attendance must be regular, continuous and not by distance learning.

Applications may be submitted until 28^th February 2020 at 1.30 p.m. For any information and application forms, you may contact the Records Office (tel. 26 962 324) or the Cultural Service of the Municipality of Geroskipou (tel. 26 960 857).

The application forms are also available at the links below:

Application form for the award of scholarships

Declaration of Financial Status for a scholarship application

In a letter to the Minister of the Interior, the Municipality of Geroskipou and the Community Councils of Konia and Timi have proposed the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with the neighbouring communities, with the aim of establishing a municipality in Eastern Paphos, a proposal that was also communicated to the parliamentary parties.

The letter, which was sent on 24 January, categorically rejects the Ministry of the Interior’s proposal for a merger with the Municipality of Paphos and sets out the reasons why the creation of a municipality in Eastern Paphos is preferred, a proposal that has the approval of the elected councils and the acceptance of the local community. As is also pointed out, the merger of the Municipality of Geroskipou with the adjoining communities upholds and secures the main objectives set by the study on the mergers, namely:

• “to be financially viable and administratively and financially self-sufficient”,
• “to ensure the necessary economies of scale for the effective and efficient provision of quality services to citizens”, and
• “the democratic representation of citizens in the decision-making bodies”.

The Municipality of Geroskipou and the Community Councils of Konia and Timi look forward to a revision of the Ministry of the Interior’s planning and to the adoption of their own consensual and well-documented proposal.

The Municipality of Geroskipou is conducting a tender by summary procedure, with the lowest price as the award criterion, for the annual maintenance of the mechanical installations and proper operation of the Geroskipou Olympic Swimming Pool and the fountain in Geroskipou Square. The tender is for a period of one year and may, at the absolute discretion of the Municipality of Geroskipou, be extended for one further year under the same terms.

Tenders must fully comply with the terms set out in the Tender documents.

The tender documents are posted on the website of the Municipality of Geroskipou, under the “Tenders” category.

For further information, interested parties may contact the Municipality of Geroskipou on 26 962324, Fax 26 961247.

Tenders must be sealed and deposited in the tender box of the Municipality of Geroskipou by Friday 31 January 2020 at 12:00 noon.

TENDER 1/2020

“Selection of a Supplier for the granting of a licence to use and operate the canteen at the Geroskipou Municipal Swimming Pool”

The Municipality of Geroskipou invites tenders by summary procedure for the selection of a Supplier for the granting of a licence to use and operate the canteen at the Geroskipou Municipal Swimming Pool.

The tender documents are posted on the Municipality of Geroskipou website, under the “Tenders” category.

Tenders must be sealed and deposited in the Municipality of Geroskipou’s tender box by Friday, 24 January 2020, at 12:00 noon.