Mr. Marios Kouloumas was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of ten. He has been working in the public sector since 1983 and since 1993 he has been working at the Nicosia General Hospital. For the last twenty-three years he has been actively involved as a volunteer in the movement of people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases and chronic patients both nationally and internationally.
He is the president of the Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations (CPAA), the umbrella organisation representing national patient organisations. He is a qualified Patient Research Partner and Patient Expert. He was the coordinator of the working group for the European League Against Rheumatism-EULAR’s “don’t delay, connect today” and campaign and Strategy Advisor to the EULAR PARE Standing Committee.
He is a former president and currently honorary president of the Cyprus Organisation of people with Rheumatic diseases, and former vice president and honorary member of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR). As well as serving as an official in a number of organizations in Cyprus and abroad.
He has been awarded at the European Congress of Rheumatology with EULAR’s highest distinction, The Meritorious Contribution Award. He was also honored by the NGO POLITIA with The Democracy Award 2022.
He was a member of several national committees and initiatives. He is currently a member of the National Committee on Hepatitis and was also appointed by the President of the Republic of Cyprus as a member of the Committee of the National Centre for Health & Care Excellence. He is also a member of the
Studies Committee of the University of Cyprus Medical School and a member of the Centre of Excellence of the Biobank and Biomedical Research (CY-Biobank).
He participated in many congress, conferences, workshops and research projects both in Cyprus and internationally.