In early April 2026, the general assembly of the professional scientific society elected Professor Lelbach as president in a secret ballot, without any opposing votes or abstentions. He is also a member of the Board of the European Geriatric Medicine Society (among his numerous professional activities, he is the editor-in-chief of the scientific journal "Idősgyógyászat/Geriatrics Medicine" and member of the Geriatrics Board at Semmelweis University).
Geriatrics is the medical specialty dedicated to the healthcare of the population over 65, while gerontology is the branch of science dealing with the aging process. The latter’s scope of activity includes research into "healthy aging" and "anti-aging" (slowing down the aging process).
The importance of this field is highlighted by the fact that in 2025, the number of people over 65 in Hungary was nearly 2 million, representing 20.6% of the total population. In Europe, this number was nearly 100 million (99.1 million in January 2025), making up 22% of the population. Due to demographic changes, both this number and its proportion show an increasing trend.
The Hungarian Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics plays a significant role in developing national guidelines for the medical treatment of patients in this age group.
