[Sournia as president of the International Society for History of Medicine and chairman of the International Congress in Paris].

During the last quarter of the century, Sournia took an active part in the life of the International Society for History of Medicine as he introduced English as a second official language and he modernised some procedures. In 1982 he organized an international congress in Paris about two themes close to his heart: the history of public health and of communication in medical area. So the I.S.H.M. became well known all around the world and Sournia remained a wise advise until his death.