This lecture entitled 'The Ibrahimian Lecture' was Dr. Ismail Serageldin's opening address to the Conference on Cardiovascular Diseases that was held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on 4 February 2002. It was the first science group the New Library hosts, a few weeks before the official inauguration*. That gathering of physicians was very appropriate, as Alexandrian medicine played an important part in the ancient world.
In his lecture Dr. Serageldin was trying to sketch out a vision of the future of medicine in this new century.
Over twelve years have passed and the subject is still salient with the transformation of medicine and public health in the 21st century. So it was worth recording the lecture and making it available to the many interested scientists to peruse the points raised and find solutions.