On behalf of the Society, we would like to express gratitude from the bottom of our hearts to you for your generous donations to the Asian Pacific Thoracic Association (APTA), the organization registered as the legal entity of the APSR.
By the end of June 2018, the fiscal year-end of the APTA, the target number of donors was reached for the second year's requirement towards the APTA's recognition as an authorized non-profit organization (authorised NPO) to gain tax-exemption status.
When recognised as an authorised NPO, we will be required to also have 100 donors every fiscal year. We would appreciate your continued support.
Volunteer to live-tweet and upload to the APSR's social networking site (SNS) accounts during the ERS Congress 2018 in Paris.
As you may know, the APSR uses Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and we are looking for a volunteer to kindly contribute to these SNS accounts; in particular, APSR-related activities at the ERS Congress 2018 in Paris. This is an open invitation for any young APSR member to attending the ERS Congress to apply for this volunteer position.
The volunteer will be offered complimentary registration of the APSR Congress 2018 Taipei
Basic qualifications:
Roles and responsibilities:
Token of appreciation:
Deadline for application:
To apply for this opportunity please submit to the APSR Secretariat APSR@theapsr.org:
Feel free to contact the Secretariat APSR@theapsr.org if you have any queries.
We are looking forward to working with you!
We are delighted to announce that the Bangladesh Lung Foundation (BLF) has joined the APSR as an en bloc society.
As with other en bloc societies, all BLF members are now members of the APSR and have full APSR membership rights and privileges. Many BLF members have already joined APSR assemblies. (Please see the last Coucillor's report).
The BLF conducts an amazing range of activities in the promotion of lung health for people in Bangladesh.
Innovation and initiatives by not only the Foundation but also its committed members, leads to strong confidence of a mutually beneficial relationship with sister societies throughout the region and beyond.
Dr Rashidul Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation, sends the following message.
"I'm delighted to write this message on behalf of all the members of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation (BLF). At the outset, we would like to extend our best wishes to all members and leadership of the en bloc societies of the APSR.
On this auspicious occasion, we would like to express our commitment to the ideals of the APSR. Our members have been regularly attending APSR congresses to quench their thirst for knowledge and to obtain updates regarding lung diseases. This has provided us a golden opportunity to interact with colleagues from the region and enhanced our capacity to provide quality care for our patients.
Unfortunately, lung health is still neglected in Bangladesh as well as within the Asia-Pacific region. This region has the highest levels of air pollution in the world. Lung health is therefore a major challenge for our population. It is imperative that air pollution should be controlled strictly. The burden of asthma and COPD is rapidly increasing owing to unplanned urbanization. Brickfields have been identified as the major source of air pollution in the country. We are hopeful that our stronger ties with other sister societies under the auspices of the APSR will enable us to draw the attention of policy makers to the problem.
Bangladesh is a high burden TB country. Despite the limitation of our resources, operational research conducted in Bangladesh laid the foundation for the shorter nine month regimen (Bangladesh regimen) for Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis. We believe that this regimen will serve as a game changer in the management of Multi-drug resistant Tuberculosis. The BLF is eager to participate in any multi-centre research on other issues like Latent TB infection or Extra-pulmonary TB (EPTB). Other respiratory infections also pose a major challenge for our community.
Our induction in the APSR fold coincides with the tenth anniversary of our foundation. We have labeled it as the decade of dedication to lung health. We are very eager to participate in the various activities of the APSR related to creation of public awareness. We intend to observe the coming World Lung Day in a special manner with participation of APSR leadership.
As physicians, it is our responsibility to strive for the amelioration of the pain of suffering mankind. An African proverb says; "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together". We believe in going far, together with all the friends and colleagues under the APSR umbrella to achieve this objective. We would like to express our profound gratitude to the APSR secretariat team led by Mr Yamanaka.
Dr Rashidul Hassan, President of the BLF
An APSR-ATS joint position statement on air pollution has been submitted to AJRCCM.
On the population's health burden from air pollution in the Asia-Pacific region, Dr Yasuo Morimoto and Dr Kozo Kuribayashi took charge of the section indoor air pollution, and Dr Soo-Hee Jung and Dr Woo Jin Kim took charge of the section on outdoor air pollution.
Ten recent articles were selected and reviewed for publication in APSR Respiratory Updates.
In November 2017 Dr Yasuo Morimoto, Head of APSR Environmental & Occupational Health and Epidemiology Assembly, presented "State of PM2.5 and its risk of respiratory disease" at a respiratory conference in in Chuncheon, Republic of Korea, followed by a presentation entitled "Pulmonary toxicity of nanoparticles" at a Seoul conference on toxico-genomics.
In June 2018 he gave a further presentation entitled "Occupational health management of manufactured nanomaterials" in Incheon, Republic of Korea at a symposium on occupational lung disease at a Korea-China-Japan Conference on Occupational Health.
An e-learning education video on lung disorder due to indoor and outdoor air pollution was made under the control of the Japanese Respiratory Society and the Japan Society for Respiratory Care and Rehabilitation.
A review article entitled "Particle and gaseous matter" was submitted as a section of book on "Guidance for prevention and treatment for air pollutant-related disease".
As with their 2017 International Conference, the ATS has kindly arranged for you to benefit from recordings of some of the most popular sessions from the 2018 International Conference, sharing tremendous ATS scientific research and clinical care knowledge.
Access is free for APSR members via apsresp.org/archive/ats-2018-stream.php and is scheduled to be available until 30 August 2018
As an APSR member, you get a special discount on the congress registration fee.
Early bird registration deadline: 28 September
Pre-registration deadline: 31 October
Registration is expected to open soon. Please check the congress website apsr2018.com for the latest information.
Sunday 16 September, 13:30–14:00, at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles
"Supporting clean air and healthy lungs in Asia-Pacific countries"
Tentative programme
The July issue (Vol 10.7) features Bronchiectasis:
Respirology Vol. 23 Issue 8 (August 2018) has been released since the last Bulletin.
In this issue, the Editors have especially chosen to feature the following two articles:
The population-based Tasmanian Longitudinal Health Study (TAHS) cohort provided the data for this study.
Spirometry in central Australia - bronchiectasis disproportionately impacts indigenous populations
The spotlight this month is on
Each month we share details of activities of a particular country, region or society.
If you would like the spotlight to be on your country, region or society next month, contact the Bulletin Coordinator or APSR Secretariat.
The Society was founded in the 1970s, initially as a local division of ACCP, to integrate the academic activities of local chest specialists. In 1996, the title of society was changed to reflect the growing importance of critical care medicine in our daily practice.
Thoracic Medicine (published every two months)
(published every two months)
The Pay-for-performance (P4P) programme is increasingly conducted worldwide in the healthcare system to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of health care. COPD is currently the fourth leading cause of death and is predicted to become the third by 2020. In Taiwan, the prevalence of COPD was estimated to be 6.1% independent of the defined diagnostic criteria.
To improve the health qualities and treatment outcomes of COPD patients, the Bureau of National Health Insurance (NHI) implemented a P4P programme for COPD in April 2017. This new programme provides financial incentives to motivate the participation of physicians who are able to establish patient-centered care within health care and enhance the value of patient monitoring and management. The main objectives of this new payment programme are to offer a comprehensive care system, improve the quality of healthcare, as well as reduce emergency department visits, ICU admission and cost burden in COPD.
To provide a comprehensive care system for COPD, financial incentives, medical resources, educational training for participation, and health education for patients, are integrated into this programme. Hospitals/clinics that enrol in the programme could receive extra payment for case management, smoking cessation success, execution of pulmonary rehabilitation, medication adherence, and reduction in COPD-related emergency visits and hospitalizations reward.
The Taiwan COPD Clinical Treatment Guideline is used to establish a unified standard for physicians and provide evidence-based analyses of individual agents commonly used in the treatment of COPD. Training certification classes for this programme provided by the Taiwan Society of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (TSPCCM) to improve skill and knowledge of physicians, case managers and respiratory therapists. Patients decision aid and self-management tools are provided by the TSPCCM for informing patients about available treatments, along with potential benefits, risks and costs, during clinical encounters. T-COPD, the network referral system, creates direct communication between primary care providers and specialist reviewers. Public health campaigns are launched to raise awareness and educate the public about COPD. This payment programme is aimed to provide a comprehensive care system and create a trilateral win-win situation for patients, physician, and insurer in the field of COPD.
The 2017 Annual Meeting of the TSPCCM was held on 9–10 December at the National Taiwan University Hospital International Convention Center, Taipei. There were eight speakers from overseas; six from the US and Europe.
The 23rd Congress of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR 2018) will be held at the Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) on 29 November – 2 December 2018 (Thursday to Sunday) hosted by the TSPCCM.
Venue: | Gold Coast, Australia |
Dates: | 28–30 March 2019 |
Details | www.apcb2019.com |
The Asian Pacific Congress on Bronchology and Interventional Pulmonology (or APCB 2019 for the short title) will take place at the Gold Coast Exhibition and Convention Centre, Australia, 28–30 March 2019. It will attract a distinguished audience comprised of researchers and clinicians in the field of bronchology and interventional pulmonology. The theme is "Case Based Training – Practice and Theory" and it will have a novel design with a hands-on focus; workshops will provide the core part of the Congress.
This Congress will have particular relevance for trainees, fellows and consultant specialists. Case-based learning is a key part of modern learning methods and APCB 2019 will allow this type of learning to take centre stage. We are developing a stimulating programme designed to explore the latest developments, medical advances, cutting-edge treatments and breakthroughs in the management of respiratory illnesses.
For more information, or to sign up to receive updates, please go to www.apcb2019.com
The Hong Kong Thoracic Society and CHEST Delegation Hong Kong and Macau will co-host the "Symposium on Asthma and COPD: NOW and Future" at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wanchai, Hong Kong on 1-2 September 2018.
This 2-day programme sessions include:
Invited speakers include:
Click here (PDF file) for details of academic accreditations, conference registration, and the detailed programme, or contact the meeting secretariat:
There will be a special scientific meeting of the Indonesian Society of Respirology (ISR) (Pertemuan Ilmiah Khusus PDPI 2018) with the theme Current approach in respiratory medicine – Special issues in interventional pulmonology and thoracic oncology
Venue: | Crowne Plaza Hotel Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia |
Dates: | 23–27 October 2018 |
Secretariat: | pikpdpi2018@gmail.com Tel: +62 81313563575 |
Details | www.pikpdpi2018.com
Avisena Dutha Pratama: avissena_dp@yahoo.com Erlang Samoedro: erlangsamoedro@gmail.com |
A meeting of the Japan Society for Occupational Health will be held on 14-15 September 2018 in Tokyo.
A session on lung disorders due to asbestos and nanomaterials will take place in the morning of 15 September. Focus will be on the physiological response of personal protective equipment (respirators) and the clinical significance of circulating tumour cells in malignant mesothelioma.
Details: sanei2018.jp
The 59th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Respiratory Society will be held on 12-14 April 2019 at the Tokyo International Forum.
The Meeting's president will be Prof. Koichiro Tatsumi (Department of Respirology, Chiba University)
Details: www.jrs.or.jp/english/?content_id=27
23rd Congress of the APSR will be held on 29 November – 2 December 2018 in Taipei, Taiwan.
Details: www.apsr2018.com
Venue: | Hanoi, Vietnam |
Dates: | 27–28 September 2018 |
Details | hoihohapvietnam.org |
5-6 October 2018
Dubai, UAE
The Forum will kindly provide complimentary registrations for their conference with hot topics on Asthma and COPD, for two APSR members.
Don't miss the opportunity to apply for the free pass! Send your brief curriculum vitae before 31 August to the APSR Secretariat sugakonno@theapsr.org,
Recipients must submit a short report after the conference, which may appear in the APSR Bulletin, Newsletter and SNS.
As a member of a Supporting Society, the Forum offers APSR members a 25% discount on the conference registration fee. Please contact APSR Secretariat sugakonno@theapsr.org to receive the discount code.
Conference details
www.cvent.com/events/dubai-international-asthma-allergy-and-copd-forum-2018/event-summary-eee8c7ce1334475695498919fd27cf7f.aspx
Historically a country of heavy smokers, the situation has improved in recent decades with government-backed encouragement to reduce the problem, though to date non-compliance of Health Ministry recommendations and guidelines has been free of penalty. Pace is now picking up speed as government advisories are being replaced with legal restrictions and prohibitions.
Dr Morimoto, Head of the APSR Environmental & Occupational Health and Epidemiology Assembly, points to a new passive smoking control law that includes prohibition of smoking in restaurants and workplaces. Such establishments must be ready before the new law comes into effect in April 2020, ahead of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In June 2018 Tokyo lawmakers passed an anti-smoking ordinance stricter than the national version currently being deliberated by the national Diet.
Look out for interesting letters from Philippines and India, appearing soon in Respirology.
The following article has recently been selected from Respirology for its specific educational value. Previous articles on further topics can be seen at apsresp.org/education/articles/index.html
Of special interest to those working in:
* Pulmonary circulation
* Interstitial lung disease
* Clinical Respiratory Medicine
* Cell and Molecular Biology
Comment by Dr Mark Lavercombe:
This intriguing study suggests the use of serum SA100A12 concentration as a prognostic marker in pulmonary hypertension. Despite relatively small sample sizes, elevated S100A12 levels were significantly associated with a diagnosis of PH, and negatively correlated to cardiac output. Increased overall mortality was associated with S100A12 levels in both discovery and validation cohorts.
The APSR is profoundly grateful for their generosity.
Congratulations to the following members who have recently become APSR Fellows.
A warm welcome to the following members who have recently joined APSR assemblies. They will undoubtedly enjoy working with and networking with their assembly colleagues.
Assemblies | |
Dr Prastuti Astawulaningrum FAPSR (Indonesia) | Tuberculosis Respiratory Infections (non-tuberculous) Clinical Respiratory Medicine |
Dr Vipula Rasanga Bataduwaarachchi (Sri Lanka) | Clinical Respiratory Medicine Tuberculosis Respiratory Structure and Function |
Dr Karen Anne Gonzales Bispo (Philippines) | Clinical Respiratory Medicine Critical Care Medicine Respiratory Neurobiology and Sleep |
Dr Gladys Judynil Daba (Philippines) | Clinical Respiratory Medicine Critical Care Medicine COPD |
Dr Sahajal Dhooria (India) | Interstitial Lung Disease Bronchoscopy and Interventional Techniques Clinical Respiratory Medicine |
Dr Md Arshad Ejazi FAPSR (India) | Interstitial Lung Disease Bronchoscopy and Interventional Techniques Critical Care Medicine |
Dr Farah Fatmawati FAPSR (Indonesia) | Lung Cancer |
Dr Anna Febriani FAPSR (Indonesia) | Lung Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology Respiratory Structure and Function |
Dr Crestita Gorme (Philippines) | Paediatric lung disease Respiratory Neurobiology and Sleep Critical Care Medicine |
Dr Wenda Guan (China) | Respiratory Infections (non-tuberculous) |
Dr Helmia Hasan FAPSR (Indonesia) | Clinical Allergy & Immunology Tuberculosis Clinical Respiratory Medicine |
Dr Wiwin Is Fefendi FAPSR (Indonesia) | Environmental & Occupational Health and Epidemiology Interstitial Lung Disease Lung Cancer |
Dr Marhana Isnin Anang FAPSR (Indonesia) | Bronchoscopy and Interventional Techniques Critical Care Medicine Lung Cancer |
Dr Anthony Johnson (Australia) | Environmental and Occupational Health, and Epidemiology Tuberculosis Lung Cancer |
Dr Cristia Maysol Maderazo Morales (Philippines) | Critical Care Medicine COPD |
Dr Jawed Ul Hadi Memon (Pakistan) | Clinical Respiratory Medicine COPD Respiratory Neurobiology and Sleep |
Dr Yun Wing Thomas Mok (Hong Kong) | Clinical Respiratory Medicine COPD Lung Cancer |
Dr Thi Kim Phuong Nguyen (Vietnam) | Respiratory Infections (non-tuberculous) Paediatric Lung Disease Asthma |
Dr Ariani Permatasari FAPSR (Indonesia) | Environmental & Occupational Health and Epidemiology Interstitial Lung Disease |
Dr Yudhawati Resti FAPSR (Indonesia) | Clinical Allergy & Immunology Respiratory Infections (non-tuberculous) Cell and Molecular Biology |
Dr Alfian Nur Rosyid (Indonesia) | COPD Asthma Clinical Respiratory Medicine |
Dr Ho Pui So (Hong Kong) | Tuberculosis Asthma Respiratory Neurobiology and Sleep |
Dr Arief Bakhtiar Sudjak FAPSR (Indonesia) | Asthma COPD Respiratory Neurobiology and Sleep |
Dr Irmi Syafa'ah FAPSR (Indonesia) | Bronchoscopy and Interventional Techniques Critical Care Medicine Lung Cancer |
Dr Chien-Hua Tseng (Taiwan) | Environmental and Occupational Health, and Epidemiology COPD Critical Care Medicine |
Dr Kusmiati Tutik FAPSR (Indonesia) | Tuberculosis Respiratory Infections (non-tuberculous) Clinical Respiratory Medicine |
Dr Ralph Elvi Mudanza Villalobos (Philippines) | Bronchoscopy and Interventional Techniques COPD Lung Cancer |
Here are the main respiratory events in Asia-Pacific region for the next few months. You can see our full listing on the APSR Calendar.
For more pulmonology events, see apsresp.org/calendar.html
(These events are for information only and APSR endorsement should not be assumed.)
If you have any news or announcement that could be of interest to other APSR members, please submit details to the APSR Bulletin coordinators: Dr Arata Azuma (a-azuma@nms.ac.jp), Dr David C L Lam (dcllam@hku.hk), Dr Shu Hashimoto (hashimoto.shu@nihon-u.ac.jp), or APSR Bulletin (bulletin@apsresp.org).