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Preparations underway for 31st APAO Congress
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The 31st Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress is co-hosted by the APAO and the Chinese Taipei Ophthalmological Society, with the European Society of Ophthalmology as a co-sponsor. It will be held from March 24 to 27, 2016, at the Taipei International Convention Center and Taipei World Trade Center.
The opening ceremony will be on March 24, sandwiched by two plenary sessions. Early-bird registration is open until Nov. 30, and abstract submissions will be accepted through Sept. 15. Papers, posters, videos and instruction courses are all welcome.
Scientific Committee Program Chair Dennis S.C. Lam, MD, FRCOphth, and committed program conveners are in the process of developing a world-class scientific program. Visit http://2016.apaophth.org/invited-faculty/ to see a list of invited speakers thus far.
Social events include the gala dinner, as well as the Run for Nepal. This 5-km power run in Taipei’s Dajia Riverside Park is dedicated to raising funds to assist in rebuilding those areas of Nepal that were damaged by earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks in the spring of 2015. The deadline to submit sponsorship and donation forms is Aug. 31. Accompanying persons are also welcome to join the race. For more information, visit http://2016.apaophth.org/run-for-nepal-2016/.
APAO Yasuo Tano travel grants 2016
Up to 10 APAO Yasuo Tano travel grants will be offered to young ophthalmologists from the Asia-Pacific region attending the Congress. A total of US$1,000 will be awarded to each international recipient and US$300 to each local recipient from Chinese Taipei. The registration fee will also be waived. Interested delegates can apply at http://2016.apaophth.org/congress/travel_grant_nomination/login.php. The application deadline is Oct. 31, and results will be announced in December.
Congress registration will be facilitated by the new APAO ID, which allows APAO members to use one set of account details for all APAO Congresses. In the future, it will also provide access to other APAO content, such as online education and the Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology.
9th APVRS Congress
Images: Lam DSC
The 9th annual Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society Congress was held from July 31 to Aug. 2 at the Hilton Sydney in Sydney, Australia. To view the complete scientific program, visit http://2015.apvrs.org/congress/register/PDS_program_schedule.php. Alternatively, download the interactive Congress on the Go smartphone app.
You can search the entire program by author and text other delegates via the Congress app.
The Congress opening ceremony featured the APVRS Tano Lecture by Tien Yin Wong, MD, PhD, and the ANZSRS Neil Della Lecture by Ian McAllister, MBBS, along with a performance on the didgeridoo, the famous musical instrument developed by indigenous Australians. The opening ceremony was on July 31 from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. in Ballroom A & B.
Afterward, there was a poster session with welcome drinks in the exhibition hall on Level 4 of the Hilton Sydney, where Congress participants could meet and mingle with colleagues and authors.
The Congress party event on Aug. 1 was at the Australian Maritime Museum’s Lighthouse Gallery, which offers magnificent views of Sydney’s famous Darling Harbour. In addition to excellent food prepared at live cooking stations, attendees could get up close and personal with Australia’s famous wildlife, such as koalas and kangaroos, and learn how to create indigenous artwork.
There was even more entertainment in the form of fire twirlers and other roving performers. Tours of the HMAS Vampire were also offered. Tickets to the event were $75 ($25 for children), with a cash bar available. Congress participants were encouraged to bring their partners and families.
5th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week
The 5th annual Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week will be held Oct. 5 to 11, to coincide with World Sight Day on October 8. This event is part of APAO’s efforts to support the WHO’s Vision 2020 initiative. All APAO member societies are encouraged to organize events in their countries to help raise public awareness of eye health issues.
This year, one of the major themes is childhood myopia. Myopia is a major issue in Asian countries and for Asian people throughout the region. The upward trend in prevalence is worrying. The Asia-Pacific Strabismus and Paediatric Ophthalmology Society will prepare educational materials on this important issue, which will soon be available at http://www.apaophth.org/eyecareweek/2015. Member societies are most welcome to use the reference materials for public educational purposes during the 5th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week. Please feel free to download and use the artwork to acknowledge your support for our initiative.