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Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week 2014 to be held in October
We are pleased to announce that the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology is organizing its fourth Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week in the second week of October, from Oct. 6 to 12, in conjunction with World Sight Day 2014 on Oct. 9.
Images: Lam DSC
This year, the Public Education Standing Committee has worked with the Central Secretariat to identify three main themes for the event: primary angle closure glaucoma and acute glaucoma; retinal detachment; and important ophthalmic tumors. APAO is working closely with subspecialty societies in the region, including the Asia-Pacific Glaucoma Society, the Asia-Pacific Society of Ocular Oncology and Pathology and the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society, to produce a comprehensive set of educational material and a media kit, which will soon be available on the APAO website at www.apaophth.org/eyecareweek/2014/. Member societies are welcome to use the reference materials for public educational purposes during Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week. Please feel free to download and use the artwork to acknowledge your support of the initiative. We hope that, with our concerted efforts, we can work toward universal eye health, in which nobody will be needlessly visually impaired, those with unavoidable vision loss can achieve their full potential, and there will be universal access to comprehensive eye care services.
APAO Yasuo Tano travel grants
The Academy is pleased to offer up to 10 Prof. Yasuo Tano travel grants to young ophthalmologists in the Asia-Pacific region to attend the 30th APAO Congress, which will be held from April 1 to 4, 2015, in Guangzhou, China, in conjunction with the 20th Congress of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society. Priority will be given to ophthalmologists who are age 40 years or younger and come from a developing country and whose presentations (oral, poster, video and/or instruction course) have been accepted by the Scientific Program Committee of the 30th APAO Congress. Each successful applicant will enjoy registration waiver and receive US$500 if they live outside the host country of China, whereas those who live in the host country will receive US$250.
Interested young ophthalmologists should complete the online application form at 2015.apaophth.org/congress/travel_grant_nomination/login.php by Oct. 31. Results will be announced in December. If you have already registered for the 30th APAO Congress, you can use the same login to submit your application. Otherwise, please click “Create a New Account” to proceed. Should you need any assistance, please contact secretariat@apaophth.org.
APAO Leadership Development Program
The fifth class of the APAO Leadership Development Program (LDP) will be having its mid-year MasterClass in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Oct. 3 to 5. Hosted by the Vietnam Ophthalmological Society, this year’s MasterClass will be held at Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology, providing a unique opportunity for LDP participants to refresh their friendships. This intensive and interactive program will also cover aspects of leadership, including communication skills, ethics, project management, working with an executive team, advocacy, working with industry and organizational skills. We thank the LDP faculty, including Catherine Green, MBChB, FRANZCO, MMedSc, Tjahjono Gondhowiardjo, MD, PhD, Michael Brennan, MD, Sidney Gicheru, MD, Linda Tsai, MD, and Hunter Yuen, MBChB, MRCS(Ed), FCOphthHK, FHKAM, for their unfailing support.
Asia-Pacific Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Reynaldo M. Javate, MD, of Manila, Philippines, with the help of other oculoplastic surgeons in the Asia-Pacific region, founded the Asia-Pacific Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (APSOPRS), the first and only organization of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region, in 2000 with the following objectives: to unify the Asia-Pacific ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgeons and societies into a cohesive and productive organization; to regularly organize and sponsor world-class congresses and live surgery workshops that will serve as venues for the common desire to advance the knowledge and practice of ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery; to promote joint sponsorship of various projects among various societies; to conduct studies on oculoplastic conditions peculiar and more commonly found in the Asia-Pacific region; and to promote cordial relationships and camaraderie among its members.
On Nov. 26, 2000, the inaugural scientific meeting of the APSOPRS was held in Manila. Since then, scientific meetings are held every 2 years in different parts of the Asia-Pacific region.
APSOPRS 2014 will be held in conjunction with the Silver Jubilee Meeting of the Oculoplastics Association of India on Sept. 26 to 28 in New Delhi, India. More information is available at www.apsoprs2014delhi.com/.
To achieve its objectives, APSOPRS has been striving to increase its membership, affiliating with existing national societies of oculoplastic/ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery in Australia/New Zealand, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand and assisting other regions to develop their own societies. APSOPRS has recently become a reciprocal society to the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS), which enables APSOPRS member to become members of the ASOPRS and participate actively in its meetings. It is also affiliated with the International Council of Ophthalmology and is a subspecialty member society of the APAO.
APSOPRS was a co-organizer of the 9th International Symposium of Ophthalmology in Guangzhou, China, in 2013 and organized sponsored symposia at APAO 2013 in Hyderabad, India, and WOC/APAO 2014 in Tokyo. It is going to hold an instruction course at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in Chicago, U.S.A., in October, and its council members are invited speakers at Oculofacial Plastic Surgery Subspecialty Day preceding the AAO meeting. APSOPRS is also a supporting organization of the 30th APAO Congress to be held in Guangzhou, China.
The current president of APSOPRS is Ashok K. Grover, MD, a recipient of the Padma Shri Award by the president of India. He is also the chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Vision Eye Centers in New Delhi and a past president of the All India Ophthalmological Society and Oculoplastic Association of India.