Message from the President of APSO

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

​

As the new President of the Asia Pacific Stroke Organization (2021-2023), I am honored to take on this responsibility. I am grateful to Prof. Kay-Sin Tan, my predecessor, for his outstanding leadership and the executive committee members for their valuable contributions and achievements from the 2019-2021 term.

​

The APSO has been growing and extending its impact on stroke care, education, and research of the Asia-Pacific region since its establishment in 2009. Currently, 21 countries are joining the APSO as sponsoring or affiliated members.

​

In the Asia-Pacific region, the resources and environment of each country related to stroke and its care are very different. To overcome these differences and pursue a unified vision in diversity, support for less-resourced countries is emphasized for balanced development. Furthermore, communication between APSO and member countries should be further stimulated.

​

As the world is struggling due to the corona pandemic, interest in stroke is temporarily less than before. Nevertheless, stroke remains a major cause of death and disability in most countries. The situation will not change much even after the pandemic is over. Therefore, efforts to improve the prevention and treatment of stroke must continue, and the Asia Pacific Stroke Conference (APSC) has significantly contributed to that goal.

​

The APSC 2020 held in Korea was a virtual meeting for the first time as a physical meeting became impossible due to the corona pandemic, and the meeting in India in 2021 was again virtual; both were successful. The APSC to be held in Taiwan in 2022 hopes to be a face-to-face meeting. APSO opened webinars four times in 2021, and the participants' satisfaction was high. Regardless of the future COVID-19 pandemic, the webinars will continue.

​

In the coming two years, my colleagues will join me in the new Executive Committee; NV Ramani (President-Elect), Wing Chi Fong (Secretary-General), Kazunori Toyoda (Chair of CME), Nijasri Suwanwela(Treasurer), and Kay-Sin Tan (Immediate Past President) in continuing the work to fulfill the objectives of the APSO.

 

I would appreciate your support and collaboration for a further leap of APSO in advance. Thank you.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Byung-Woo Yoon, MD, PhD, FAHA

President, APSO

​