PHA shines at AFCC 2016 in Yangon
CSMMA cited for superb role in the success of 21st AFC
YANGON, Oct. 16, 2016 -- The Cardiac Society Myanmar Medical Association (CSMMA) took on its hosting task of the 21st ASEAN Federation of Cardiology (AFC) Congress to the hilt. Themed “Working Together for Heart Health,” from Oct. 14-16, 2016, it was the first ever international confab conducted in Yangon, Myanmar, and turned out to be a qualified success.
AFC President Dr. Rosli Mohd Ali (Malaysia) and President-Elect Dr. Richard Ng (Singapore) hailed Myanmar for its major accomplishment considering that it was the first time it played host to the cardiac international conference.
One of the relatively younger member societies of the AFC, CSMMA was inducted as AFC member in 2007.
CSMMA President Prof. Myint Soe Win and AFCC 2016 Organizing Committee Chair Dr. Khin Maung Lwin lined up topics that covered all the disciplines in cardiology. The lectures on preventive cardiology, cardiac imaging, cardiac arrhythmias, coronary heart disease, general cardiology, hypertension, lipid, interventional cardiology, valvular heart disease, cardiac surgery, cardiac anesthesia including intensive care, cardiac rehabilitation, pediatric cardiology and women’s health were interspersed with international and ASEAN perspectives.
The AFC Council members cited the excellent line-up of topics -- state-of-the-art guidelines, particularly the ones tackled by key speakers from the American College of Cardiology and the European Society of Cardiology, and the presentation of local/regional advancements, statistics and clinical outcomes from the newer members – Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei and Myanmar.
Another highlight of the AFC Congress was the AFC Council meeting (wherein the officers/representatives from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore. Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Brunei, discussed ongoing programs, future plans and overall direction (like opportunities for improvement and finances) and the election of the AFC president and the candidate that won the bid to be President-Elect was Dr. Anwar Santoso of Indonesia.
The Council also sees to it that in any activity, the ASEAN spirit and camaraderie remain strong among the members.
The PHA has always been a fixture in AFC conventions. This year, representing the PHA Board were Drs. Raul Lapitan and Nannette Rey, president and secretary, respectively. Dr. Eleanor Lopez, past president of the PHA and AFC, had been newly appointed as member of the AFC Advisory Board, which is composed of past presidents of the AFC. The PHA is one of the founding members of the 43-year-old organization.
Pinoy cardios stand out
Speakers from the Philippines were tapped as lecturers during the pre-convention and convention scientific sessions. The Echo Workshop was conducted by the ASEAN Society of Echocardiography (under the auspices of the AFC) with ASEAN Echo chair Dr. Edwin Tucay (Philippine Society of Echocardiography president and former PHA Council on Echocardiography chair) overseeing the activity. Tucay talked about “Echocardiographic Assessment of Tricuspid Valve-Evaluation in Adults” while Dr. Ronald Cuyco lectured on “Echocardiography of a Patient with Stroke. Cuyco is the current PHA Council on Echocardiography chair.
For the regular scientific sessions, the faculty from the Philippines with their topics were Drs. Rey for “Anti-Coagulation for Valvular and Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation – Is there a Difference?”; Edward-Bengie Magsombol for “The Role of Myocardial Perfusion Imaging in Following Up the Benefits of Extracorporeal Shockwave Myocardial Revascularization (ESMR)”; Ma. Adelaida Iboleon-Dy for “ACS among Filipino Women”; Aurelia Leus for “Challenges in Management of RF-RHD”; and Robin Flores for “The Progress of Cardiac Surgery: A Perspective from a Developing Nation.”
At the Young Investigators Award contest, Dr. Lorielyn Mandigma, a pediatric cardiologist, represented the PHA. Mandigma was 2016 PHA YIA winner for her paper on “Correlation or Right Ventricular Strain Imaging Parameters with Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging Parameters in the Assessment of Right Ventricular Function among Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot Patients.” One of the opportunities extended by the PHA to YIA winners is the submission of their papers to the AFC YIA and supporting their travel to participate in the regional contest.
The AFC inducted the new Fellows of the ASEAN College of Cardiology during the Convocation and Opening Ceremonies. They were: Drs. Jorge Sison, Rey, Orlando Bugarin, Tucay and Cuyco.
The traditional Fellowship or Gala Night on the third night of the congress was a kaleidoscopic social event. Member countries performed dance and song numbers that exhibited their rich and vibrant cultures. Malaysia and Singapore tied for first prize.
At the end of the evening, the AFC Council announced that the next AFC congress would be hosted by the Brunei Cardiac Society on November 3-5, 2017. Gina Capili-Inciong
History of the AFC, AFCC
The representatives of five national heart associations (NHA) that formed the AFC in 1973 were Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. A non-political organization, it aims to improve the standard and practice of cardiology in the ASEAN region.
Council members composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary-General, Treasurer, Immediate Past President and President and Secretary-General from the NHA member-countries run the Federation.
In 2004, Vietnam was accepted as the sixth member. Subsequently, Myanmar and Laos were accepted as members in 2007. The Cambodia Heart Association and Brunei Cardiac Society were the latest additional to the AFC family.
The first AFC Congress was held in Bali, Indonesia in 1975 under the leadership of Dr. Sukaman Sumaryone who subsequently became the first AFC president. Previously, the congress was held biennially among the member countries and the chairman of the organizing committee of the preceding congress becomes the President of the Federation.
Given the current number of member countries, the AFC Council recently decided to hold the congress every year and that the selection of the AFC President would be conducted through an election by the officers of the AFC Council from among the nominees submitted by the NHAs.
It was during the 6th ASEAN Congress held in Indonesia in 1986 that two traditional events were initiated. The first was the Young Investigator’s Award which is a scientific paper competition presented by authors below 40 years of age from ASEAN member countries. Representatives from Indonesia and Thailand emerged as the first recipients of the award.
The second event was the Sukaman Lecture named after the first AFC President Dr. Sukaman Sumaryone. The first lecture was the “Trend of Cardiovascular Problems in ASEAN.” The subsequent Sukaman Lecturer was selected from other member countries and not from the host country. The title of the lecture was later changed to Sukaman Memorial Lecture after Sukaman’s death in 1987.
The Philippines played host to the 2nd AFC Congress in 1977 with Dr. Avelino Aventura as the AFC President. In 1998, the 12th AFC Congress with the theme “ASEAN Cardiology in the Heart of the Next Millennium” was held in the Philippines under the helm of then AFC President Dr. Antonio Sibulo. The 18th AFC Congress held in Cebu in 2010 had Dr. Eleanor Lopez as AFC President who worked on the theme “Confronting Changes and Challenges in Cardiology: An ASEAN Perspective.”
