World Federation of Neurology

Fostering quality neurology and brain health world wide

Asia Initiative

As the President Prof Vladimir Hachinski made in his inauguration speech, Asia is the most densely populated region in the word, yet the education of Neurology does not keep up with the patient’s need for neurological care. For this reason, it is essential to vitalize the educational activity in this region among others.

It would be strategically important to use the existing frameworks including Asian-Oceanian Association of Neurology (AOAN) and its meeting Asian-Oceanian Congress of Neurology (AOCN), previously held every 4 years. Because the educational courses every 4 years is not frequent enough to meet the demands of young neurologists steeply increasing in number, the President of AOAN, Prof Tsai and his colleagues have amended the statue to hold the meeting every 2 years. It would be appropriate to do this to synchronize the regional meeting to WCN meeting, which is held also every 2 years. Thanks to the shorter time and less cost of travel in east Asian and Oceanian countries, it seems possible to activate the meeting to become a counterpart of EFNS meeting held every year.

Prof Tsai and his office are trying their best to support the local organizer to plan an attractive program with speakers from all over the world for AOAN and other educational courses, and to find as many sponsors as possible to make the financial status of the meeting better shaped. If this attempt succeeds in its goal, the meeting could attract more and more people over years, and might be held every year as is the case for EFNS meeting. Asian and Oceanina societies are now being forged into a unified organization of Neurology. The goal of the Initiative is now closer than ever.

We need your help for this cause, which also embodies that of WFN itself.

Ryuji Kaji MD
Trustee, WFN
Head, Asia Initiative