About APAGE
   

Introduction
The Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology (APAGE) was founded in Tokyo on March 30th 1961. This organization is an affiliate of the Organization Mondiale de Gastro-Enterologie (OMGE).
 
 
The APAGE was incorporated in the SAR of Hong Kong, China (hereinafter called Hong Kong) as a legal entity with limited liability and subject to the relevant laws of Hong Kong. The Treasury located also in Hong Kong will issue annual, audited accounts in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong.
 
   
Vision, Mission and Specific Aims
APAGE will lead by 2010 in creating a united, multi-cultural and multi-dimensional organization in the pursuit of excellence in clinical practice / education and research towards the improvement of digestive health in this region and the world.
   
APAGE will endeavour to make the Asian Pacific region excel in education and research in all aspects of gastroenterology, achieving this through fellowship, conventions and journalism, thereby bringing to the region the highest quality of healthcare in this field of medicine.
   
More specifically, APAGE will
  • hold an annual scientific meeting, the Asian Pacific Digestive Week (APDW)
  • encourage and support co-operative research in the Asian Pacific region
  • encourage and support clinicians, scientists and students to visit the region from outside and within, for teaching, lecture, study and research
  • solicit and receive donations and raise money for furthering the aims of APAGE (Article 3 of APAGE By-Laws)
 
   
Composition
   
Governing Body
   
The APAGE is governed by a Council consisting of members elected from its member countries and regions at the General Meeting comprising the following: President; Vice President; Incoming two APDW Presidents; Secretary-General; Treasurer; Chairpersons of six committees; six Council Members and up to six co-opted Council Members; and representatives of editor of the Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (JGH). National or regional gastroenterological societies with academic standing in the Asian Pacific region are eligible to be members. Each nation or region is represented by one society.
 
Committees
The APAGE Council is assisted by the following eight committees, the chairpersons of the first six committees sit on the Council:
  • Programme Advisory Committee
  • Awards Committee
  • APDW Steering Committee
  • The Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (JGH)
  • International Liaison Committee
  • Nominations Committee
  • Education and Research Committee
  • Committee of Past Presidents
 
   
APDW and Other Scientific Meetings
   
The APDW is held annually, and in collaboration with member societies and other regional bodies including the Asian Pacific Society of Digestive Endoscopy (APSDE), Asian Pacific Association for the Study of Liver (APASL), International Society for Digestive Surgery (ISDS), and other regional organizations in gastroenterlogy and related fields. Its mission is to convene an annual meeting in the Asian Pacific region that would be an annual major medical forum for education and research especially for Gastroenterology and will be regarded as internationally one of the three regional major meetings (DDW, UEGW and APDW)
   
In between congresses, member societies will make known to other members their scientific meetings, workshops and seminars through this Homepage, the Journal and other APAGE media to enable interested parties in the region to attend and participate.
 
   
JGH Trust
   
The JGH Trust is a new initiative set up in 1999 by senior editors of JGH with the aim to promoting gastroenterology in the Asian Pacific region. The Trust provides opportunities for training and education for young medical scientists, gastroenterologists, hepatologists and endoscoptists. As at date, the Trust has sponsored the following programmes:
   
  • Young Investigators' awards at the Asian Pacific Congress of Gastroenterology in Hong Kong, and the meeting of the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver in Fukuoka
  • The inaugural JGH lectureship at the Hong Kong meeting
  • Seeding grant to senior editors of JGH to initiate the recent consensus guidelines on Hepatitis B and C
  • A new project into the causes, pathogenesis and better management of chronic pancreatitis
   
Support for other projects is also being considered, such as exchange programmes for trainees or isolated practitioners; visiting lecturer programmes to support the national meeting of smaller gastroenterology societies, or those with a very limited budget are being considered and will be developed in conjunction with APAGE.
 
   
Publications
   
The JGH is the official publication of APAGE. This Journal is also the official publication of APASL. The editors and the majority of the editorial board are elected from the member countries and regions of the two Associations. The first issue of this Journal was published in January 1986. Year 2001 marked the fifteenth anniversary of the publication. Throughout this period continuous efforts had been made by the editors, contributors, reviewers and its publishers, now Blackwell Science Asia to improve its quality and standard. Today, JGH can rightly claim considerable achievements in the Asian Pacific region.
The Asian Pacific Digestive News (APDN) was first published in December 1999 as a general interest newsletter which serves to encourage informal communications among colleagues and member countries/related bodies. It aims to give readers a better understanding of the ethnic, cultural and social factors which could modify the clinical expression, prevention and treatment of the gastroenterological diseases found in the region.
 
Membership
Council Members 2008/2010
POST NOMINEE  
President Prof Shu-Dong Xiao
Shanghai
Vice - President Prof Khean-Lee Goh Kuala Lumpur
APDW 2009 President Prof Cheng-Shyong Wu Taiwan
APDW 2010 President Prof Khean-Lee Goh Kuala Lumpur
Secretary-General Prof Kentaro Sugano Tochigi
Treasurer Assoc Prof Choon-Jin Ooi Singapore
Chairman Programme Advisory Committee Prof Jae-Bock Chung Seoul
Chairman International Liaison Committee Prof Dai-Ming Fan Xian
Chairman Awards Committee Prof Kai-Chun Wu Xian
Chairman Ethics Committee Prof Jin-Ho Kim Seoul
Committee of Past Presidents Prof Shiu-Kum Lam Hong Kong
  Prof Kwong-Ming Fock Singapore
Chairman Education & Research Committee Prof Peter Gibson Melbourne
Representative, JGH Foundation Prof Geoffrey Farrell Sydney
Council Members Prof Ta Long Hanoi
  Dr Jayaram Menon Kota Kinabalu
  Prof Soichiro Miura Saitama
  Assoc Prof Eng-Kiong Teo Singapore
  Dr Benjamin Wong Hong Kong
  Prof John Wyeth Wellington
  Dr Udom Kachintorn  
 
 
Member Societies    
  President
Afghanistan Gastroenterology & Endoscopy Society Prof Abdul Qassem Ahmadi
Gastroenterology Society of Australia Prof Michael Grimm
Bangladesh Gastroenterology Society Prof Mahmud Hasan
Chinese Society of Gastroenterology Prof Dai-Ming Fan
The Hong Kong Society of Gastroenterology Dr Benjamin Wong  
Indian Society of Gastroenterology Prof Premashish Kar
The Indonesian Society of Gastroenterology Dr Chudahman Manan
The Japanese Society of Gastroenterology Prof Kentaro Sugano
The Korean Society of Gastroenterology Dr Sun-Whe Kim
Malaysian Society of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Dr Huck-Joo Tan
Myanmar GI and Liver Society Prof Thein Saw
New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology Prof John Wyeth
Pakistan Society of Gastroenterology and GI Endoscopy Prof Muzzamuddin Khan
Philippine Society of Gastroenterology Dr Diana A Payawal
Gastroenterological Society of Singapore Assoc Prof Eng-Kiong Teo
Gastroenterological & Digestive Endoscopy Society of Sri Lanka Prof Kemal Deen
The Chinese Taiwan Gastroenterological Society Dr Cheng-Shyong Wu
The Gastroenterological Association of Thailand Prof Ong-Ard Praisontarangkul
The Viet Nam Association of Gastroenterology Prof Ta Long
 
 
Regional Bodies
  President
International Society for Digestive Surgery Prof Chung-Mau Lo
Asian Pacific Association for the Study of Liver Prof Teerha Piratvisuth
Asian Pacific Society of Digestive Endoscopy Prof William Chao