Dear colleagues,
As we turn the corner into the new Millennium, we have ample reason for
celebration and hope. Great strides have been made in our battle with
infectious diseases. The total elimination of polio, an age-old scourge,
and even leprosy, a disease dating back to biblical times, are on the
cards. We have enhanced our understanding of every aspect of the
infection process, even to the molecular level. Modern day technology
has elevated our diagnostic and treatment capabilities beyond all
imagination. We continue to produce new antibiotics that are effective
and safe. Yet many challenges remain and infectious diseases will
continue to be a major concern in the coming years.
Just to remind us that there is still much to learn, we see in recent
years a host of new emerging pathogens. Many of these like the Nipah
virus and bird flu are within our very own region. The spread of
antimicrobial resistant pathogens is also real and disturbing, and we
are still in search of effective methods to control the abuse of
antibiotics. Other diseases like AIDS are rapidly on the rise in our
region, and we need to work in close collaboration if we are to bring
these under control. Even older infections like tuberculosis and
malaria, which we know so well, are still plaguing us. We must also
learn and fully exploit new technologies including the use of the
Internet in our battle against infection. As usual, there is always the
burgeoning list of new antimicrobials, which we must assimilate if we
are to appropriately include them in our armament against the microbes.
The 7th Western Pacific Congress of Chemotherapy and Infectious Diseases
is here to meet these needs. I am sure many positive answers will
result. The reassuring thing in our fight against infection is that we
do have treatments and preventive methods that work. It is very much a
matter of effective implementation. We invite you, in our first meeting
of the new millennium, to join in and participate in this exciting
arena. As before you will meet colleagues and fellow professionals from
the region and all over the world. With you help perhaps we can make
this the best WPCCID ever.
Thank you very much,
Sincerely,
Prof. Seto Wing Hong
Local Organizing Committee Chairman Prof. Wing-Hong Seto
Co-chairman Prof. Jia-Tai Li
Vice-chairman Prof. Mun-Hon Ng
Program Committee Chairman Prof. Elizabeth Houang
Scientific Committee Chairman Prof. J S M Peiris
Secretary Dr. Dominic Tsang
Treasurer Dr. Wei-Ling Lim
Logistics Chairman Dr. Donald Lyon
Exhibition Co-ordinator Mr. Raymond Leung
Representatives from Professional Societies & Institutions Ms. Patricia
Ching
Prof. C R Kumana
Dr. Patrick Li
Dr. Wing-Lok Lo
Prof. John Tam
Dr. Sik-To Lai
For Details, please visit
http://www.mvdmc.com/wpccid/home.html
