A Reflection on ASEAPS 2023

Joyce McSwan, APS President

The energy was palpable as Presidents from the Southeast Asian region gathered for the 9th Association of Southeast Asian Pain Societies (ASEAPS) Congress from the 3rd to 6th May 2023. Held in Bangkok and organised by the vibrant Thailand Association of the Study of Pain (TASP) under the leadership of TASP President, Dr Sasikaan Nimmaanrat and Chair of the ASEAP Congress, Dr Chuthamanee Suthisisang, the conference was colourful, ceremonious, and spirited by warmth and camaraderie. It was a buzzing affair of clockwork precision and making new connections. This was complemented by the high quality of the scientific program featuring contributions from world leaders in pain management such as IASP President Dr Catherine Bushnell, Dr Lars ArendtNielsen, Dr Mary Cardosa and our own Professors Fiona Blyth AM and Michael Nicholas, just to name a few.

I was incredibly proud to chair the ASEAP Presidents Panel discussion with IASP President Elect Professor Andrew Rice as well as representing the Australian Pain Society in presenting Dr Suratsawadee Wangnamthip (Siriraj Hospital, Thailand) with the Best Poster Award, which the APS proudly sponsored. Dr Wangnamthip’s poster explored the incidence, characteristics, impact, and risk factors of postCOVID chronic pain in Thailand.

This was also the first year the APS sponsored a Pain Camp participant, Dr Yogen Deo from Fiji. The initiative, which involves an intensive pain education boot camp, has ran for more than a decade. The generosity of such prestigious awards contributed by the APS is well appreciated and regarded by our friends in ASEAPS. Past APS President Dr Tim Semple started this legacy; I am so pleased that Tim had this vision and grateful we continue this wonderful initiative today. It is important that we remain inclusive of our neighbouring countries and do what we can to support the progression of research and education in these regions. These efforts enable other brilliant colleagues to continue to impact their local communities towards better access of multimodal pain management beyond Australia!

The ASEAPS Pain Camp has been very useful in developing the introductory Pain Education program, Essential Pain Management (EPM), developed by another past APS President Dr Roger Goucke and promoted by him and Dr Mary Cardosa from Malaysia in SE Asia and the pacific over the last 10 years.

Keep your eyes peeled for the next ASEAPS Conference in 2025 in Singapore!! A conference not to be missed!