Dear AFOMP Colleagues,
Happy New Year 2024. I am delighted to share with you the first 2024 issue of AFOMP Pulse newsletter, summarizing the notable activities and accomplishments of the Asia-Oceania Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (AFOMP) organization and its national members.
We ended 2023 on a high, meeting in December in Mumbai, attending the combined International Conference of Medical Physics (ICMP) that was jointly organized by Association of Medical Physicists of India (AMPI), IOMP, AFOMP, and South-East Asia Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (SEAFOMP). The ICMP was attended by over 1400 delegates and I would like to congratulate and thank the organizers, namely the convener Dr Sharma, on their efforts and hospitality, providing an excellent educational program and ample opportunities for networking. It was excellent to attend the meeting in person, after several years of online meetings during Covid Pandemic.
During the ICMP/AOCMP 2023 we also held AFOMP ExCom and Council meetings. These were held in hybrid forms (face-to-face and zoom) and I would like to thank all NMOs for their participation and contribution.
In 2023 numerous AFOMP awards and honors were awarded and presented in Mumbai. More details about the awards can be found in the Vice-President’s report (Prof Anupama Azhari). However, I would like to highlight the Kiyonari Inamura Memorial AFFOMP Oration 2023 that was awarded to Prof. Agnette DP Peralta – and we are very grateful to Japan Society of Medical Physics (JSMP) for continued support of this oration.
Prof Peralta dedicated 42 years to the Department of Health (DOH) in Philippines, before retiring in 2017 and reaching the esteemed position of Assistant Secretary of Health. Prof. Peralta’s global impact is underscored by her 12-year service as the only Filipino member in the Main Commission of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. She is the only Filipino elected as a Fellow of the International Organization for Medical Physics and the founding president of the Philippine Organization of Medical Physicists, which is now known as the Society of Medical Physicists in the Republic of the Philippines. She served as the president of the South-East Asian Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (SEAFOMP), being the only Filipino to hold this position. In 2020, the Asia-Oceania Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics (AFOMP) honoured her as one of the 21 “Outstanding Medical Physicists from the AFOMP Region,” marking the first time in its 20-year history that such an award was bestowed. She also co-founded SEAFOMP and AFOMP.
On other matters, our members have been involved in a paper titled “Science Diplomacy in Medical Physics – An International Perspective” that was published in the Health and Technology Journal reflecting our commitment to international collaboration (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-023-00756-0).
Last year, I also represented IOMP at the IAEA Technical Meeting on Advisory Services for Radiation Protection and Safety for Medical Exposures. This participation underlines our commitment to global initiatives in radiation protection. I was also engaged in the 74th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for the Western Pacific. Themes around sustainable healthcare and climate-resilient health systems were discussed, aligning with the UN’s declaration of 2024-2033 as the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development. In 2024 I will be working with ICRP as an observer on ICRP Task Group (128) on Individualization and Stratification in Radiological Protection: Implications and Areas of Application.
I am also proud to share that Adelaide, South Australia will host the IAEA radiology training in Adelaide, focusing on CT, Mammography, and X-rays, fostering collaboration in the Oceania region.
The 24th Asia-Oceania Congress of Medical Physics (AOCMP) 22nd Southeast Asia Congress of Medical Physics (SEACOMP)will be held in Penang, Malaysia (https://www.aocmp2024.com/) from 10 to 13 October, with preparations we under way. It will be an excellent congress and I hope many of you will participate.
In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude for your continued support as we strive to advance our mission. Here is to building on these achievements and making further strides in the months to come.
With best wishes,
Eva Bezak
President, AFOMP