Message from Chair

It is my honour and humble privilege to serve again as the Chair of the Asian Stroke Advisory Panel, having served as its Founding Chair from 1996-1997.

The Asian Stroke Advisory Panel (ASAP) comprises stroke experts and opinion leaders from all over Asia. Our initial activities were focused on raising public awareness about stroke, its symptoms, the risk factors, and the need to seek treatment as soon as possible(ASAP!) after onset. Colourful posters, brochures, bookmarks and cards with key messages about stroke targeted at the local population were published in multiple languages and distributed through-out Asia.

The Panel meets regularly to share experiences and best practices from our own countries so as to help each other gain new knowledge about stroke epidemiology and how to better improve stroke care in our regions (eg how to conduct public education forums, how to set up stroke units, developing stroke management guidelines) as well as sharing activities of our national stroke associations.

We have collaborated in stroke research and published 2 books on Stroke in Asia, a consensus on stroke care during the COVID-19 pandemic relevant to Asia, a review of stroke burden and services in Asia, as well as joint papers on young stroke, stroke complications and stroke mortality. A journal supplement on interesting Case Reports of stroke was well-received. Other projects are in progress.

More recently, as part of our continuing stroke education program for healthcare professionals, we commenced on a series of regular webinars with talks by our members on various aspects of stroke relevant to clinical practice, drawing a wide audience.

We remain committed to our mission of reducing stroke burden in Asia though education,
collaboration and research.