I had the privilege to represent the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR) this year at the 16th National Congress of the Perhimpunan Dokter Paru Indonesia (Indonesian Society of Respirology, ISR) as a joint APSR-ISR symposium speaker. The congress was held in Makassar from 1 – 4 Septembe jointly with the 1st Indonesia Chronic Lung Disease International Meeting, with the theme ‘Chronic and Critical Respiratory Disease: Double Respiratory Challenge for Pulmonologist’. I was unable to attend in person due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, like many of my fellow speakers and delegates, but was impressed by how smoothly this hybrid conference organized by the Sulawesi branch of the ISR ran.

The programme was wide-ranging and of educational value to all respiratory clinicians, regardless of type or seniority. The first two days of the congress was devoted to didactic pre-meeting workshops covering major sub-specialties of respiratory and critical care medicine, followed by two days of plenary and proffered paper sessions. The organizers took a global perspective when designing the programme, with the scientific sessions providing the latest updates in the field tailored to the Indonesian and Southeast Asian contexts. Particularly fascinating were the sessions on phytopharmaceuticals as potential therapeutic agents for tuberculosis and COVID-19. The biodiversity of Southeast Asia is a great asset in the development of novel pharmacotherapies, so it was encouraging to hear about the work being done in this area, which is not commonly featured in other respirology scientific meetings.

I would like to thank both societies for inviting me to speak at the joint APSR-ISR Plenary Session 7 about the effectiveness of the main vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in current use; a topic well-suited to my background as a respiratory and infectious diseases physician with academic training in population health. As would be expected for a contemporary respiratory medicine scientific conference, a significant amount of time was devoted to the latest developments on the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of the prior sessions on COVID-19 were clinically oriented and Plenary Session 7, with its public health focus, complemented the clinical content perfectly. My distinguished co-speakers, Professors Digambar Behera from India and Tjandra Yoga Aditama from Indonesia, gave in-depth presentations on SARS-CoV-2 variants and the role of the World Health Organization in resolving the current pandemic, respectively; the latter talk was most illuminating. Approximately 450 participants attended and many questions were posed by the audience, reflecting the level of interest in this plenary session and the appropriateness of its inclusion in the congress programme.

In summary, on behalf of the APSR I again laud the Sulawesi branch of the ISR for successfully putting together a comprehensive and impactful congress under challenging circumstances, especially given the COVID-19 situation in Indonesia. The congress showcased excellently the high quality of clinical and scientific work being carried out in the country, which bodes well for the future of Indonesian lung health.

On receiving an invitation, I participated in the Plenary Session 7 of the APSR and ISR Joint Meeting through the Zoom platform on Saturday, 4 September 2021, 14:40 – 16:00 WITA (GMT +8) in the 16th National Congress of Indonesian Society of Respirology in conjunction with 1st Indonesia Chronic Lung Disease International Meeting (ICLIME) with the theme “Chronic and Critical Respiratory Disease: Double Respiratory Challenge for Pulmonologist” It was around 11:40 AM in Indian time. Prof. Dr. Menaldi Rasmin was the moderator. Prof. Rasmin had contacted me prior to the meeting and we had exchanged our mobile numbers and had discussed the modalities. The topic of my talk was “Global challenge of new variant SARS COV-2; Genetic analysis to predict the next pandemic”. I gave a broad overview of the global situation, the new variants as seen the world over, in the USA, Europe, and India as well as in Indonesia. The clinical significance was also discussed. I highlighted the fact why it it is important to continue our surveillance.

To avoid any disturbance, I had forwarded my prerecorded lecture which was displayed by the organizers. I was present through the zoom platform throughout. It went smoothly without any problem of my recoded PowerPoint presentation. It was a unique opportunity and I am thankful to the APSR for selecting me for this lecture and I was able to communicate with my Indonesian friends.

Overall, it was a nice experience and I will continue to participate in such inter-country events through APSR in future also if given a chance. Overall, it was a good experience.

Prof. (Dr). Digambar Behera (PADMA AWARDEE)

MD(Med), FCCP, FAMS, FNCCP, FICP, FICA, FAPSR, FICS, MNAMS(Med), Dip.NBE(Resp.Med.)
Emeritus Professor
Ex-Professor and HOD; Dept. of Pulmonary Medicine,
(WHO Collaborating Centre for Research & Capacity Building in Chronic Respiratory Diseases)
Ex-Dean (Research)
Ex-Chairman of Medical Departments (Group B)
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh – 160012 (INDIA)
Advisor, National Task Force (NTEP/RNTCP)
President, Indian Chest Society
President, Indian Society for Study of Lung Cancer
EX-OSD, AIIMS, Raebareli
Director, Pulmonary Medicine, Fortis Health Care, Mohali, Punjab.