Asia-Pacific MedTech Forum

The Asia Pacific MedTech Forum 2016 will kick off next week in Singapore to serve as a platform for stakeholders to discuss strategies that improve the quality and the accessibility of medical services around the Asia-Pacific.

“The purpose of the two-day Forum is to address the issues driving the industry and foster the innovation and collaboration that are so vital to solving the unmet healthcare needs in the region,” states the website of the Forum.

The event is organised by the Asia Pacific Medical Technology Association (APACMed), a group of leading companies in the medical technology industry that aims to improve access to quality care through innovative healthcare models and technology.

There is no doubt improving access to quality care is a key priority for the Asia-Pacific region considering that many people lack access to basic medical services.

For instance, although the World Health Organization recommends pregnant women undergo at least four antenatal visits, “in Bangladesh and Nepal over 40 percent of women do not access any antenatal care,” according to the report Health at a Glance Asia/Pacific 2014.

The study also found that there is less than one MRI scanner for every million people in several countries around the region, including the Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar.  

“At every stage of our journey in forming APACMed and this Forum, we were driven by the aim of shaping the region in a way that would help more healthcare professionals and patients improve overall standards of care,” Frederick Nyberg, CEO of APACMed told Global Health and Travel last March.

“Medical education is of course key, and as demand for quality healthcare increases across the Asia-Pacific, we have to ensure that healthcare professionals are constantly developing new skills that allow them to safely and effectively use new advanced medical technology.”

The Forum will take place on 8 to 9 November at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre and will see the participation of multiple industry stakeholders, such as clinicians, medical providers, regulators, policymakers and experts from the academia.

The role technology can play in improving care delivery will be one of the main topics of discussion at the Forum. A specific panel will be dedicated to the opportunities offered by mobile health – the use of mobile devices in the provision of care. While medical technology companies will showcase the high-tech innovations that have extended life expectancy and made a dent in disease morbidity over the past 30 years.

For more information visit medtechforum.asia