12/12/2019
Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute of Khon Kaen University, Thailand in partner with Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute and network alliance organized a joint international conference with the goal of combating liver fluke infection and cholangiocarcinoma in Southeast Asia during 12th-14th December 2019 in Vientiane, Lao PDR
During 12-14 December 2019, Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University together with its network alliance including National Research Council of Thailand, Centre of Excellence in Cholangiocarcinoma, Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, National Cancer Institute Thai Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Society, Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation of Thailand, Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Ministry of Public Health, Lao PDR and Mahosot Hospital, Lao PDR have organized the 2nd ASEAN Cholangiocarcinoma Conference (ACCA 2019) under the theme of “Combating Cholangiocarcinoma in Southeast Asia” at Landmark Mekong Riverside Hotel, Lao PDR. On this occasion, it was a great honor to welcome Dr. Sengchanh Kounnavong, Director General of Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Lao PDR to have given the welcome speech and declared the opening ceremony of ACCA 2019. Then, Dr. Soottiporn Chittmittrapap, Chairman of the Senior Expert Committee on Medicine and Public Health and Research Advisor for the higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation gave the honorary speech. Subsequently, a special speech was given by Prof.Dr. Monchai Duangjinda, Vice President for Research and Academic Services of Khon Kaen University.
In 2018, Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute, Khon Kaen University (CARI) was funded by the Kadoorie Charitable Foundation, Hong Kong through Imperial College London, U.K., to run a three-year project on “Combatting cholangiocarcinoma in Lao PDR”. The main objective of this project is to increase research efficacy and strengthen the capacity of management of this disease. CARI, in collaboration with Tropical and Public Health Institute, has developed Lao GMS Cohort for the registration and data storage of risk population from Pak Ngum, Vientiane, which covered 1,243 registered people and a total of 61 medical personnel has trained through this project.
The three-day conference included more than 67 academic presentation topics of which more than 200 attendees from academia, including physicians, nurses, professors, lecturers, graduate students and alliance from both Thailand and Lao PDR, and researchers from 8 countries across Asia and Europe.
The theme of the conference was emphasized on liver fluke and cholangiocarcinoma problem solving, including epidemiology in Southeast Asia, the screening and operation procedure, diagnostic endoscopy, precision medicine, advances in cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis and biomarker discovery, and development of school curriculum to promote prevention of liver fluke infection and cholangiocarcinoma.
Fighting against cholangiocarcinoma both in Thailand and Lao PDR is an important mission of Cholangiocarcinoma Research Institute (CARI), Khon Kaen University. The main strategy in combating this fatal disease involved the use of integrative knowledge to help people in Greater Mekong Sub-region and solve problems in many aspects including healthcare, socioeconomics, and community and culture for the population. This conference has promoted collaboration and networking which was one of our missions and a driving force to promote public health and medical research, as well as to transfer technology and innovation to neighboring countries, notably countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region. This duty was in accordance to the strategic issues of Khon Kaen University on the development of the university towards internationalization.
