Asia Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking (APASTB)
A NATHER
Director of NUH Tissue Bank
Tissue Banking in Asia Pacific Region
Tissue banking in Asia Pacific Region started in Burma in 1983 by Dr. U Pe Khin who founded Burma Tissue Bank. Unfortunately Burma suffered a major setback with the sudden death of Dr. Pe Khin 1992. Thailand became the forerunner of the region with the Bangkok Biomaterial Centre established in 1984 in Siriraj Hospital by Dr. Yongyudh Vajaradul. In Singapore, the NUS Bone Bank was established in October 1988 in Department of Orthopaedic Surgery by Dr. Aziz Nather. Philippines Tissue Bank was set up by Dr. Norberto Agcaoili in 1990 in Philippine General Hospital. Two tissue banks were established in Malaysia in 1992, one in University Science Malaysia, Kota Bahru and the other in Malaysian Institute of Nuclear Technology in Bangi, Selangor. The Malaysian National Tissue Bank in Kota Bahru, Kelantan set up by Dr. Hasim Mohamad was inaugurated in 1994.
Pioneers of Tissue Banking in Asia Pacific Region (From left
to right Dr. Moritoshi Itoman-Japan, Dr.Aziz Nather-Singapore, Dr. Yongyudh
Vajaradul-Thailand and
Dr.Norberto Agcaoili-Philippines during Second Meeting of APASTB 1-3 August
1990 in Singapore with Dr Nather as Organising Chairman.
History of APASTB
Pan-Asiatic Tissue Banking Association was first proposed in
1985 during the WPOA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand by Dr. Yongyudh Vajaradul
(Thailand), Dr. Alain Patel (France) and Dr. Norberto Agcaoili (Philippines)
with its Secretariat at Bangkok Biomaterial Centre in Siriraj Hospital.
In October 1988 during the Third International Conference on Locomotor Tissue Bank in Bangkok, Thailand a new association was born and re-named "Asia-Pacific Association of Surgical Tissue Banking". Founding members included founding members of Pan-Asiatic Tissue Bank Association. Dr. Yongyudh Vajaradul and Dr. Aziz Nather became the President and First Vice-President respectively.
APASTB grew in strength from year to year and now has a membership of 110 ordinary members including members not only from the Asia Pacific Region but also from Europe and the United States. Currently 15 countries in the region are represented - Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Philippines, China, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, Hong Kong,India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Presidents of APASTB
| Dr Yongyudh VAJARADUL | Thailand | 1988 - 1990 |
| Dr Aziz NATHER | Singapore | 1990 - 1992 |
| Dr Moritoshi ITOMAN | Japan | 1992 - 1994 |
| Dr Norberto AGCAOILI | Philippines | 1994 - 1996 |
| Dr SUN Shi Quan | China | 1996 - 1998 |
| Dr David MORGAN | Australia | 1998 - 2000 |
Scientific Meeting of APASTB
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Chairman
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Inaugural
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Thailand
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1989 Dr Yongyudh VAJARADUL
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Second
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Singapore
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1990 Dr Aziz NATHER
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Third
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Japan
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1991 Dr Moritoshi ITOMAN
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Fourth
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Philippines
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1992 Dr Norberto AGCAOILI
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Fifth
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Suzhou, China
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1994 Dr TANG Zhong Yi
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Sixth
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Brisbane, Australia
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1996 Dr David MORGAN
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Seventh
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Malaysia
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1998 Dr Hasim MOHAMAD
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Eighth
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Indonesia
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2000 Dr Abdurrahman
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Current Office Bearers of APASTB
| Past President | Dr SUN Shi Quan | China |
| President | Dr David MORGAN | Australia |
| First Vice-President | Dr Hasim MOHAMAD | Malaysia |
| Second Vice-Presidents | Dr ABDURRAHMAN | Indonesia |
| Third Vice-Presidents | Dr. CHANG Joon Yim | Korea |
| Secretary-General | Dr. Nazly HILMY | Indonesia |
| Treasurer | Dr. Norimah YUSOF | Malaysia |
| Executive Secretary | Dr. Sharon BRYCE | Australia |
Current status of APASTB
APASTB is progressing well as a regional grouping towards reaching equal status as EATB - European Association of Tissue Banks and AATB - American Association of Tissue Banks. No doubt IAEA has played a big synergistic role to make APASTB a fast developing bloc in the Asia Pacific Region. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the First World Congress of Tissue Banks involving APASTB, EATB and AATB was hosted by APASTB at its Sixth Meeting in Brisbane, Australia in October 1996. APASTB has joined EATB and AATB to produce International Journal on Tissue Banking, 'Cell and Tissue International' with Dr R Von Versen as Chief Editor.
Future Symbiotic Role of IAEA and APASTB
IAEA has helped developing countries in the region by providing equipment and technical expertise by running regional workshops/training courses and by providing scientific fellowships to member countries. The banks are at the stage of improving their quality assurance and quality control systems so that all RCA Member States produce grafts of equally good standard. Medical audits will soon be conducted in all banks. APASTB has a crucial role to play to accredit all tissue banks in the region.