As the President of the International Spinal Cord Society, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate ASCoN on reaching the important milestone of holding your 20th annual meeting. I have had the pleasure of attending quite a few ASCoN meetings over the years and was really looking forward to attending this year’s in the Philippines. I have always been impressed by ASCoN’s continued focus on the dissemination of information and advancement of education required to provide an appropriate and practical comprehensive approach to SCI management throughout the Asian Region.

ASCoN has always had a close relationship with ISCoS, becoming an affiliate in 2004. Since then, ISCoS and ASCoN have worked in partnership with the common goal of strengthening SCI services and human resources to improve the quality of life of people living with SCI/D across the region.

Once again ASCoN has put together an impressive programme and a distinguished faculty from Asia and across the globe. True to its origins you also continue to provide a platform for the next generation of people specialising in all aspects of SCI treatment, care and work within your region, to present their research, to share, to learn and to exchange with their peers both in Asia and internationally.

One of the most important tasks that ISCoS undertakes every year is to support education about the prevention of spinal cord injury and related problems, evidence-based assessment and treatment from onset to discharge from acute and rehabilitation facilities and knowledge about the need for best practice lifetime care of people who have sustained a spinal cord disorder, regardless of the underlying cause. We do this together through research and teaching, sharing of knowledge and supporting international networks of clinicians, allied professions, researchers and consumers. This enables a meaningful collaboration and partnership with our affiliated societies and regional networks, such as ASCoN, and, as such, is extremely important to ISCoS

We are thankful to the local organising team and PARM ( Philippine Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine for making the 20th ASCoN conference possible in an extremely challenging environment and we look forward to once again meeting in person in the coming years.

Wishing you every success with the 20th ASCoN Conference. I wish I could be in Manila with you but instead I will be attending virtually like so many others.

Mabuhay and Maraming Salamat!
(long life and thank -you)

• A/Prof Ruth Marshall
• ISCoS President

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since we first assembled at CRP in Bangladesh in 2001. It is here that the concept of the development of a Regional SCI Network was first mooted, and as the old saying goes, “the rest is history”.

The objectives of ASCoN have remained unchanged throughout these 2 decades:

• Organizations working in the field of spinal cord injury (SCI) management can address similar problems experienced
• There are increased opportunities for ASCoN member organizations to learn from each other
• Good examples of comprehensive SCI management can be replicated across the region

Through a continuous focus on these objectives, ASCoN has been recognized as a catalyst for change and has enabled organizations and peers to come together to share and to learn from each other. ASCoN has provided the platform for cross-regional exchange, education, data collection, research, and networking. It has been a driving force in encouraging young professionals to specialize in the field of SCI management.

Above all, ASCoN has highlighted that with access to essential and appropriate SCI services, provided by well-trained and competent professionals, people with SCI can and do live integrated, healthy, and dignified lives, post-injury.

Above all, ASCoN has highlighted that with access to essential and appropriate SCI services, provided by well-trained and competent professionals, people with SCI can and do live integrated, healthy, and dignified lives, post-injury.

I do not doubt that the ASCoN 2021 Team in the Philippines will deliver a full, progressive, and stimulating 20th ASCoN Conference. We thank you for taking on this task in these challenging times and for organizing this year’s meeting through a virtual platform. We will miss this year’s face-to-face contact again and chats over coffee and dinner where many good and innovative ideas were conceived and developed. We are thankful however that our colleagues in the Philippines are holding us all together until we can meet again in person.

Wishing ASCoN 2021 every success!
Salamat po.

• Stephen Muldoon
• ASCoN Executive Committee Member
• Chair ISCoS Education Committee