History of the Academy

Photos of this page are taken from Leading Lights in the Asia Pacific, XXI Congress, Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, Singapore 2006.

ike all great institutions, it all started as one man's dream - that of William John Holmes.

Dr Holmes was born in Budapest, crossed the Atlantic emigrated to America in the 1920s, and eventually practiced ophthalmology in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in Hawaii! Hawaii at that time, although a territory of USA, was not yet its 50th state (that came later in 1959). Dr Holmes allowed his thoughts to turn eastward towards the ancient continent when he called for Asian leaders of ophthalmology to unite in the1950s. As he noted later (in his address at the 2nd APAO Congress), "the idea for the organisation of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology grew out of the realization that eye surgeons in the neighbouring countries of Asia, Australasia, and Oceania were faced with identical ophthalmological problems".

A response to his call came in September 1958. At the 19th International Congress of Ophthalmology in Brussels, a decision was made to form the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. One month later, the indefatigable Dr Holmes journeyed to the Phillipines. Following a dinner at the gracious environs of the Manila Hotel, Dr William J Holmes, Dr Geminiano de Ocampo (Philippines), Dr Jesus Tamesis (Philippines), Dr Angelo and Dr Robert F Lowe (Australia) drew up the Constitution of the Academy and paving the way for the first meeting of the Academy in Manila on 10 - 13 October 1960.

The first Academy and Congress President was Dr de Ocampo, the "Father of Modern Phillipine Ophthalmology". The Academy was formed with the principal objective of fostering closer relations among ophthalmologists and ophthalmology societies in the Asia-Pacific region to fight against blindness. It serves today as a platform to promote the prevention of blindness and restoration of sight through service, research and teaching in ophthalmology. Other objectives are to encourage the free exchange of ophthalmic knowledge and the advancement of the standard of eye care through the hosting of regional congresses or other conferences. More importantly, the APAO is entrusted with forming a family of ophthalmology societies for the welfare of all peoples and nations of the region.

Initially the first 4 APAO Congresses were held every 4 years. Since 1972, the Congresses were organized every 2 years. To meet the growing demand for more frequent interactions in a fast changing world, the APAO Congresses will now be held annually, starting from 2006 in Singapore.

The Asia-Pacific region is home to more than half the world's population and also more than half the visually handicapped in the world. Quite obviously the ophthalmologists of the Asia-Pacific area have an enormous task on their hands. They have proved in the past 50 years that they are well up to this daunting task.

At present, APAO has 19 member organizations from different countries and tariff territories of the Asia-Pacific regions, including Australia & New Zealand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

APAO has come a long way since 1960. Its raison d'etre is best described in the words of that legend of ophthalmology, Sir Stewart Duke-Elder, in his message to the first APAO Congress in 1960, when he was President of the International Council of Ophthalmology, "I know of no greater stimulus for the progress of ophthalmology in the vast area which the Asia Pacific Academy represents than the institution of a body such as yours".