Bangladesh Dermatological Society organized the Second South Asian Regional Conference of Dermatology (SARCD II) at Dhaka, Bangladesh from 7th till 9th of February 2002. His Excellency Prof. A.Q.M Badruddoza Chowdhury, the Honorable President of People's Republic of Bangladesh, had kindly inaugurated the conference as chief guest on 7.2.2002 at Hotel Dhaka Sheraton.
His Excellency Prof. A. Q. M. Badruddoza Chaudhury, President of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh inaugurated the Second South Asian Regional Conference of Dermatology SARCD II at Dhaka Sheraton on 7.2.2002. Dr. Khandekar Mossharaf Hossian, Hon. Health and Family Welfare Minister of Bangladesh had also attended the ceremony.
There were delegates from all SAARC Countries and abroad.
Speech during the Second SARCD by Dr. V. B. Rajbhandari, President SARAD.
Your Excellency, Chairman of the Organizing Committee, distinguished personals in the dais, distinguished guests, delegates, friends, ladies and gentlemen,
It gives me great honour and pleasure to speak here on the auspicious occasion of the Inaugural Function of the Second South Asian Regional Conference of Dermatology SARCD in this historic and beautiful city of Dhaka. We would like to thank sincerely to His Excellency Prof. A.Q.M Badruddoza Chowdhury, the Honorable President of People's Republic of Bangladesh for inaugurating the Second South Asian Regional Conference of Dermatology SARCD despite his busy schedule.
In order to bring all dermatologists, venereologists and leprologists of South Asia under one umbrella and to keep the idea of holding regional level conferences regularly, the then Executive Committee of Society of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists of Nepal SODVELON volunteered to host the First South Asian Regional Conference of Dermatology SARCD after consultations with all the dermatological Associations and Societies of South Asia. After mutual consultations with all concerned, various committees were formed. The main objectives of this Conference were as follows:
- To establish close links and interactions between dermatologists, venereologists and leprologists of this region.
- Sort out common problems and work out the best means of prevention of diseases especially in the field of sexually transmitted diseases, leprosy and various communicable skin diseases with combined research effort and data collection.
- Map a strategy for the prevention of AIDS as prostitution and girl trafficking is a menace in this region.
- To have mutual exchange of knowledge amongst the members of this region.
- To plan and expand mutual co-operations in the future.
- To form the South Asian Regional Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists SARAD.
The theme of the SARCD was “Regional collaboration in Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology."
The South Asian Regional Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists SARAD was formed on the 2nd of October 1999, which is a landmark in the history of dermatology in South Asia. A 15 member Executive Committee was formed with representations from all SAARC countries except Bhutan and Maldives. In order to run the association we needed a constitution and so Dr. W. D. H. Perera of Sri Lanka was appointed as the Convenor for preparing the draft constitution who prepared the same within the stipulated time. It is heartening to note that all members took an active interest and suggested some change although the main theme of the constitution remained the same.
There were deliberations about the proposed constitution among the Dermatological Associations / Societies of all the SAARC countries. This constitution was then passed and endorsed during the second Executive Committee meeting of SARAD held at Colombo in November 2000.
The Second South Asian Regional Conference of Dermatology SARCD was scheduled to take place in India but was withdrawn for unforeseen reasons. Prof. A. Z. M. M. Islam, President of Bangladesh Dermatological Society BDS and Vice President of SARAD ventured to hold this conference in Bangladesh and I congratulate Prof. A. Z. M. M. Islam and members of his Executive Committee for organizing this conference in Bangladesh. It is remarkable to note that BDS is organizing this conference at a short notice to keep the ball rolling towards our aims and objectives. The Sri Lanka Association of Dermatologists SLAD is organizing the Third South Asian Regional Conference of Dermatology SARCD in Sri Lanka during October 2003.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAARC was formed in the year 1985 at this historic city of Dhaka, Bangladesh with the main objective of alleviating the sufferings of the people of South Asia namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
The then heads of State or Governments of South Asia met in Dhaka on 7 and 8 December 1985 for the First SAARC summit. The Dacca Declaration issued after the First SAARC summit states:
"The Heads of State or Government underscored the historic significance of their first ever South Asian Summit meeting. They considered it to be a tangible manifestation of their determination to cooperate regionally, to work together towards finding solutions towards their common problems in a spirit of friendship, trust and mutual understanding and to the creation of an order based on mutual respect, equity and shared benefits.
The Heads of State or Government acknowledged that the countries of South Asia, who constituted one-fifth of humanity, were faced with the formidable challenges posed by poverty, underdevelopment, low levels of production, unemployment and pressure of population compounded by exploitation of the past and other adverse legacies. They felt that, bound as their countries were by many common values rooted in their social, ethnic, cultural and historical traditions, regional cooperation provided a logical response to these problems. They were conscious of their individual and regional strengths, their potential as a huge market, their substantial human and natural resources and the complementarities of their economies. They were confident that with effective regional cooperation, they could make optimum use of these capacities for the benefit of their peoples, accelerate the pace of their economic development and enhance their national and collective self-reliance. They were convinced that their countries, which had made important contributions to the enrichment of human civilization, could together play their due role in international relations and influence decisions, which affected them."
At the recently held 11th SAARC Summit at Kathmandu the heads of States or Governments of this region has reiterated to uphold the same spirit.
It was through the far sightedness of the founders of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation SAARC that mutual cooperation in various fields for alleviating the sufferings of the whole of South Asia has become possible. Dermatology, venereology and leprology is one such field where we have now started. The diseases that we see in the field of dermatology, venereology and leprology are the same in the whole of South Asia. Unfortunately most hospitals give these subjects low profile compared to other specialties as there are less emergencies and patients get treatment by doctors of other specialties. Thus the concerned authorities are less aware and have given less priority to these subjects so that the main bulk of the populations in SAARC countries are deprived of specialized services. Skin diseases, sexually transmitted diseases and leprosy are widespread throughout this region. Since, these specialized services are mainly available in bigger cities consequently; many patients remain either untreated or inadequately treated resulting in serious debilities. It is only after the emergence of AIDS and HIV infections that people have now given some importance to STD diseases because heterosexual sexual contact is one of the main routes of transmission of AIDS and HIV infections in this part of the world. Laboratory facilities are for all purposes negligible in all the countries as only the bigger cities have good laboratory facilities. People in the villages and remote areas still do not have any access to dermatologists, venereologists and leprologists and there are no incentives for doctors to go and work at those places. In these areas they still believe that diseases like leprosy is a curse from God and the patients suffering from them are ostracized. In Nepal, sacrificing chickens and goats preferably black ones are still practiced. Tragically even in the cities most people are still not conscious and do not visit the concerned specialties for the correct treatment.
Within the last two years the SARAD Executive Committee has achieved the following;
- The central office of SARAD will be at Kathmandu, Nepal.
- We have opened the office in a very modest way and have already purchased a computer, printer and stationary materials from donation that was given to SARCD Conference by Fulford Pharmaceuticals Ltd. We will definitely be able to improve and function properly after the increase in the financial dealings as per the SARAD Constitution.
- The registration of SARAD with SAARC Secretariat is in process and I am sure we will achieve it soon.
There are many diseases in Dermatology Venereology and Leprology common and prevalent to this region and with the emergence of so many different subspecialities, this deserves its rightful attention and place.
In the end, I wish this conference a grand success and out of the deliberations and discussions that will take place here many more future strategies will be mapped out to guide and overcome the challenges that will occur in the field of dermatology, venereology and leprology of this region.
Thank You