Member Society Highlight: TAAACI

Taiwan Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology (TAAACI) was established in 2013 and acts as one of the national members of APAAACI (previously is represented by Taiwan Academy of Pediatric Allergy, Asthma, Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology, TAPAACIR). Now the members of TAAACI, in addition to pediatricians, also includes ENT doctor, chest physicians, dermatologists, and general physicians. In order to obtain certification in the subspecialty of allergy, trainees are required to complete a 2-year structured training program in accredited hospitals after three years of general pediatrics residency, and pass an examination by the relevant board of the Academy of Chinese (Taiwan) Immunology.

This year on Sep 22, 2019, Annual joint conference of Taiwan Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical immunology (TAAACI) and Taiwan Academy of Pediatric Allergy, Asthma, Clinical immunology and Rheumatology (TAPAACIR), was held in Kaohsiung Chen Gung Memorial Children Hospitals, Kaoshiung, Taiwan.

Totally, more than 400 allergists and general pediatricians and physicians attended this annual conference. In the opening ceremony, Prof Ruby Pawankar, President, APAAACI presented the APAAACI Award and 30 years Anniversary History pictorial book of APAAACI to Mrs. Hsieh for her late husband, Prof Keu-Hsiung Hsieh (-1939-1997), one of the founders and former president of APAAACI. He was also a founder of TAPAACIR, and a great mentor for all pediatric allergists in Taiwan.

The topics discussed included the 2019 GINA guideline, severe asthma management and biologicals treatment, food allergy treatment and diagnosis, new era of cellular therapy, and care of primary immune-deficiency, intravenous immunoglobulin treatments. In the afternoon session was sponsored by APAAACI symposium, and the presenters included, Prof Ruby Pawankar, President of APAAACI, for “ Microbiome in Asia”; Prof Tin-Fang Leung, board member, APAAACI, Prof of Chinese Hong Kong University, for “ Microbiome study in AD”, and Prof Yoon-Seok Chang, General Secretary of APAAACI, for “ Allergy and Asthma in elderly population”, and finally Dr. Alson Chan, Hong Kung Sanatorium and Hospital, for “ Allergen Immunotherapy in Hong Kong”. This APAAACI symposium lasted for 2 hours and was attended by enthusiastic doctors and warm discussions after each presentation.

All participants and invited speakers from Taiwan in this 2019 joint congress of TAACI and TAPACIR benefited a lot from the new knowledge of microbiome and were impressed by APAAACI, and they all have a high expectation to participate next year 2020 Joint Conference of APAAACI/APAPARI in Tokyo, Japan which is also co-hosted by JSA/WAO.

Recorded by Jiu-Yao Wang, MD, DPhil, President 2017-2019) of Taiwan Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, TAAACI.