Scientific Committee director’s note:
I am delighted to welcome all of distinguished guests of the 4th Asia-Pacific congress on military medicine in Tehran. The rapid transformation of science and technology in medicine promotes new fields in military medicine and the main theme of this congress as “the future horizon of military medicine” would shadow all subjects to investigate the potential applications of future technologies on military medicine.
The world witnesses huge waves of changes in our understanding of medical sciences as well as several modern technologies that would dramatically change the face of military medicine. Fast improvements in digital technology, minimal invasive surgeries, robotic surgery, telemedicine and smart devices are changing military surgical cares. Furthermore, the emerging understanding of immuno-oncology, genetic, bioengineering, stem-cell research andnanobiotechnology has opened new windows toward more effective diagnosis and treatment. Aerospace and submarine medicine has been vastly improving in practice in parallel to modern aviation and maritime science. Besides, convergence of artificial intelligence, smart wearable devices, exoskeleton, modern prosthesis, cyborgs, 3-D organ printing, smart grafts and bioelectric are creating new hopes for organ repairs and rehabilitation. Now, medical drones provide better and faster access for emergency care and GIS gives a better view of the distribution diseases and risk factors. Therefore, epidemiology and health geomatics are transforming to a new shape and evidence-based health strategies could play a substantial role in public health. On the other hand, personalized medicine has passed its dreamy period and is now being practical in several disciplines of medicine. Therefore military medicine has been influenced by these intense changes and our future perspective for military medicine would be very different from our current situation. Moreover, the threats and damages from wars, conflicts, terrorism and disasters are also dynamically changing and consequently the required health system should be renovated accordingly. Of paramount importance, military medical education needs a reform to prepare military health practitioners for future. Education methods and technologies have also been substantially modified and digital technology, distance learning, virtual reality and internet of things (IoT) have expanded their ways to medical faculties. This reform should create a global network of education with a motto of “education without border”.
All of these would provide a better health care as a strategic priority for armed forces. However, in parallel to the huge improvement in science and technology, ethical challenges and possible disadvantages must be taken into account. We must be prepared for future.
On the background of the above mentioned movements, we have taken an extraordinary response rate to our call for papers, with more than 850 abstracts submissions and several requests for submission after the deadline. Although the congress scientific and organizing committees have tried to facilitate as much as possible presentations by providing parallel halls for oral and e-poster presentations and also accepted a new form of virtual presentation for the first time, several scientifically precious submitted
All of these would provide a better health care as a strategic priority for armed forces. However, in parallel to the huge improvement in science and technology, ethical challenges and possible disadvantages must be taken into account. We must be prepared for future.
On the background of the above mentioned movements, we have taken an extraordinary response rate to our call for papers, with more than 850 abstracts submissions and several requests for submission after the deadline. Although the congress scientific and organizing committees have tried to facilitate as much as possible presentations by providing parallel halls for oral and e-poster presentations and also accepted a new form of virtual presentation for the first time, several scientifically precious submitted.