Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies
Report of the Secretary General presented by Dr. Ramesh V Bhat (rameshvbhat@yahoo.com) on September 10, 2007 at the General Assembly
Greetings from Dr C. Gopalan founder President of the Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies. Dr Gopalan has been attending every Asian Congress held since the first one in 1971 at Hyderabad, India. This is the first time that he is unable to participate in the ACN and the General Assembly, but has sent his greetings.
During the last four years, the FANS have been active in achieving its objectives viz., fostering international fellowship among nutrition scientists of the region, exchanging information. Periodic holding of the Asian Congress of Nutrition is one of its objectives and I am pleased to note that this has been achieved successfully so far.
The past Asian Congresses were held in Hyderabad, India, 1971, Manila, Philippines 1973, Jakarta, Indonesia 1980, Bangkok, Thailand, 1983, Osaka, Japan 1987, Kula Lumpur, Malaysia, 1991, Beijing, China 1995, Seoul, Korea, 1999 and New Delhi, India 2003. The X Asian Congress is now being held in Taipei during 2007.
No new country Asian country has adhered to the FANS as a member through its principal Nutrition Society during the period 2003-2007. In fact no application for admission, withdrawal or other changes in membership has been received.
It is pertinent to point out here that east and South Asian countries have been active in the area of Nutrition. The countries of West Asia such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Israel and Cyprus, South and East Asian countries like Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, Vietnam the Central Asian Republics like Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are yet to join the FANS. Of course the problems of modern Nutrition such as lifestyle diseases- obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases are the same everywhere.
During the last few years I had made attempts to involve nutritionists from the Central Asian Republics and West Asia in to the main stream. I had visited Mongolia on several occasions and attempted to organize a Mongolian Nutrition Society. They also helped me and provided the names of contact persons in Central Asian republics who could be nodal persons in establishing Nutrition Societies in their respective countries and taking forward our mission. These names include:
1. Mongolia: Dr Khainzan Jambalmaa e mail id jambalmaa@yahoo.com
2Azerbaijan: Dr. Tahmina Taghizada, 4, Kichik Deniz Str., 370014, Baku, Azerbaijan Telephone 994 12 980 293 e mail id tahmina@comp-tel.com
3. Kyrgyz Republic: Dr Artur Buiuklianov 535, Frunze St 720033 Bishkek Kyrgyz Republic 996 312 661 108 Fax 996 312 660 538 e mail id jfpr9005@transfer.kg
4 Tajikistan: Dr. Vokhidov Abdusolom 31, Tursun-Zad Str. 734024 Dushanbe, Tajikistan 992 372 274 868 fax 992 372 233 766 e mail id cpo@jfpr 9005.tajik.net
5. Uzbekistan Dr. Amankul Baikulov 46, Halqlar Dostligi 700097, Tashkent Uzbekistan 998 712 784 663 or 998 712 144 1041
6.Kazakhistan Dr Tazhibayer Shamil Saginovich Director Centre of International Programme, Kazakhstan Nutrition Academy 66, Klotchkov Str. 480008, Almaty, Kazakhstan 7 3272 429 766 or 7 3272 429 203 e mail id tazhybaev@nursat.kz
My visit to Iran on couple of occasions revealed the great potential Iran has in galvanizing action in this part of the world. However my visit to countries like Bhutan and Nepal indicated the problem of sufficient number of nutritionists in those countries needed to form the Society. The International agencies like FAO, WHO, UNICEF which are active in many of the countries can, play an active role by assisting the FANS in furthering its objectives in these countries. As far as WHO is concerned, the Asian countries fall at least under three different regional offices such as SEARO based in Delhi, WPRO based in Manila and Middle east region based in Cairo besides their Headquarters in Geneva.
Though FANS did not have much interaction with the IUNS, it is hoped to solve this problem with the joint IUNS/FANS meeting scheduled on September 11, 2007 in this venue.
The world of internet has made a considerable difference and has brought the members of the FANS nearer. It is suggested that each year the member countries should share the annual report of their respective societies with other adhering bodies. An attempt has been made during the year and hope this practice will continue. Still there are some problems like contact point in some countries not opening their e mails and not responding to letters sent by post/courier.
I wish to bring to your notice the issue of membership of Hong Kong and New Zealand to the FANS. As far as the list of member countries handed over to me by the Dr Sook H Kim, past President of the FANS during 2003 Hong Kong and New Zealand are not members of the FANS. In the FANS Executive Council meeting held on 29 September 1993, Adelaide Australia, the admission of the Nutrition Society of Hong Kong into FANS was deferred. The Secretary General informed members that the action is in line with the IUNS decision to closely follow the developments in the British colony.
The Taipei Congress Organizers have included Hong Kong Nutrition Association Ltd. as an adhering Body in a list of adhering bodies of FANS, sent during January 2006, with the following contact address.
Dr. Warren T K Lee President Elect, Hong Kong Nutrition Association Ltd C/O Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 5/F Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin N.T. e mail info@hkna.org.hk 852/26323309 852 2637 7889. I had sent an e mail to the Hong Kong Nutrition Association that they should apply for the membership of the FANS by providing the details of their association. I had indicated that it would be circulated among the Executive Council members of the FANS for their consideration for admitting Hong Kong as a member country of Federation of Asian Nutrition Societies (FANS). But the mail had bounced back. I had subsequently brought this to the notice of the Taiwanese organizers who had included Hong Kong Nutrition Association Ltd. as an adhering Body in a list of adhering bodies of FANS, sent during January 2006. The Hong Kong should follow the bylaws and appropriately apply for the membership of FANS.
The FANS newsletter No 7, August 2001 includes details of New Zealand Nutrition Society of New Zealand under reports of FANS member countries and Districts. During the FANS executive Council meeting held in Australia on 29 August 2001, the Secretary General, and Prof. Yang Cha Lee Kim informed that, along with other members of FANS, New Zealand (Oceania) reported its activities for the 2001 FANS newsletter.
As per the statutes and bye laws of FANS the membership of the FANS is open to any Asian country. As per article III, Membership, an Asian country shall adhere as a member through its principal Nutrition Society or other appropriate scientific group duly recognized specifically as an adhering body by the FANS executive council. The term “country” shall be understood to include nutrition scientists and societies representing a defined geographical area (or areas) in Asia which has an independent budget for scientific purposes: there shall be only one voting member representing such area or scientific community. The power to approve subsequent admissions, withdrawals or other changes in membership shall be vested in the executive council and shall become effective only upon the unanimous vote of the council members. A written absentia vote shall be allowed for this purpose. Thus as per the Statues of the FANS, New Zealand can not be member of FANS.
During the FANS General Assembly held on 31 August 1999 in Seoul, Korea, the delegates agreed that the venue of ACN should be decided ahead as IUNS did. The Secretariat should receive written application for holding the Congress before 8 years. This means by 2007 countries should bid to host the XII Asian Congress of Nutrition in 2015. Past Congresses were held in EAST ASIA/ SOUTH ASIA but not in West or Central Asia. It is now time to prepare Central /West Asian countries to actively consider the bidding process for the 2015 Asian Congress of Nutrition. In the past on several of occasions even as back as in 1970’s, Iran had proposed to organize the Congress in Iran, but it never materialized so far. I hope during the current session General Assembly will take appropriate decision.
The 19th International Congress of Nutrition will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, during 4-9, October 2009, with the theme of Global Nutrition Initiative. It is hoped that the next General Assembly of the FANS will be held coinciding with ICN
I wish to thank Dr.C Gpalan for his continued guidance. I would also like to thank all the affiliated societies, office bearers of FANS and particularly Prof Po-Chao Huang and Prof Ching-jang Huang and the other organizers of the ACN for their valuable cooperation.
