Message from the Editor

I had a dream. A dream to unite the primary care doctors for a third of the world's population which is in the Asia Pacific region where the only readily available medical care for the majority of these people is their primary care physicians. The on-line Asia Pacific Family Medicine will now be able to achieve this.

It was almost six years ago that a group of enthusiastic Asia Pacific family medicine journal editors got together at the Wonca Conference in Seoul, South Korea and we began this long journey to bring about this journal. This new on-line development will be able to reach out to many more doctors in this diverse part of the world, which is however over-lapping in many ways, including culture and illnesses. The recent SARS and bird flu events show that we are all part of this huge Asia Pacific family.

It is however important to emphasise that this journal is for all the family doctors in the region and this is YOUR journal. It will only succeed with your support.

Tai Pong Lam
Editor - Asia Pacific Family Medicine