Welcome Message

Since its inception, the Asia Pacific Consortium on Osteoporosis (APCO) has been spearheading solutions for the pressing challenges faced by clinicians and researchers in managing metabolic bone disorders such as osteoporosis. As Chairperson of APCO, it is my honour and privilege to welcome you to Singapore for the APCO Singapore Osteoporosis and Other Metabolic Bone Disorders Summit (APCO SOOMBODS) 2024 that will be held from 17-19 May 2024 at the modern and centrally located Novotel on Stevens Singapore. The summit will comprise an IOF ISCD Osteoporosis Essentials Course and a main Metabolic Bone Disorders Symposium. Participants can choose to register for either of the 2 or can register for both at a discounted rate.

The IOF-ISCD Osteoporosis Essentials Course (Clinicians Track) is an initiative jointly developed by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) and the International Society for Clinical Densitometry and is aimed at providing comprehensive information on the principles of bone densitometry and the evaluation and management of osteoporosis and is helmed by expert faculty from various disciplines including Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Nuclear Medicine. This is the 5^th time that the course is being held in Singapore and APCO is proud to be the provider of this stellar and clinically useful course this time around.

Osteoporosis is slowly gaining attention in the Asia Pacific region. However, other metabolic bone diseases including Rare Bone Disorders hardly get the attention they deserve. We are also moving into a brave new world where knowledge of cutting-edge advances in imaging for musculoskeletal disorders and understanding how AI and machine learning can be harnessed to best manage osteoporosis and other metabolic bone disorders will become essential. These as well as very currently relevant topics such as new therapeutic modalities for osteoporosis, the side effects associated with anti- osteoporosis therapies etcetera will take centre stage at the man congress. We are especially delighted and honoured to have as Key-Note lecturer – Prof Jean-Yves Reginster, who I am sure will enthrall us with his insights garnered over 3 decades with his Lecture on “Panoramic view of Osteoporosis management over the last 30 years – from the view point of a clinician, researcher and epidemiologist”. With 4 plenaries, multiple symposia, and oral abstract presentations, we are sure there will be plenty to keep all of you attending the congress intellectually stimulated. We are also as excited as you likely are to listen to the inaugural APCO Golden Dragon debate 2024. Who will win the debate is the million-dollar question. We are also thrilled to bring to you F2F for the first time the APCO Clinical Case Discussion Platform which has till now been conducted over an online platform.

All the speakers for the summit are highly regarded in their area of expertise and were also chosen because they are skilled lecturers. It would be thus of utmost benefit to the clinician who desires to have the latest and most cutting-edge knowledge in this field to attend both the OE course and the Main Congress

Singapore offers a modern, beautiful and conducive setting for international conferences. We hope that you will also take the opportunity to explore its many attractions and to savour the gastronomic delights it is famous for!

Thank you for your participation. My team and I will do our best to ensure that this meeting is a memorable and enriching experience for you.