DENPASAR, balitourismnow.com – Indonesia will host the 2025 ASEAN Neurological Association (ASNA) Conference. The conference, organized by the Indonesian Neurological Specialist Association (Perdosni) and the ASEAN Neurological Association (ASNA), will take place at the Bali Sunset Road Convention Center in Denpasar, Bali.
The conference, attended by participants from various countries, was opened by Ni Luh Ariani, Expert Staff to the Governor of Bali for Legal and Political Affairs, on Friday, August 8, 2025. The ASNA Conference, the largest scientific conference in the field of neurology (nervous system) in Southeast Asia, will take place from August 6-10, 2025. Indonesia has previously hosted this event twice: in 2005 in Jakarta and in 2011 in Bali.
“Events like this have an impact on tourism on the Island of the Gods. This aligns with Bali’s future development as a wellness tourism destination, focusing on physical fitness, including neurological health. Hopefully, the Balinese people will become healthier, free from neurological disorders, and more productive, leading to superior, high-quality, and competitive human resources,” said Ni Luh Ariani.
Tourism that can develop well will also delight visitors. Furthermore, supported by a community that welcomes tourism with a healthy spirit, Bali’s tourism quality will always be top-notch. “Hopefully, this event will raise public awareness early on for prevention, so that there are no neurological diseases in the community.
Dr. dr. Dodik Tugasworo, Sp.N, Subsp.NIIOO(K), M.H., Chair of the ASNA Conference, invited speakers from across Southeast Asia, Japan, Australia, and India. This year’s ASNA participants reached nearly 1,000 neurologists, general practitioners, other specialists, students, academics, and other healthcare professionals from all 10 ASEAN member countries and other countries such as Australia, Japan, and India.
In addition to the symposium, this year’s ASNA Conference also featured 13 highly sought-after scientific workshops. There were also scientific poster presentations, the inauguration of neurology fellowship physicians, and non-scientific events such as the NeuroRun run and gala dinner.
Neurology is a branch of medicine that treats diseases related to the brain and nervous system throughout the body, including stroke, pain, headaches, brain infections, paralysis, epilepsy, dementia, nerve entrapment, and Others. One disease of current concern is stroke.
Stroke is characterized by symptoms such as sudden paralysis or numbness in one part of the body, which can be accompanied by difficulty speaking, memory impairment, or loss of consciousness, which occurs suddenly within seconds.
The prevalence of stroke in Indonesia is around 8 to 10 per 1,000 people. The incidence of stroke in Indonesia is the highest in Southeast Asia. This disease causes disability and can lead to death if not treated promptly.
The government has designated stroke management as one of the main national health programs. Optimal stroke management can be achieved with appropriate medication if the patient is brought to the hospital within 4.5 hours.
Intravenous blood thinners (such as alteplase), proper management of risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, and others), and neurorestorative care can restore patients with minimal disability, allowing them to work and carry out activities as normally as possible.
“It is hoped that with the increasing number of neurology specialists throughout Indonesia, more people will be helped and the number of cases and deaths due to stroke can be reduced,” said Dr. Dodik Tugasworo.
Prof. Dr. Kheng Seang Lim, President of ASNA, stated that vascular neurointervention, a branch of neurology that emphasizes the importance of rapid and appropriate stroke treatment, was also initiated and promoted at the ASEAN level by Perdosni members. “As a leader in stroke care in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is a perfect example of how to increase the number of neurointervention specialists,” he explained.
He commended Indonesian neurologists for their contributions to the advancement of neurology in Southeast Asia. “He noted that Indonesian doctors are renowned for their tenacity and perseverance in studying and practicing their science,” he said.
Last year, the highest award was given to Perdosni member Dr. Dede Gunawan for his significant contributions to the development of ASNA.
Epilepsy is one of the most common diseases in the field of neurology. The social and financial burdens also contribute to the stigma attached to this disease in society. Epilepsy treatment continues to evolve, with the emergence of epilepsy treatment centers throughout Indonesia and epilepsy surgery centers in Semarang and Jakarta.
With demographic changes leading to higher life expectancy in Indonesia, conditions such as dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s (tremors), are becoming more common. This underscores the necessity of augmenting the quantity and quality of neurology specialists in Indonesia.
The ASEAN Collaborative Strategy to Encounter Challenge and Growing Burden in Neurological Disorders was the theme of this year’s ASNA Conference, as the vastness of neurology is present throughout the body in accordance with the principles of the nervous system. It is hoped that neurologists (the term for neurology specialists) will continue to collaborate and enhance services to the community.
“Hopefully, this symposium will serve as a forum for information sharing and increased collaboration in the field of neurology throughout the ASEAN region. I am particularly glad that this effort is fully supported by the Governor of Bali,” said Dr. dr. Rivan Danuaji, Sp.N., the chairman of ASNA Conference 2025. [buda]