PENSA Newsletter January-April 2003, Vol.4 No.1 Message From Editor Dear PENSA members: It may be hard time for us all in the world situation right now. Thus we would like to ask you to join with us to pray for people who are suffering from famine and war no matter who they are and pray that peace will be on earth soon. Sharing and cooperation in academic area such as what PENSA have done will bring us together and allow more understanding among peoples in Asian countries, as well as our guests from other continents. In the PENSA International Committee's meeting in Kochi, Japan last December, the committee had elected 4 representatives from each career involving in providing nutrition support. They are nominees from PEN society in every countries who are PENSA member. These elected representatives are Assist. Prof. Teruyoshi Amagai, M.D. from Japan as a representative for doctor Ms. Jantana Setthasawad from Thailand as a representative for nurse Mr. Yasushi Miyazawa, R.D., L.D. from Japan as a representative for dietitian, and Mr. Heng-Sim Lee from Taiwan as a representative for pharmacist These people will join the International committee to voice for their group as well as arrange activities for each group of member during the next PENSA meeting. We would like to congratulate them all and looking forward to meet them in Goa, India this year. The venue of the meeting, Goa, is the seaside resort city on the western coast of India. It is a perfect place for holidays where you can relax and learn a lot from the meeting at the same time. We wish that the situation will be clear by then, and all our members can go there to share our practice and experience together. In this PENSA newsletter, you will see the articles from both 7th and 8th PENSA congresses which are extensive review about post operative diet in Asian countries, role of oral supplement for cancer cachexia, strategies to minimize catheter-related infection and nutrition support in acute pancreatitis. May peace be with you.