Salutations and welcome my dear friends and family to the first edition of the 2023 Silk Road Supplement, which covers the Asia Pacific region. The Silk Road was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BC until the mid-15th century. Hence, the supplement's name, as we are trying to connect the Asia Pacific region all the way to the Middle East.
There are 4.7 billion people in this region—two-thirds of the world's population. There are many developing countries in this region and many clinicians and wound care professionals are doing their best work to comprehensively manage hard-to-heal (chronic) and complex wounds. Hard-to-heal wounds are defined as those that fail to heal with standard therapy in an orderly and timely manner. Infection is a major problem in the Asia Pacific region and biofilms play a pivotal role in hard-to-heal wounds. Ischaemia is another factor that seems to be increasing in wounds, especially diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) as the prevalence and incidence of diabetes reaches epic proportions in this region due to reasons such as obesity, genetic distribution, sedentary lifestyle, among other reasons. Diabetic foot complications are on the rise. D-Foot International, the implementation arm of the International Working Group on Diabetic Foot, is spearheading a campaign to end avoidable amputation, which is gaining traction in the region.
Lower socioeconomic conditions and financial burdens have a profound effect on wound management. Articles in the supplement showcase DFU management, pressure injury and the use of advanced modalities, such as negative pressure wound therapy. These are common in the region; however, there is variation in the standard of care (SoC) across regions, and many centres are struggling with insufficient resources and funds to effectively manage hard-to-heal wounds effectively. A multidisciplinary team approach is also not practiced in many regions, and specialties such as vascular surgery and podiatric surgery appear to be scarce, except in major hospitals in large cities. Therefore, measures must be taken to educate healthcare workers on SoC including: assessment; recognising danger signs; early referral, such as the Fast Track Pathway; investigation and management.
There are a number of important key events to support best practice in wound care including the European Wound Management Association congress (3–5 May 2023, Milan); the International Symposium on the Diabetic Foot (10–13 May 2023, the Hague). In addition, Malaysia will host the D-foot International and 5th Global Wound Conference (6–8 October 2023, www.mswcp.org). This is a hybrid meeting to allow for greater participation from across the globe.
Finally, I would like to thank the JWC Editorial Board for their great support. I would also like to invite all of our esteemed readers to contribute your great work to this journal. It is an honour to highlight your contributions to the field of wound care to the largest population in the world.
Thank you.
Take care and God bless