The clubbed ASCoN and 22nd International Spine and Spinal Injuries Conference (ISSICON) was organised by Indian Spinal Injuries Centre to discuss recent advances in spinal cord injury care, cure and rehabilitation with a gathering of 645 participants from 25 countries across the globe.

Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar and Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Rajesh Aggarwal, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment inaugurated the conference at a ceremony in the presence of Bholi Ahluwalia, Chairperson, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Virendra Kumar said, “We know that spinal cord injury is a lifelong debilitating health issue with enormous social and psychological adverse impact. Spinal cord injury management requires to be tackled at multiple levels and by multiple people to give a respectful and meaningful life to individuals affected by this ailment. Understanding the advancements and use of technology will go a long way to helping these patients. This assumes all the more important since India has just started with the Presidency of G20 nations and conferences like these are very much required to focus on the Theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’.”

Rajesh Aggarwal said, “At a time when we are observing International Disability Day, India records about 25,000 cases of spinal cord injury every year. About 75 per cent of them struggle to access rehabilitative care and treatment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year, between 250 000 and 500 000 people suffer a spinal cord injury across the world. People with a spinal cord injury are two to five times more likely to die prematurely than people without a spinal cord injury, with worse survival rates in low- and middle-income countries such as India.”

Bholi Ahluwalia said “Spinal cord injury is one of the most devastating ailments that can afflict mankind. Globally, there have been rapid developments in the prevention, diagnosis, and comprehensive management of spinal cord injuries, such that life after a spinal cord injury… can be happy, meaningful and worth living.”