As President of CMAAO it is my pleasure to welcome all delegates to the 22nd CMAAO Congress and the 37th Council Meeting, which is to be hosted by the Taiwan Medical Association in Taipei.

We are very grateful to Dr. Yung-Tung Wu, and his team from the Taiwan Medical Association, for the enormous amount of trouble they have put into organising this event, which I am sure will be a spectacular success.

The planned symposium on "The Impact of Healthcare Reform on Healthcare Delivery Systems" is very topical, given the reforms occurring in health systems throughout the world. Virtually all countries are having to grapple with the problems arising from escalating healthcare costs, driven by escalating demands for healthcare, and measured against inadequate resources. Many countries are attempting to balance these opposing forces by changing, or "reforming" their healthcare delivery systems, and the success or otherwise of these endeavours in different countries, will be of interest to us all.

I look forward to welcoming old friends to Taipei and meeting the new delegates. Our hosts have planned a stimulating and enjoyable programme for us.