Privacy Policy

Scope and Data Responsibility

This Privacy Policy describes the information-handling practices of the Asia-Pacific Medical Association in relation to personal information that APMA controls. It covers information received through APMA websites, membership and fellowship processes, institutional participation, committee and event activities, professional correspondence, public health education, and other Association services.

In this policy, “personal information” means information that identifies, relates to, describes, or can reasonably be linked with an individual. The precise definition and APMA's obligations may vary according to the law that applies in a particular jurisdiction.

Information We Collect

The information APMA receives depends on how an individual or organization engages with the Association. APMA seeks to collect information that is reasonably necessary and proportionate to the relevant activity.

Information you provide

• Identity and contact information, such as name, professional title, email address, telephone number, country or region, and mailing address where required.
• Professional and academic information, such as qualifications, specialty, institutional affiliation, professional experience, publications, curriculum vitae, licensing details, and areas of expertise.
• Membership and application information, including membership category, eligibility materials, references, declarations, status, renewal history, and related correspondence.
• Institutional and committee information, including authorized representative details, committee interests, participation records, contributions, disclosures, and conflict-of-interest information.
• Transaction information, such as payment status, billing contact details, currency, and transaction references. Payment card information may be processed directly by a payment provider rather than stored by APMA.
• Communications and submissions, including inquiries, feedback, event registrations, survey responses, educational submissions, and other content sent to APMA.

Information collected through digital use

When you use an APMA website or online service, APMA and its service providers may receive technical information such as IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring page, pages viewed, approximate region, timestamps, cookie identifiers, and security or diagnostic logs.

How We Use Personal Information

APMA may use personal information for the following institutional purposes:

• Receiving, assessing, administering, and communicating about membership, fellowship, committee, and institutional applications.
• Maintaining member and institutional records, processing renewals, confirming status, and supporting appropriate use of APMA affiliations.
• Providing requested information, responding to inquiries, and managing professional, academic, media, and administrative correspondence.
• Organizing meetings, events, educational activities, committee work, scientific dialogue, and public health initiatives.
• Processing fees and maintaining appropriate financial, tax, audit, and administrative records.
• Operating, securing, analyzing, and improving APMA's website, services, communications, and institutional processes.
• Protecting the integrity of APMA's name, systems, membership standards, governance processes, and academic activities.
• Complying with applicable law, responding to lawful requests, resolving concerns, and establishing or defending legal rights.

APMA does not use general website or membership information to make clinical diagnoses or treatment decisions. APMA does not sell personal information for monetary consideration.

Basis for Processing

Where applicable law requires APMA to identify a basis for processing personal information, that basis may include:

• Performance of a contract or pre-contractual steps, including administering a membership, registration, payment, or requested service.
• Legitimate institutional interests, including operating a responsible professional association, maintaining accurate records, improving services, protecting security, and communicating with relevant professional communities.
• Consent, where APMA requests and relies on permission for a particular use, such as certain optional communications.
• Legal obligations and public-interest responsibilities, including accounting, compliance, fraud prevention, records, safety, and lawful disclosure requirements.

Where APMA relies on consent, consent may generally be withdrawn for future processing, subject to applicable law and any continuing basis APMA may have to retain or use the information.

Sharing and Disclosure

APMA may share personal information only where reasonably necessary for legitimate institutional purposes, subject to appropriate safeguards. Recipients may include:

• Authorized APMA personnel, governance bodies, reviewers, committee leaders, and professional advisers with a relevant need to know.
• Technology, hosting, email, payment, event, analytics, document-management, and other service providers acting for APMA.
• Partner institutions, event organizers, or academic collaborators where necessary for a disclosed program or activity.
• Government authorities, regulators, courts, law enforcement, or other parties where disclosure is required or permitted by applicable law.
• A successor or relevant counterparty in connection with a reorganization, transfer of operations, or similar institutional change, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

APMA may publish limited professional information—such as a member's name, title, specialty, affiliation, committee role, biography, or contribution—where this is appropriate to the individual's role, authorized participation, or separate agreement. APMA does not publish private contact details unless permission or another valid basis exists.

International Data Transfers

APMA's international activities may involve participants, personnel, systems, and service providers located in different countries. As a result, personal information may be accessed, processed, or stored outside the country in which it was originally collected.

Where required, APMA will seek to use appropriate measures for international transfers, which may include contractual protections, recognized transfer mechanisms, risk assessments, access controls, data minimization, or reliance on another legally permitted basis. Privacy protections and government-access rules may differ between jurisdictions.

Information Security and Retention

APMA seeks to use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, loss, misuse, or disclosure. Measures may include access restrictions, role-based permissions, secure service providers, authentication controls, backups, staff guidance, and incident-response processes.

No website, email system, transmission method, or storage environment can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Individuals should avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information through ordinary email or open website forms.

Retention

APMA retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, for a related legitimate institutional purpose, or as required by law. Relevant factors may include membership or application status, the nature of the record, professional and governance continuity, financial and audit requirements, dispute periods, consent, and the need to protect APMA's legal or institutional interests. When information is no longer required, APMA may delete, anonymize, or securely archive it in accordance with applicable requirements.

Your Privacy Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and the law that applies, you may have rights concerning your personal information. These may include the right to:

• Request access to personal information APMA holds about you.
• Ask APMA to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion, restriction, anonymization, or objection to certain processing.
• Request a portable copy of certain information where applicable.
• Withdraw consent for future processing where consent is the relevant basis.
• Opt out of non-essential promotional communications by using an unsubscribe method or contacting APMA.
• Lodge a complaint with an appropriate data-protection or privacy authority.

Rights are not absolute and may be subject to verification, lawful exceptions, record-retention duties, and jurisdiction-specific limits. APMA may request information reasonably necessary to verify identity and understand the request. Authorized representatives may also be required to provide evidence of authority.

Cookies and Digital Information

APMA's websites may use cookies and similar technologies to enable core functions, remember preferences, support security, understand site performance, and improve user experience. Cookies may be set by APMA or by service providers whose technology supports the website.

You may be able to manage cookies through browser settings or a cookie-control tool made available on the relevant APMA page. Blocking some cookies may affect site functionality. Where required by applicable law, APMA will request consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies.

APMA may use aggregated or de-identified information for analytics, reporting, research, and service improvement where that information is not reasonably capable of identifying an individual.

Children's Privacy

APMA's general website, professional membership, and institutional services are not directed to children. APMA does not knowingly collect personal information from a child through these services without an appropriate legal basis and, where required, authorization from a parent or guardian.

Educational content may be accessible to a broad public audience, but it does not require children to provide personal information. If you believe a child has submitted personal information to APMA inappropriately, please contact APMA so that the matter can be reviewed.

Third-Party Websites and Services

APMA websites and communications may link to third-party websites, publications, registration systems, payment services, social platforms, or other external resources. Those services may collect information independently and operate under their own terms and privacy policies.

APMA is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, accuracy, or content of third-party services that it does not control. Individuals should review the relevant third party's privacy information before providing personal information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

APMA may revise this policy to reflect changes in its activities, services, technology, legal obligations, or information-handling practices. The current version will be posted with an updated effective date. Where a change is material and applicable law requires additional notice or consent, APMA will take reasonable steps to provide it.

Continued use of APMA services after an updated policy becomes effective is subject to the revised policy, except where applicable law requires a different process.