APLAR was established in 1963 at Sydney. Four nations: Australia, India, Japan and New Zealand together pronounced formation of SEAPAL (South East Asia and Pacific Area League Against Rheumatism).
The first Congress held in 1968 at the renowned Taj Mahal Hotel on the waterfront across the Gateway of India in Bombay (India). Since then, SEAPAL grew from strength to strength with many participating nations.
International Journal of Rheumatic Diseases is the official journal of the Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and is published four times per year.
ARISE (Asia Pacific Rheumatology Intensive Scientific Education) is a strategic partnership between APLAR and Janssen Asia Pacific that strives to address the growing healthcare burdern of Rheumatology and Spondyloarthritis in Asia Pacific.