The University of Malaya (UM) hosted the APACPH-KL Early Career Global Public Health Conference: Implementation Science for Improving Population Health on 11-12 April 2019 at the TJ Danaraj Hall, Faculty of Medicine. This conference gathered experts and researchers in public health for exchange and expansion of knowledge and to share experiences on how to tackle public health issues in early career, which most of the time, are relentless.
Organised by the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health Kuala Lumpur (APACPH-KL), in collaboration with the Centre for Population Health (CePH) and the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine (SPM), Faculty of Medicine, the conference aimed to spread the awareness of Public Health research by students of APACPH institutions in Asia-Pacific region. At the same time, it hopes to develop and enhance the network amongst the local and international students. The conference also leveraged on the global public health education and research of Asia-Pacific universities in addressing global public health issues through interaction with public policy makers and media.
The two-day conference was officiated by Datuk Professor Dr. Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud, the President of The Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health-Kuala Lumpur (APACPH-KL). Datuk Awang Bulgiba, in his opening remarks stated that the time has come for Global Public Health challenges to be taken very seriously. Public health hopes to seek out solutions towards its issues globally and implementation of science sustainability through research and collaboration across all sectors. He also added that we can improve health where it needs to be improved the most, as quoted “I believe in All for Health, Health for All.”
Professor Dr. Maznah Dahlui, the Chair of APACPH-KL Early Career Global Public Health Conference 2019, in her welcoming speech shared that every one of us should aspire to live in healthy conditions and to have access to quality healthcare. Spending on health should not be seen as a cost, but rather as a long-term investment. “Health is a prerequisite for economic development. A population in good health represents a strong workforce that can drive a country's productivity and growth”, she added.
Professor Maznah also explained that as the population in the region evolves, so do the challenges faced. Hence, it is just right for public health to also evolve to stay relevant to the population it serves and to produce more cost efficient health interventions for posterity.
