The 45th APACPH Conference in Wuhan

The 45th Asia-Pacific Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference convened in Wuhan, China, from October 25-27, 2013, bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to address critical public health challenges in the region. Hosted in a city of significant historical and economic importance, the conference provided a platform for the exchange of knowledge, the dissemination of research findings, and the fostering of collaborative initiatives. This report summarizes key themes and insights from the conference program.

The opening ceremony of the 45th APACPH Conference in Wuhan was held at the Humanities Building Auditorium in Wuhan University. The opening session was chaired by the APACPH Secretary-General, Prof. Walter Patrick from the University of Hawaii, in the USA. Professor Li Xiaohong, the President of Wuhan University and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, welcomed the more than 500 delegates, who have come from around the world. Later, Prof. Mohd Amin Jalaludin, the President of APACPH from the University of Malaya, delivered the opening address and officiated the 45th APACPH conference.

A Strategic Venue: Wuhan, Central China

Wuhan, a major transportation hub and historical center of trade, served as an apt location for a conference focused on regional public health collaboration. Its strategic position within China underscores the importance of addressing health issues within a broader geopolitical context.

Conference Structure and Key Components:

The conference program was structured around several core components:

• Opening Ceremony and Keynote Addresses: The conference commenced with welcoming remarks from leadership at Wuhan University and APACPH, followed by the presentation of the APACPH Awards. Keynote addresses from prominent figures, including representatives from Duke Kunshan University, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and the China Medical Board, provided strategic perspectives on critical issues.
• Concurrent Symposia: The core of the conference program comprised a series of concurrent symposia, addressing a diverse range of public health topics.
• Poster Presentations: Poster sessions offered researchers an opportunity to present their work in a visual format, facilitating detailed discussions and networking.
• Pre-Conference Workshop: A pre-conference workshop focused on enhancing scientific writing skills for publication in public health journals, reflecting a commitment to strengthening research capacity within the region.

Key Thematic Areas and Symposium Highlights:

The conference program addressed a comprehensive spectrum of public health concerns. Salient themes and selected symposium highlights are presented below:

• Global Health: Reflecting the interconnectedness of health challenges, several symposia focused on global health issues, including discussions on training competencies, cardiovascular disease burden, and the application of medication sales surveillance for early disease outbreak detection.
• Chronic Diseases: With non-communicable diseases representing a significant and growing burden in the Asia-Pacific region, numerous symposia addressed topics such as obesity prevention, hypertension, cardiovascular disease risk factors, diabetes, epilepsy, and cancer. Specific presentations covered strategies for obesity prevention in Malaysia and environmental and policy approaches to reducing obesity in the USA.
• Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health: These symposia addressed critical issues across the lifespan, including pre-conception health, birth defects, gestational diabetes, newborn hearing screening, and adolescent risk behaviors. Presentations included research on the relationship between lifestyle and gestational diabetes mellitus, and outcomes of hearing screening programs.
• Environmental Health: Symposia in this area addressed pressing environmental challenges, including the impact of air pollution on respiratory health, water quality, and the assessment of mercury accumulation in mining areas.
• Health Management and Policy: Presentations in this area explored topics such as healthcare expenditures, alternative financing mechanisms for long-term sustainability, service quality, and medical resource planning.
• Mental Health: The conference addressed mental health issues in various populations, including those in areas with unexplained sudden death, those affected by heatwaves, and breast cancer patients.
• Infectious Diseases: Symposia focused on AIDS prevention and control, HIV surveillance, tuberculosis, and syphilis, emphasizing the ongoing need for vigilance and innovation in combating infectious disease threats.
• Occupational Health and Safety: Worker health and safety were examined through the lens of primary health care, occupational risk perception, and ergonomic design.
• Nutrition, Food, and Health: Symposia explored the roles of vitamins, red palm oil, soy isoflavones, and dietary knowledge in health promotion and disease prevention.
• Island & Rural Health: The conference dedicated a specific symposium to the unique challenges and opportunities in island and rural health settings within the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on access to and excellence in healthcare delivery.
• Other Key Areas: Accreditation in Global Health, Health Law, Health Education and Promotion, Indigenous Health, Peace & Health, Injury Prevention, Aging and Aging Health Industry, and Tobacco Control.

Poster Presentation Highlights:

Poster presentations offered a valuable opportunity to showcase research findings across a range of public health areas. Notable presentations included studies on:

• The effects of propolis on fasting blood glucose and glucose tolerance in pre-diabetes patients.
• Public health implications of DNA-based non-invasive prenatal testing for Down syndrome in Hong Kong.
• Analysis of flexible financing of public health facilities under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in India.

Conference Outcomes and Implications:

The 45th APACPH Conference served as a vital forum for advancing public health knowledge and collaboration in the Asia-Pacific region. The diverse range of topics addressed, from chronic diseases and maternal health to environmental risks and global health security, underscored the complex challenges facing the region. The conference facilitated the exchange of best practices, the identification of research priorities, and the strengthening of professional networks, contributing to improved public health outcomes across the Asia-Pacific region.