The annual conference of the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) was held from 5th to 9th December 2020. The pre-conference programme consisted of the Scientific Writing Workshop, ECN (Early Career Network) Workshop, Global Public Health Network Meeting, and the General Assembly which were webcast live from Wijerama House, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The main conference was held on 8th and 9th December at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall, Colombo, Sri Lanka, with participants worldwide joining virtually.
The Sri Lanka Medical Association, the oldest national professional association of the Asia-Pacific Region, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, were the co-hosts of the APACPH 2020 conference.
As one of the most influential international organisations in Public Health, APACPH helps create an environment of mutually rewarding scientific research and collaboration that promotes advances in public health through its annual conference. The importance of the conference was underscored as newly emerging challenges in global healthcare including the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to the “New Norm”, rapid growth of NCDs, threat of antimicrobial resistance, and ethics in delivering public health services are required to be addressed in a timely and effective manner.
The APACPH 2020 conference themed “Public Health in the New Normal” was a platform to discuss the way forward with digital technologies, health surveillance and advances in universal and global health. An eminent panel of international resource persons shared their insights, in addition to the national level expertise in public health. Hundreds of participants from over 40-member countries took part in this event. The enthusiastic participation of overseas researchers and public health academics was a highlight, as despite the pandemic, they were able to join the proceedings virtually. The conference sessions were open to both students and researchers in the public health sector.
We received abstracts representing countries of South Asia, South East Asia, Australia and Africa. The Early Career Network (ECN) Photography Competition themed “Public Health in the New Normal”, was held on a virtual 3D platform in order to provide a real-life experience, while addressing the complex societal issues of a global pandemic.
The keynote address was by Chief Guest, Clinical and Public Health Virologist, Professor Malik Peiris. He is a Professor and Chair in Virology at the School of Public Health, University of Hong Kong. He is most noted for being the first person to isolate the SARS virus. Professor Peiris discussed the science underlying public health interventions in responding to COVID-19 in the Asia Pacific Region.
The speakers of the conference symposia included an eminent panel of public health specialists including Professor Srinath Reddy, the President of the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and Prof. Tin Tin Su, Director of SEACO. In his Guest Lecture, Sir Michael Marmot, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health and Chair of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health, WHO, emphasised the role of social determinants of health in the new normal.
International organizations including the World Health Organization, World Bank and Asian Development Bank were generous sponsors of the APACPH 2020 conference. Resource persons from these organizations contributed to the rich academic environment, creating multidisciplinary learning opportunities for the participants.
The Walter Patrick Memorial Lecture was held for the first time, to commemorate the late Professor Walter K. Patrick, Professor of Public Health, University of Hawaii, a global leader in public health. The lecture was delivered by Professor Colin Binns, John Curtin Distinguished Professor of Public Health, Curtin University.
During the span of four decades, APACPH has grown into one of the largest public health organizations in the region. APACPH 2020 was a truly unique forum, bringing together public health academics, leaders, and practitioners, overcoming the challenges posed by the global pandemic through the optimum utilization of advanced technology and making the best of the goodwill of humankind.
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