Closing Ceremony of the 56th APACPH Conference 2025

The Closing Ceremony of the 56th Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference 2025, held at Mae Fah Luang University in Chiang Rai, concluded the conference on a high note. Over four days, this premier regional gathering brought together public health professionals, academics, researchers, and students to exchange ideas and champion health equity and innovation across the Asia-Pacific.

This gathering provided an essential platform for academic exchange, professional networking, policy dialogue, and capacity building, addressing the theme, “Public Health Challenges in a Disruptive World.”

Conference Highlights

Pre‑Conference Workshops – 4 November

A set of focused three-hour workshops was held on the afternoon of the 4th November 2025.

Topics included:

• “Lessons from the Thai–Myanmar Border for the Asia‑Pacific: Towards Resilient and Self‑Reliant Systems for Health” – exploring border‑region health systems, migrant vulnerability and community‑based innovations.
• “Nurturing Leadership Through Mentorship in Public Health” – oriented to early-career professionals, introducing the ECN (Early Career Network) mentoring programme.
• “Scientific writing in public health: Navigating AI tools, biases, limitations and ethics” – organised by the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (APJPH) and focused on manuscript development and ethical AI use.
• “Innovative Strategies for Learning and Teaching Public Health: From Evidence to Practice” – emphasising pedagogical methods, digital tools and experiential learning. apacph2025.mfu.ac.th
• “WHO’s Work to Promote Research Ethics in the Western Pacific Region” — exploring ethics governance in research across the region. apacph2025.mfu.ac.th

These workshops helped set the scene for the main conference, equipping participants with practical tools, networking opportunities, and thought-provoking content ahead of the plenaries and sessions.

Keynote Plenary Sessions

Three plenary keynote speakers delivered powerful insights into contemporary global health issues:

• Dr Richard Brown (WHO-SEARO): Health Security in the Asia–Pacific – Health security in the Asia-Pacific
• Prof. Dr Joia Mukherjee (Harvard Medical School): Global Health Equity and Structural Change – Understanding global history and politics in addressing global health equity: perspectives of global health professionals.
• Dr Charay Vichathai (Health Systems Research Institute): Funding and Innovation for Health System Resilience – Strategy and Mechanism of Research Funders in Reinforcement of National Health and Health Systems Improvement

Talk Concert – Migrants and Vulnerable Population Health

On Thursday morning, the “Talk Concert” brought together distinguished panellists and chairs in a less formal, more conversational format:

• Chair: Prof So Yoon Kim (Korea)
• Moderator: Prof Dr Betty Ya‑Wen Chiu (Taiwan)

Panelists

• Dr Masami Fujita (Japan), Deputy Director General, Bureau of Global Health Cooperation, Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS)
• Dr Patrick Duigan (Philippines), Regional Thematic Specialist for Asia and the Pacific, International Organization for Migration-United Nations Migration
• Asst Prof Phitsanurak Kanthawee (Thailand), Head of Border Health Research Institute, Mae Fah Luang University, Thailand
• Dr AHN, Myound-Ock (Republic of Korea), Co-Chairperson of the National Museum of Women’s History Construction Committee with the Deputy Minister of Gender Equity and Family Affairs of Korea, Chief Project Officer of Korea Women Paliamentarian Network (KWPN)

The session provided lively dialogue on migration, health systems, equity and the interface between global and regional health trends.

Panel Sessions & Oral/Poster Presentations

Across the three conference days, participants engaged in theme tracks, oral presentations, poster sessions and panel discussions.

These sessions provided rich opportunities for peer interaction, the dissemination of emerging research, and cross-regional networking across various topics, including disease control, migrant health, environmental and occupational health, health policy, future society and technology, and core public health issues.

Panel Sessions Topics

• Collaborative Action on NCDs: Insights from Taiwan with a Regional Focus on Asia-Pacific
• Communicable Diseases and Preparing for the Coming Pandemic
• Strengthening Breastfeeding Systems: Supporting Mothers from Hospital to Community (LactaHub)
• Prenatal Environmental Stressors in Shaping Offspring Health
• A Happy Life for Old Age
• Life health
• Exercise and Health Challenge
• What Health Professionals Need to Know About Multi-Sectoral Actions for Migrant Integration in a Disruptive World
• Migrant and Health (GNAPH)
• Environmental Health
• Occupational Health
• Implementing Social Health Insurance: Experiences of ASEAN countries
• Substance abuse
• Digital Health Transformation: Challenges and Opportunities
• Experience in operating cyber education
• Future Society and Health and AI in Public Health

Recognising Excellence in Public Health Research

A highlight of the evening was the Award Presentation Ceremony, where the APACPH community celebrated outstanding oral and poster presentations across seven thematic tracks. Each track reflected the diverse challenges and priorities in public health, ranging from disease prevention and life course health to environmental health, digital technology, and policy systems.

Best Oral Presentation Awards were presented to:

• Track 1: Dr Su-Ann Goh (Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health Systems Singapore) – Culturally responsive mosque-based health promotion intervention increased self-reported mammogram uptake among Malay-Muslim women in Singapore
• Track 2: Ms Charani Gamachchige (Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka) – Determinants of Food Choices and Dietary Habits among Adolescents in Urban Sri Lanka
• Track 3: Dr Amogha Savithri N (Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College Surat, India) – Exploring Intimate Partner Violence Among Women registered in Government Support Centres at Urban Area of South Gujarat, India
• Track 4: Mr I Hung Ho (National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan) – Investigation of Bisphenol A content in the total diet of Taiwan and health risk assessment
• Track 5: Hathaichon Inchai (Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand) – Pediatric emergency medical services mortality patterns and system performance in Thailand: a nationwide analysis
• Track 6: Tiong Wen Ning (Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia.) – Digital Surveillance of Indirect E- Cigarette Promotion on Social Media: Insights from TikTok Video Content Analysis and Engagement Metric
• Track 7: Nurul Firdaus Salahul Ahamed (School of Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) – Knowledge, Attitude, and Training Needs in Global Health: A Cross-Sectional Study of Vietnamese Medical Students

Best Poster Presentation Awards went to:

• Track 1: Wei-Lun Chang (Center for Big Data Analytics and Statistics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan) – Accuracy of ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Codes for Identifying COVID-19 Cases Using Administrative Claims Data in Taiwan
• Track 2: Wen-Chen Tsai (China Medical University, Taiwan) – Association of the pattern of hemoglobin A1C trajectories with risk of stroke, acute myocardial infarction, and dialysis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Taiwan
• Track 3: Charles Daniel Medina (Department of Medical Technology, Wesleyan University-Philippines, Philippines) – Food Insecurity and Diabetes Self-Management in Unserved and Underserved Rural Households in General Mamerto Natividad, Nueva Ecija, Philippines
• Track 4: Rina Miyawaki (Meiji University, Japan) – Associations of occupational sedentary behavior with individual and organizational perceptions among Japanese office workers
• Track 5: Phatpitcha Taemkhornburee (The Newton Sixth Form, SiamScape, Thailand) – Toward Reusable EGFR DNA Biosensors: A Feasibility Study of Probe Reutilization for Lung Cancer Staging Diagnostics
• Track 6: Chuan De Foo (Duke NUS Medical School, Singapore) – A Needs Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Care Delivery in Bhutan from a Health Systems Lens
• Track 7: Simy Mathew (Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates) – The Burden of Disease Studies in the Middle East and North Africa Region: A Systematic Review]

Each awardee demonstrated innovative approaches and a deep commitment to addressing public health issues in their local contexts—an embodiment of APACPH’s mission to foster regional capacity and collaboration.

ECN Photo Competition

The Early Career Network (ECN) Photo Competition brought a meaningful and inspiring celebration of visual storytelling in public health. The photo competition is an annual event organised by the APACPH ECN, led by Professor Naruemon Auemaneeku, APACPH ECN Director. Professor Dr Indika Mahesh Karunathilake, Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo and President-Elect of APACPH, presented the prizes. The winning photographs highlighted critical themes in public health, from community-based care to urban vulnerability and childhood hunger, reminding us that behind every statistic lies a human story. These visual reflections highlight the importance of empathy, community engagement, and sustained public health action.

Winners:

• 1st Place: But Mama, I Am Hungry, Zulkhairul Naim Bin Sidek Ahmad (Malaysia)
• 2nd Place: A Gift of Survival in a Fragile World, Mohd. Faizal Bin Madrim (Malaysia)
• 3rd Place: Order in Care – Guiding a Patient to Timely Medication, Kawee Pattaryuyoktorn (Thailand)
  

Closing Remarks and Leadership Transition

The formal closing remarks were delivered by:

Asst. Prof. Dr Wipob Suttana, Dean of the School of Health Science, Mae Fah Luang University, and Chair of the Local Organising Committee.

Prof. Dr Hung Yi Chiou, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan – President Elect of APACPH, who now assumes the APACPH Presidency following the conclusion of the 56th Conference.

Both leaders expressed deep gratitude to all participants, reaffirmed the Consortium’s commitment to collaboration, and extended an invitation to continue this momentum into next year’s conference.

Looking Ahead: APACPH 2026 in Tainan

With the conclusion of this memorable event, APACPH now looks forward to its 57th Conference in Tainan, Taiwan in 2026. As the region continues to navigate complex health transitions, such gatherings will remain pivotal in shaping collaborative solutions for a healthier Asia-Pacific.

Acknowledgement

APACPH expressed sincere gratitude to Mae Fah Luang University for hosting this year’s conference and to all the organising teams, presenters, and participants who contributed to its success.