The 18th APRU Global Health Conference 2025, co-hosted by the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, and the Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU), was successfully held from 28 to 31 October 2025 at the Research Management and Innovation Complex (KPPI) and the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Under the theme “Towards Planetary Health Equity: A Global Call for Shared Solutions”, the conference united global experts, academics, policymakers, and practitioners to address pressing challenges at the intersection of health, climate, and social justice. This year’s conference sought to bridge disciplines and sectors in pursuit of planetary health equity. With 219 participants from Malaysia and 238 from other countries and regions, the event became a vibrant platform for interdisciplinary exchange, bringing together academics, policymakers, students and practitioners to address urgent global health challenges.
Key Sessions and Highlights
- Opening Plenary: Established the framework for planetary health equity, emphasising shared solutions across low‑, middle‑ and high‑income contexts.
- Thematic Tracks: Covered areas such as climate change and health, environmental justice, digital innovations in public health, occupational safety in emerging economies, and cross‑sectoral policy linkages.
- Special Launch: The APRU Orchestra debuted, offering a unique cultural performance that set the tone for collaboration beyond disciplinary boundaries.
- Workshops & Panels: Enabled hands‑on dialogue on integrating evidence into policy, advancing global partnerships and building capacity in resource‑constrained settings.
- Student Posters and Early Career Forum: Created opportunities for emerging professionals to present research, network and engage directly with senior leaders.
Key Outcomes
- Strengthened Networks: The diverse cohort of over 400 attendees established new connections across 20 economies, fostering collaboration on planetary health issues.
- Shared Commitments: Participants reaffirmed their support for inclusive approaches to health equity, recognising the interdependence of environmental, occupational and social determinants.
- New Initiative Launch: The APRU Orchestra signalled a novel way to embed cultural understanding into global health discourse, aligning with the conference theme of shared solutions.
- Capacity Building: Emerging scholars and practitioners received mentorship and exposure, enhancing the pipeline for future global health leaders.
Reflective Commentary
In an era where planetary boundaries intersect with human health, the conference’s ambition to foster equity through interdisciplinary and cross‑cultural dialogue is particularly timely. Bringing together a strong Malaysian contingent alongside international participants highlights the need for local and global efforts to converge. The launch of the APRU Orchestra illustrates that solutions extend beyond conventional policy and research: they can also emerge through culture, connection and collaboration. This conference reinforces the imperative for public and occupational health professionals—especially those working at the intersection of environment, work, and wellbeing, to frame health as a shared planetary endeavour.
Pre-conference Workshops
The first Pre-conference workshop on the 28 October addressed “Preparing Health Systems for the Future of AI for Health: Ethical Challenges and Lessons Learnt,” bringing to the fore ethical, data-governance and equity dimensions of digital health in the region, while the second Pre-conference workshop titled “Implementation Science for All: Advancing Equity and Access in Health” as implementation science helps bridge the gap between research and real-world impact—but its benefits often don’t reach everyone equally.
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Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony commenced with the presence of distinguished guests, including YB Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Minister of Health Malaysia and YBhg. Professor Dato’ Seri Ir Dr Noor Azuan Abu Osman, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaya. The Minister of Health then officiated the conference with an inspiring opening address, highlighting the importance of global collaboration in addressing health and environmental challenges. His opening address was later published in the Berita RTM online news. The ceremony concluded with a symbolic Tree Planting Campaign, underscoring the conference’s commitment to sustainability and planetary health.
The Conference
The conference succeeded in creating a platform for cross-sectoral exchange between researchers, students and decision-makers, emphasising planetary health and equity. Key discussions were issues like climate change and health, environmental sustainability, One Health approaches, technological innovation, and equitable healthcare systems. The programme featured keynote lectures, forum sessions, oral and poster presentations focused on advancing collaborative solutions for a healthier, more resilient planet.
All sessions underscore a commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and promoting evidence-based strategies for global and planetary health equity.
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Conference Dinner and Inauguration of the APRU Orchestra
A memorable highlight of the programme was the Conference Dinner, which also celebrated the Inauguration of the APRU Orchestra. This evening provided a vibrant platform for networking, cultural appreciation, and strengthening collaboration among participants, showcasing the university’s commitment to integrating arts and community into global health engagement.
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Tree Planting Campaign for Planetary Health Equity
As part of a powerful act of environmental responsibility, the conference formally launched a “Plant a Tree” campaign, planting 120 native trees to symbolically offset the carbon footprint of attendees’ travel. The selected species — including Shorea roxburghii (Meranti Temak Nipis), Syzygium polyanthum (Salam), Lophopetalum wallichii (Kelak), Hopea spp., Michelia champaca (Kamuning), and Ixora malaccensis (Tengek Burung) — were chosen by the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) for their ecological suitability, carbon-sequestering potential, and resilience. This initiative reinforced the conference’s dedication to tangible action for planetary health and environmental stewardship.
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The conference effectively bridged issues spanning climate change, migration, global health workforce, ethics, and sustainable systems. The integration of research and academic dialogue with symbolic activities—such as tree planting and cultural events—illustrated a holistic approach to planetary health, emphasising that health equity demands action across environmental, social, and cultural dimensions.
The Local Organising Committee
The Local Organising Committee extends its sincere appreciation to all delegates, speakers, moderators, partners, and volunteers for their invaluable contributions to the success of the 18th APRU Global Health Conference 2025. Your active participation, thoughtful engagement, and collaborative spirit helped create a vibrant platform for dialogue, innovation, and shared learning. We are especially grateful to the Universiti Malaya community and our APRU partners for their unwavering support throughout the planning and execution of this conference. Thank you for joining us in advancing the agenda of planetary health equity, and we look forward to welcoming you to future events.
The event website, visibility and multimedia elements were assisted and prepared by Muhammad Haizril Arif Md Mokhtar from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.
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