Strengthening Public Health Collaboration Across the Asia‑Pacific

On 5 February 2026, the Asia‑Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) convened its first Executive Council Meeting of 2026 at the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) in Zhunan, Taiwan. This annual gathering brought together leaders and representatives from APACPH member institutions to advance our shared mission of strengthening public health education, research, and policy collaboration across the Asia‑Pacific region.

Purpose and Programme

The meeting served as a strategic platform to assess progress on key consortium activities, align on priorities for the year ahead, and finalise preparations for our upcoming flagship event – the 57th APACPH Conference, scheduled for 20–23 October 2026 in Tainan, Taiwan. Under the leadership of the APACPH President, the meeting brought together EC members from across the region. The agenda centred on consortium governance, upcoming academic activities, membership engagement, and the enhancement of collaborative efforts across member institutions. My role as the Secretary‑General of APACPH was to support coordination and ensure continuity of our shared objectives – especially those related to communications and member outreach.

I was proud to be joined by two esteemed colleagues from the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya:

Prof Dr Low Wah Yuen, Editor-in-Chief of the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health (APJPH), and
Prof Dr Maznah Dahlui, Regional Director for Malaysia and Vice-President (Administration) of APACPH.

Site Visit to Tainan

Following the EC meeting, on 6 February 2026, Council members conducted a site visit to key venues in Tainan, notably the International Convention Centre (ICC Tainan) and facilities at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), the conference host institutions.

The visit allowed us to assess logistical arrangements, inspect plenary and breakout session spaces, and meet with local organisers to finalise conference planning. The professionalism and hospitality of the local hosts were evident, and we left with confidence that the physical environment and infrastructure will support an engaging and productive conference experience for delegates.

Acknowledgements

Our sincere thanks to the National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan, for graciously hosting the meeting and to all Executive Council members for their continued leadership and dedication.