The International Institute of Knowledge Management (TIIKM) organised the 5th International Conference on Public Health 2019 which held on 10th-13th July 2019 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The conference was co-hosted by MAHSA University, Malaysia and Taylor’s University, Malaysia in collaboration with the Bryan University, United States, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, India, University of Ghana, Ghana, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia, Independent University Bangladesh, Bangladesh and University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka as the academic partners of the conference.
TIIKM as an entity, facilitates the purpose of knowledge transfer by constructing the career of the research fraternity, empowering decision making in the corporate sector and promoting on quality decisions for policy makers through academic conferences. The International Conference on Public Health is the 5th edition in the conference series serving as Asia’s largest platforms on public health. The conference is revolutionizing the research culture underlying the objective of the need for collaboration and cooperation from a wide range of professional backgrounds to protect the health of entire populations and to contribute to the innovative future ideas about public health. It also aims to promote awareness and enhance research aiming in developing solutions for the various public health challenges encountered.
ICOPH 2019 GROUP PHOTOGRAPH
The PAS project through one of her implementing partner South Saharan Development Organization (SSDO-PAS) sponsored the Dr Ndibe Ogochukwu Ag Permanent Secretary MoH Anambra State, Dr Obianuju Okoye Reproductive Health Coordinator Anambra State and Dr Paulinus Ossai the Director Public Health Enugu State to attend the conference to broaden their scope to the possibilities within the sector. The theme of this year’s conference was “Promoting Global Health Equity towards Sustainable Future: WHO Health Inequality Monitoring at Global and National levels”.
Learnings from the conference showed that inequitable health outcomes are as a result of social determinants of health, because these factors vary from region to region hence health Inequality monitoring systems must use data to identify disadvantaged subgroups within populations and also inform equity-oriented health policies, programs and practices to improve the situation of Inequality. Most of the institutions have transitioned from paper to e-platforms to strengthen their HMIS e-systems and Nigeria must follow. A recurrent theme from the conference was universal health access, this should be amplified that no one should be left behind with regards to health care provision. The high level research awareness, record keeping and insight on private individuals vital statistics evidence the strides most Asian countries are taking to improve health services in the region.
Conference resource persons were drawn from academia and policy makers including the Director General MOH Malaysia Datuk Dr Noor Hisham and Professors from Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka and the United States.
Over 50 parallel sessions held with plenaries chaired by the resource co-chairs providing participants with a well rounded experience in research methodology and practice in solving real life public health issues. The different sessions were subcategorized into Maternal health, mental health, tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, occupational health and safety, health communication and health information, clinical medicine, primary health care, health services management, social determinant of health and environmental health. Participants also benefited from over 20 poster sessions.
The delegates from SSDO-PAS led a presentation session on Integrating Drug Store Operators into Subnational health systems within the context of family planning service provision. Dr Obianuju Okoye manned the presentation on behalf of the team. This presentation elaborated some of the PAS TSTS pilot work in Anambra and Enugu States.
PRESENTATION BY DR OBIANUJU OKOYE (REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH COORDINATOR ANAMBRA STATE
The next ICOPH 2020 will take place in Singapore.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PROJECT
The delegates from Anambra and Enugu State benefitted from a rich environment of learnings and have seen first hand the possibilities when good policies are implemented. We have used this medium to foster a discussion on TSTS policy implementation in the state.
DELEGATES DURING PLENARIES
