Image Credit to NCKU News Center
Edited by Rainee Cheng
 

The 57th APACPH Annual Conference 2026 opens in Tainan
 

The Asia-Pacific region’s premier annual public health gathering, the 57th Annual Conference of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH 2026), opened on October 22 at ICC Tainan. Under this year’s theme, “Leveraging Healthcare Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Public Health and Wellness,” the conference brought together scholars and experts from across the Asia-Pacific and beyond. Through keynote lectures, paper presentations, and thematic symposia, participants examined how innovations in medical technology could be applied to health promotion, disease prevention, and health policy. The conference not only showcased Taiwan’s public health research strength but also offers an important opportunity to deepen academic cooperation across the Asia-Pacific.
 

The 57th APACPH Annual Conference returned to Taiwan for the first time in 17 years, since it was last held here in 2009. The conference took place from October 20 to 23 under authorization from the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health. It was co-organized by the Tainan City Government, National Cheng Kung University, National Cheng Kung University, its Department of Public Health, the Taiwan Public Health Association, and the Taiwan Epidemiological Association. It drew approximately 1,200 participants from more than 40 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.
 

Dr. Meng-Ru Shen, President of National Cheng Kung University and Honorary Conference Chair of APACPH 2026, delivers his opening remarks
 

Dr. Meng-Ru Shen, President of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) and Honorary Conference Chair of APACPH 2026, delivered remarks at the opening ceremony, warmly welcoming public health experts and scholars from around the world to Tainan for the 57th Annual Conference of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health.

President Shen said this year’s theme, “Leveraging Healthcare Technology and Artificial Intelligence for Public Health and Wellness,” explored how emerging technologies could meet the real needs of communities and individuals. The topics ranged from safe mobility for older adults, adolescent mental health, friendly workplaces, and the building of healthy cities to transnational challenges such as climate change and health system resilience. He noted that addressing these issues required a foundation of scientific evidence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and careful consideration of the social and environmental conditions of different regions. He emphasized that the value of artificial intelligence lay in being human-centered, and he expressed hope for health systems that are not only smart but also humane and caring.
 

President Shen also pointed out that NCKU draws on its strengths in medicine, public health, engineering, and the social sciences to respond to public health and many other challenges. NCKU brings together scholars and students from Taiwan and around the world, and actively integrates education, research, and public health practice. He encouraged participants to ask questions, offer innovative ideas and diverse perspectives, take an active part in discussions, and share their research findings, in order to advance health and well-being for all.
 

From right: Dr. Meng-Ru Shen, Dr. Chien-Jen Chen, and Dr. Chung-Liang Shih
 

Professor Hung Yi Chiou, President of the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH), said in his remarks that the topics covered at this conference are wide-ranging and all closely tied to public health. Progress in public health depends on the willingness to learn from other fields and cross traditional boundaries. The annual conference is not only a venue for exchanging knowledge and experience but also an opportunity to build partnerships. He encouraged participants to make the most of it by asking questions, taking an active part in discussions, getting to know colleagues from other institutions, and sharing their own ideas, and he placed his hopes in the next generation of professionals and researchers.
 

Dr. Chung-Liang Shih, Minister of Health and Welfare, said Taiwan has two main strengths in advancing smart healthcare. The first is the National Health Insurance database, and the second is its strong information and communications technology (ICT) industry. Together they make it possible to link and integrate medical records and health data once scattered across individual hospitals, creating interconnected health data that is essential to the development of smart healthcare.
 

Minister Shih said that, to turn policy into concrete action, Taiwan will use digital technology to bring care and medical services into the community. Beyond intelligent clinical decision support, the approach incorporates risk assessment and case management and connects home care with long-term care services, bringing care closer to people’s daily lives. The goal is to make smart care part of everyone’s everyday life. He said he looks forward to working closely with partners from all sectors to build a resilient health care system in which everyone can live with peace of mind and grow together.
 

Dr. Huey-Kang Sytwu, President of the National Health Research Institutes (NHRI), said that over the past 30 years the NHRI has not only contributed to biomedical science in Taiwan but has also shaped health policy and clinical practice, benefiting the well-being of individuals and communities. He said the establishment of the NHRI carries significance for public health in Taiwan on four levels: first, it embodies the Taiwan government’s firm commitment to public health; second, it advances the integration and progress of health research; third, it translates research findings into public health practice; and fourth, it raises Taiwan’s international visibility and fosters cooperation with other countries. He added that the conference brings together renowned experts from many countries, and that the research shared over these few days demonstrates the power of knowledge, dedication, and vision, all of which will help shape people’s health and communities.
 

Deputy Mayor Ching-Hui Chao of Tainan attended the opening ceremony on behalf of Mayor Wei-che Huang. She said it is especially meaningful that APACPH has returned to Taiwan after 17 years. Tainan is actively advancing its smart city initiatives and is committed to applying technology to health care and residents’ well-being, with the aim of building a healthier, more livable city through technological innovation.
 

Dr. Chien-Jen Chen, President of Academia Sinica (second from left), receives the APACPH Kazue McLaren Leadership Achievement Award
 

The opening ceremony also honored six individuals for their outstanding contributions to the development of public health in the Asia-Pacific. Dr. Chien-Jen Chen, President of Academia Sinica, received the APACPH Kazue McLaren Leadership Achievement Award. Dr. Chung-Liang Shih, Minister of Health and Welfare, and Dr. Shih-Chung Chen, Minister without Portfolio of the Executive Yuan, received the APACPH Excellence in Leadership Medallion. Professor Huey-Jen Su of the Emeritus and former President of National Cheng Kung University, and Adjunct Professor Yue-Chune Lee of the Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, received the APACPH Public Health Recognition Award. Associate Professor Sarawut Thepanondh of the Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand, received the APACPH Medal of Merit.
 

Many prominent scholars, experts, and government officials attended the opening ceremony, underscoring the importance they attach to the conference. Distinguished guests included Professor Chun-Yu Yang, President of the Taiwan Public Health Association; Professor Chyi-Huey Bai, President of the Taiwan Epidemiological Association; Dr. Ching-Chang Lee, Vice President of National Cheng Kung University; Professor Wen-Ta Chiu of AHMC Healthcare Inc., United States; Professor Ichikawa Masao of the University of Tsukuba, Japan; Dr. Ching-Fen Shen, Director-General of the Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare; Professor Betty Ya-Wen Chiu, Director of APACPH Taiwan Vice President and Finance & Taiwan Regional Director of APACPHn Office; and Director Tsuey-fong Li of the Public Health Bureau, Tainan City Government.
 

After the opening ceremony, three keynote lectures were delivered in turn by Professor Wen-Ta Chiu of AHMC Healthcare Inc., Professor Ichikawa Masao of the University of Tsukuba, and Dr. Chien-Jen Chen, President of Academia Sinica. Professor Chiu examined how digital health and artificial intelligence can move from innovation to real-world application within public health systems. Professor Ichikawa focused on understanding and preventing road traffic injuries among older adults in Asia. Dr. Chen, moving from research to policy, shared how evidence and technology can advance precision public health.
 

Public health problems often cross national borders, including infectious disease control, population aging, chronic disease, health inequities, and the allocation of health care resources. The program on October 22 and 23 included 25 thematic symposia, 46 oral presentation sessions, poster presentations, and four short-talk sessions. These allowed researchers from different fields and career stages to present their work, and gave participants from different countries an opportunity to compare and discuss how each approached similar health problems. A full-day pre-conference workshop was also held on October 21.

Group photo of the APACPH 2026 Executive Committee members

The 57th conference carried its themes into the home, the workplace, and the community. Cross-country research presentations shared findings on breastfeeding practices, psychosocial well-being, and nutritional status among working mothers in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Obesity-related sessions approached the issue from living environments, physical activity, and nutrition, exploring the environmental conditions behind health behaviors. Other sessions addressed mental health and digital media use among adolescents and young adults, and how schools could respond to youth health risks and inequities.
 

Turning to aging societies, the discussions covered integrated care for older adults, sarcopenia, dementia prevention, and age-friendly communities. The “Building a Healthy Tainan City” symposium showcased local public health innovations and practices, and resonated with the healthy cities agendas of other countries and the Asia-Pacific region, exchanging ideas on how urban governance and community action could improve residents’ health and quality of life.
 

The program also extended to transnational public health challenges, including emergency preparedness in armed conflict, chemical safety and climate risk governance, and the “One Health” perspective, which links human, animal, and environmental health. Cancer screening policy and cost-effectiveness, HIV testing among young people, and barriers to accessing health services in rural areas and among different population groups were also on the agenda, showing how countries responded to health needs in diverse social contexts.
 

APACPH, the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health, was founded in 1984 and now brings together more than 110 leading public health and medical institutions from 23 countries. It is the largest and most influential non-governmental organization of public health and medical professionals in the Asia-Pacific region. Its mission is to improve the region’s capacity to promote healthy living and quality of life, by pooling member institutions’ efforts to provide public health education, research resources, and population health services, and to respond to major public health issues and changing challenges.