The 7^th International Conference on Public Health among

the Greater Mekong Sub-regional Countries (26-27, September, 2015)

    The 7^th GMS Public Health conference was a great success. The conference was organized by the Faculty of Public Health and the Institute for Community Health Research, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy (Hue UMP)

The conference followed the 10^th anniversary of the Faculty of Public Health on the afternoon of September 25^th, 2015. Leaders from many universities from throughout the Mekong region met to strengthen international collaboration in public health training and research, in collaboration with communities, universities and institutes. 

Picture 1: Members in the GMS Leadership meeting at the Faculty of Public Health, Hue UMP, September 25, 2015

Picture 2: The GMS Leadership meeting at Faculty of Public Health, Hue UMP on 25.9.2015

               The GMS Public Health network first convened a conference in 2008 at the Faculty of Public Health, Khon Kaen University with the participation of the University of Health Science, Lao PDR and the Faculty of Public Health, Hue UMP. This modest foundation of the GMS network has been strengthened through collaboration with many faculties of public health and public health organisations in the region. Cooperation in the fields of training, as well as research between public health faculties of different countries, has been undertaken and scientific conferences have been organized annually among the GMS countries. Since 2010, the ICPH-GMS have been held in Vietnam, Laos, China, Myanmar and Thailand.

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Picture 3: Opening ceremony of the 7^th ICPH-GMS in Hue city on 26.9.2015

          This is the second time that Hue UMP organized the ICPH-GMS. The focus of the 2015 conference was “International Collaboration for Evidence-based Policy Making in Public Health”. The Hue ICHR and the university were proud and honored to welcome guests from across Vietnam and other countries. The conference attracted scientists and leaders not only from the GMS countries but also outside the region. A total of 415 representatives attended from over 30 universities and various organizations in 19 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Netherlands, Singapore, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, United States of America and Vietnam. There were 106 oral and 129 poster presentations at the conference.

Picture 4: Discussion on the presented public health topics at the 7^th ICPH-GMS

            The annual conference provides a good giuage for increasing professional attention to Public Health in the region, and strong growth in the quality and quantity of scientific research. The number of abstracts submitted to the conference increases every year, and in 2015 we had an unprecedented large number of abstracts submitted for peer review and selection by the scientific committee. The key themes presented at the conference included the major areas of public health, including: Health literacy and health promotion, health system management, environmental and occupational health, nutrition and food safety, sexual and reproductive health, mental health and epidemiology of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Picture 5: Younger researchers were active participants throughout the conference

            In the context of changing challenges to public health in the region and in the world (such as climate change, new pathogens and diseases, food crisis and inequitable distribution of health care between and within countries),  international platforms such as this conference provide an important opportunity to gather together to discuss, to share knowledge and experiences and to find solutions. Professional networking also plays a vital role in enabling and then strengthening friendships and strategic academic alliancess in the Mekong region and beyond. 

Picture 6: Discussion during the keynote speakers’ presentations at the 7^th ICPH-GMS, Hue, Vietnam

           This conference would have not been possible without the support of hundreds of national and international individuals, institutions and organizations. On behalf of the organizing board and leaders of GMS, Associate Professor Vo Van Thang warmly thanked everyone involved in this highly successful conference. has offered to work with the organizing committee for the 8^th ICPH-GMS conference, to be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, probably in November, 2016 (date to be confirmed soon).

Picture 7: Lecturers and students of the Faculty of Public Health and staff of Institute for Community Health Research contributed to the success of the 7^th ICPH-GMS  in Hue, Vietnam

Picture 8: Beside conference: Art performance of students from Greater Mekong sub-regional coutries in Welcome party

Picture 9: Prof Long Ngo from Harvard University and Halina Suwalowska from Oxford University at the GMS7 conference in Hue