Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala, WHO Regional Director Western Pacific

Monash hosted the World Health Summit Regional Meeting 2024 in Melbourne from 22-24 April, bringing together stakeholders from all relevant sectors of global health – under the theme ‘Shape the future of health across Asia and the Pacific'. The Summit was led by co-presidents Professor Sophia Zoungas, Head of Monash’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, and Professor Christina Mitchell AO, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. The meeting included a video address from Australia’s Foreign Minister Senator the Hon Penny Wong. It was the first time the World Health Summit Regional Meeting was held in Australia. With more than 40 sessions and over 150 speakers from around the world, the Summit brought together researchers, experts, government, the private sector and civil society to address strategies to improve global health and health inequities in the Asia-Pacific region. Read the Monash University media release.

Rotarians Tony Battaini and Peter Rogers represented Rotary Oceania. The event drew over 1,200 delegates, including most of Asia Pacific’s leaders in public health policy and practice.    

An outstanding array of keynote speakers and expert panels addressed big issues facing our region. Following are some of the topics:

• global health alliances and the need for increased collaboration
• built environment’s impact on health
• climate adaptation needed for better health outcomes
• investment and commercial determinants of health
• indigenous peoples’ health and wellbeing
• emergency and critical care capacity crisis across the region
• Pacific priorities for prevention of violence against women
• emerging and re-emerging infectious health threats
• priorities for education, training and a future-proof health workforce
• drug policies to minimise harm and unintended consequences
• clinician-led health system reform
• CKM (Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic) Syndrome in the Asia Pacific
• issues arising from digital platforms and easy access to updated research
• mental health wellbeing reform
• world readiness for the next pandemic
• action needed for childhood obesity prevention
• RISE (Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments) launch

An expert panel in session

A highlight was meeting Dr Arabella Koliwan, an emergency medicine specialist and the recently appointed Clinical Director of the PNG Snakebite Partnership. Arabella will become Rotary Melbourne’s key contact at St John Emergency Services PNG, the operational manager of the snakebite project.

Tony Battaini, Dr Arabella Koliwan, Dr Peter Rogers AM

During Dr Koliwan’s address she highlighted her recent appointment to lead the PNG Snakebite Partnership and thanked Rotary Melbourne for its decision to support the program.

Dr Koliwan during the session on emergency medicine

We also met Dr Lucas de Toca, DFAT head of the Indo-Pacific Centre for Health Security and Australia’s Ambassador for Global Health, and used the opportunity to outline Rotary Melbourne’s involvement in the PNG Snakebite Partnership.

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