Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health 2020 Conference to be hosted in SL virtually

Sri Lanka Medical Association President and Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health Vice President Prof. Indika Karunathilakeand

Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando

Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) is partnering up with Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) and Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo to host the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) 2020 Conference in December at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), Sri Lanka. 

The conference is set to address the newly emerged global healthcare challenges including COVID-19 pandemic, adapting to the new norm, rapid growth of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the threat of antimicrobial resistance, and the ethics in delivering public health services in a timely and effective manner.

In the current context of travel restrictions and need for physical distancing due to COVID-19, APACPH 2020 is planned in a hybrid format, with conferences taking place face-to-face with local medical professionals and expected to have over 250 international public health professionals joining through virtual platforms which provides Sri Lanka an excellent opportunity of showcasing the safety of the ground situation. 

As one of the most influential international organisations in public health, the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) helps create an environment of mutually rewarding scientific research and collaboration that promotes advances in public health through its annual conference. 

“Hosting the Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Conference in Sri Lanka will further improve the visibility of the country in the global health landscape since Sri Lanka has successfully controlled the COVID-19 pandemic with strict restrictions compared to the other countries in the Asia Pacific region. This will send a positive message to the World about the safety of the destination and further will help to position Sri Lanka as a potential destination for international events in the future,” Sri Lanka Tourism Chairperson Kimarli Fernando stated. 

The current Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) President and Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health (APACPH) Vice President Professor Indika Karunathilake stated that they looked forward to hosting the APACPH annual conference in Sri Lanka as a Hybrid  three-day conference from 7-9 December in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, the forerunner of university education in Sri Lanka with a history of 150 years and Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMC), the oldest national medical professional association of the Asia-Pacific region.