Welcome Message
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Singapore is hosting the first World Health Summit (WHS), Regional Meeting – Asia, Singapore 2013 (WHSRMA) from April 8th – 10th, where a select audience will discuss health care issues and their impact on sustainable development in the region. The event will be opened by Singapore’s Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong.
Health is intrinsically linked to the well-being of societies, and maintaining a healthy Asia will be beneficial to all in the region and the world. Yet, today’s Asia faces challenges such as rapidly aging populations, climate change, increasing incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases and the recurring threat of global pandemics. Asia’s need for affordable and accessible health care also encompasses many challenges that coalesce around the question of financing. Against this backdrop, an Asian meeting of the WHS in 2013 will be an excellent opportunity for reaching out to Health Ministers and senior government officials from the region as well as many global health care leaders who will be attending this landmark meeting, thereby allowing us to develop innovative solutions to Asia’s current and future health care problems.
The theme of the WHSRMA is "Health for Sustainable Development in Asia", with four sub-themes:
- The Impact of Health on Asian Economies
- Financing Health Care in Asia
- Innovations in Health in Asia
- Emerging Health Threats in Asia
Located at the crossroads of Asia, Singapore is a cosmopolitan city easily accessible from anywhere in the world. From many Asian capital cities, the distance to Singapore falls within a seven-hour flying radius. Singapore has been the venue for several international meetings, including the recently concluded 15th World Conference on Tobacco or Health and the World Cities Summit, as well as other notable meetings such as the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Group Annual Meeting in 2006. We are honoured to be an appropriate focal point to share best practices on issues relevant to the region and the world.
We warmly invite you to participate in the WHSRMA to help shape the health care landscape for many years to come.
With warmest regards,
Professor John Eu-Li Wong
President, World Health Summit 2013
Co-chairman, WHSRMA 2013 Organizing Committee
Vice Provost (Academic Medicine), National University of Singapore
