In this series of four webinars, public health experts explore the impact that decisions taken by leaders in all sectors have on health and, in turn, how public health decisions can affect all sectors of society and business. The importance of the relationship between health and all parts of society has become increasingly apparent over the years, and has played a central role in the Covid-19 experience. It is therefore timely to address some aspects of this complex interrelation, and each of the four webinars will examine one specific topic under this lens and with a focus on the experience in South East Asia, and Asia more broadly.
Precision Public Health: Transforming Health with Data
How does Precision Public Health (PPH) differ from traditional public health? While both rely on data for risk factor and disease surveillance, screening, interventions and evaluation, PPH borrows from precision medicine to provide a holistic approach to deliver “personalised” public health. When additional data about people, place, and time are taken into consideration, PPH can give us a deeper understanding of complex health and causal systems. This improved understanding makes it possible to develop effective interventions that address social determinants of health as well as biological and behavioural factors for better health outcomes and the reduction of health inequities.
In this session, we will explore some real life applications of PPH, and examine case studies on how clever use of data is fundamentally transforming public health, in order to offer a broad understanding of the topic to a multi-sectorial audience.
Food for Health through the Life Course
The outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) and its co-existence with the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) pandemic have disrupted global health, social, and economic systems. Tackling NCDs through prevention and control is recognized as a global health priority to address in the era of COVID-19 and beyond.
Suboptimal or unhealthy diet is an important preventable risk factor for NCDs. Our diet is also intricately linked to our immune system, which is vital to optimize during such times. There is strong evidence that avoiding excessive consumption of animal-source foods and replacing them with fruits, vegetables, legumes, and other plant-based foods is associated with lower risks of chronic diseases and premature mortality. Concomitantly, recent data points towards the benefits of consuming whole and minimally processed foods for a healthier gut and consequently better health. Indeed, growing concerns around food safety, security and sustainability amid the coronavirus pandemic are also contributing to a shift towards more plant-based food options among consumers.
Dietary behavior change is challenging, which may not be surprising, considering we are combating against entrenched habits and behaviors that have developed from infancy and reinforced through a lifetime of exposure. It is increasingly recognized that the developmental phase of early life provides an opportune time for interventions, and which is believed to be more effective in the prevention of long-term chronic diseases. This, combined with increasing evidence demonstrating the tracking of risk factors and habits from childhood to adulthood, have shifted the health paradigm to promoting health and preventing disease through the life course approach.
This webinar will explore topics such as gut health in relation to food and life course nutrition in the frame of the considerations above, and will briefly describe the challenges faced in developing and developed countries in the attempt to improve population health through diet.
Health-Promoting Cities
Across the world, urbanisation has continuously increased and, together with population ageing, represents the most important demographic transition of our time. As stated in the Ottawa Charter on Health Promotion, “Health is created and lived by people within the settings of their everyday life; where they learn, work, play, and love.” This webinar is concerned with the influence of social, natural, and built environments on health and well-being in contemporary cities. It discusses how these characteristics together with smart technologies can be leveraged to create health promoting cities.
Commercial Determinants of Health
While attention has been focused on the social determinants and political economy of health, much less effort has been exerted in understanding the role of business and the economy in shaping the health of the population. This webinar will build on emerging work on this topic and describe the situation in Asia, focusing on safeguards and efforts to balance the tensions between sectors.
