Climate crisis is no longer a distant threat—it is a lived reality for health systems worldwide. Rising temperatures, extreme weather, and shifting disease patterns are placing unprecedented stress on healthcare infrastructure, frontline workers, and vulnerable populations. This symposium explores what it means to build climate-resilient health systems that are not only sustainable and adaptive but also just and inclusive.
Speakers
Professor Dr Shireen Anne Nah Han Yien (Universiti Malaya, Malaysia), a senior consultant paediatric surgeon and Head of UM@Green Health, whose work advocates for the greening of healthcare and systems-wide transformation toward environmental sustainability in health services.
Dr Mengieng Ung (National University of Singapore, Singapore) is a Research Fellow at the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore. She holds a PhD in Geography (Health) from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and has extensive research experience in the fields of climate change, sustainability, and global health. Her scholarly interests encompass health literacy, eHealth, maternal and child health, and infectious disease control, with particular emphasis on the application of geographic information systems (GIS) and mixed-method research in public health studies.
Dr Ung’s research explores the interlinkages between environmental change, population health, and social determinants of well-being, with a regional focus on Southeast Asia. She has contributed to numerous international collaborative projects and published widely in peer-reviewed journals such as Reproductive Health, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and Climate and Development.
Associate Professor Dr Chris Fook Sheng Ng (University of Tokyo, Japan), an Associate Professor at the Department of Global Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, whose research focuses on environmental epidemiology, particularly the health impacts of air pollution, atmospheric exposures (such as wildfire smoke, desert dust, and temperature), and environmental statistics.
Moderator
Dr Fong Chng Saun (Universiti Malaya, Malaysia), an environmental scientist specialising in urban heat, air quality, and climate-health resilience in tropical cities. His research integrates microclimate modelling, community-based mitigation strategies, and planetary health education.
Together, the speakers will address pathways to strengthen system resilience through workforce capacity building, decarbonised infrastructure, early warning tools, and participatory governance. This session aims to catalyse collaborative efforts to reimagine health systems that are responsive, equitable, and climate-ready.