Armed conflict and forced displacement have precipitated a protracted health crisis in conflict-affected regions—one that extends far beyond the battlefield. Disrupted health systems, population displacement, and restricted humanitarian access leave millions—especially women, children, and marginalised groups—without essential healthcare. This forum confronts the structural, political, and ethical challenges of delivering health services in war zones and displacement settings.
Panel Members
Brigadier General (Dr) Mohd Arshil Moideen (Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Malaysia) is a Public Health Specialist and Epidemiologist with the Malaysian Armed Forces Health Services and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health at the National Defence University of Malaysia. With over 20 years of experience in military medicine, epidemiology, and humanitarian health, he has led numerous national and international missions, including Malaysia’s COVID-19 Field Hospital deployments and the Malaysian Field Hospital for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Dr Arshil holds a Doctorate in Public Health (Epidemiology) from Universiti Putra Malaysia, a Master of Public Health from the University of Sydney, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine. A regional expert in biosecurity and operational medicine, he has been recognised with multiple national and international awards for innovation and leadership in military and humanitarian health operations
Aymen Abdullah (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) is the Head of Mission for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Malaysia, with over 15 years of experience in humanitarian leadership across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He has held senior roles including Regional Advocacy and Representation Manager for Sudan and Chad, Senior Humanitarian Advisor during the Sudan crisis, and Country Representative in Pakistan and Egypt. His expertise spans emergency response, conflict analysis, humanitarian diplomacy, and advocacy, with a strong record in managing operations in complex and insecure environments. Aymen holds an MBA, a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and a Diploma in Translation, and is deeply committed to advancing principled humanitarian action through effective engagement with governments, civil society, and multilateral organisations
Dr Susheela Balasundaram (UNHCR Malaysia) is currently the Community-Based Protection Officer at the UNHCR Malaysia office, overseeing programmes in public health, child protection & gender-based violence (GBV), and education for refugee populations. A graduate of Kasturba Medical College, India, she holds an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. She began working with refugees in Kuala Lumpur in 2002 via mobile primary care services, later joining Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Belgium in 2006, and has coordinated UNHCR Malaysia’s public health and assistance efforts since 2007.
Moderator
Professor Dr Victor CW Hoe (Universiti Malaya, Malaysia) is a Public Health Medicine Specialist and Professor of Occupational and Public Health at Universiti Malaya, where he serves as Head of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine and Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Journal of Malaysia. He previously served as a Senate Member of Universiti Malaya (2021–2024) and Head of the Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Unit at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (2018–2022). Holding a PhD in Occupational Health and Safety from Monash University, and master’s degrees from Universiti Malaya and the University of Turin, he is a Fellow of both the Academy of Medicine Malaysia and the Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Malaysia. Professor Hoe’s research focuses on occupational health, ergonomics, musculoskeletal disorders, and health risk assessment. A recipient of the ICOH–ILO Master Fellowship and multiple national awards, he has been instrumental in advancing occupational health policy, education, and digital innovation in public health across Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific region.
Through interdisciplinary dialogue, this session will explore context-sensitive, rights-based approaches to health system resilience and recovery in protracted crises.