Events

Held at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) from 3-4 November 2026, this conference will convene experts under the theme “Resilient and Sustainable Futures for Women’s, Maternal and Child Health in a Changing Climate.” Participants will share cutting-edge research, innovative practices and collaborative solutions to address emerging health challenges and shape a healthier, more sustainable future for women, mothers and children worldwide.

Conference Registration Form (Required for Attendance)

This conference is intended for healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, academics, and invited partner organisations. Registration from members of the general public will not be accepted.

* Programme subject to change

Day 1 │ 3 November

Time (in SGT)	Programme
08:00 – 09:00	Registration
09:00 – 09:10	Welcome Address Assoc Prof Eileen Lew - Chairman, Medical Board, KKH
09:10 – 09:20	Opening Address Assoc Prof Kevin Lim - Director, Office of Strategic Partnerships & Global Health, KKH
09:20 – 09:40	Keynote Address 1 Assoc Prof Chow Wan Cheng - Group Director, Sustainability, SingHealth Title: All Heads Together and All Hands-On-Deck for The Sustainable Health of The Next Generation of Singaporeans
09:40 – 10:00	Keynote Address 2 Assoc Prof Zerina Tomkins - Founder, Maternal and Child Health Climate Adaptation and Resilience (MCH-CARE) Network Title: Reimagining Maternal and Child Health Care for a Climate-Resilient Future
10:20 – 10:50	Morning Tea Break
10:50 – 12:00	Session 1: Women, Mothers and Children in Climate Crisis: Stories and Lessons from the Field Moderator: Assoc Prof Renzo Guinto - Lead, Planetary Health Programme SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI), Singapore Speakers: Dr Maria Asuncion Silvestre - President, Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina, Inc. (KMI), Philippines. Title: Ms Melinda Chan - Institution Sustainability Officer, KKH Dr Aina Roca Barcelό - Environmental Health & Extreme Heat Advisor, Medecins Sans Frontieres Spain
12:00 – 13:30	Lunch
13:30 – 15:00	Session 2: Climate Adaptation and Resilience for Women’s, Maternal and Child Health: Emerging Evidence and Solutions from Across the Region Speakers: Prof Erlidia F. Llamas-Clark – OBGYN Consultant, University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital. Title: Why Endocrine Disruptors, Disasters and Climate Change Matter in Maternal and Child Health and Food and Nutrition Security: The Philippine Experience Asst Prof Nguyen Thanh Tuan - College of Health Sciences, VinUniversity, Vietnam. Title: Caesarean Section Birth and Formula Milk Feeding Among Infants Under Six Months in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Evidence from Vietnam Ms Senimelia Hataogo - Midwifery Educator and Head of the Midwifery Department, Fiji National University. Title: The Safe Motherhood Projects of Midwifery Students in Rural Fiji Ms Jemima Jahan Meem – Lecturer, Department of Environment and Development Studies, United International University, Bangladesh. Title: Building Menstrual Health Resilience in Coastal Bangladesh: Evidence on Salinity, Gender Norms and Male Engagement Ms Tay Ling Li Vanes – PhD candidate, National University of Singapore. Title: Characterising Young Children’s Ability to Exercise in Hot, Tropical Climates
15:00 – 15:30	Afternoon Tea Break
15:30 – 17:00	Session 3: Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology for Climate Adaptation for Women’s, Maternal and Child Health: Promises and Perils Speakers: Prof Sng Ban Leong - Chief Data and Digital Officer, KKH. Title: From Promise to Practice: AI for Maternal and Child Health Asst Prof Yu Qian Ang - Department of the Built Environment, National University of Singapore. Title: Artificial Intelligence for Healthy and Sustainable Cities Dr Voo Teck Chuan - Head, SingHealth Office of Ethics in Healthcare, Singapore. Title: Amplifying or Reducing Vulnerability? Use of AI in Climate Adaptation for Women’s, Maternal and Child Health Mr Jordan Liang - Assistant Director, Sustainable Health, KKH. Title: Practical Applications for AI - Supporting Our Journey Towards Sustainable Health and Climate Adaptation
End of Day 1

Day 2 │ 4 November

Time (in SGT)	Programme
08:00 – 09:00	Registration
09:00 – 10:30	Session 4: Greening Healthcare Systems for Women, Mothers and Children through High-Value Care Speakers: Ms Eunice Lee - General Manager, Emerging Asia, CooperSurgical. Ttile: Sustainable Reproductive Healthcare: Balancing Patient Outcomes and Environmental Stewardship Ms Catherine Ong - Senior Nurse Manager, KKH. Title: Sustainability- Greener OT Ms Peh Guat Lian - Deputy Director, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, KKH. Title: KKH Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine’s (DPLM) Experience Mr Terence Tan - Deputy Director, Facilities Management, KKH. Title: Sustainability: A Facilities Management Perspective Assoc Prof Hairil Rizal - Clinical Director, Office of Value-based Healthcare (OVBH), Singapore General Hospital. Title: Appropriate Value-Based Care (AVBC) & Choosing Wisely: From Vision to Value Dr Karen Nadua - Consultant, Infectious Disease Service, KKH. Title: Igniting Change in Paediatric Surgical Prophylaxis: SPARK's Path to Choosing Wisely
10:30 – 11:00	Morning Tea Break
11:00 – 12:30	Session 5: Building Resilient Futures for Women, Mothers and Children – Where is the Way Forward? Speakers: Ms Priya Kvam - Associate Director, Southeast Asia, Forum for the Future. Title: A Climate Just Future Is a Gender Just Future: Caregiving Across Generations on A Warming Planet Assoc Prof Renzo Guinto - Lead, Planetary Health Programme, SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI), Singapore. Title: Preparing the Next Generation through Planetary Health Education Dr Arif Tyebally - Director, International Medical Programmes (Paediatrics), KKH. Title: Climate-Proofing Paediatric Practice Ms Amina Evangelista Swanepoel - Executive Director, Roots of Health, Philippines. Title: Designing for the Storm: The Future of Women's Health in a Changing Climate Discussant: Ms Astee Lim, Head of Sustainability Office, MOH Holdings Pte Ltd (MOHH), Singapore
12:30 – 12:40	Closing Remarks Assoc Prof Kevin Lim - Director, Office of Strategic Partnerships & Global Health, KKH
12:40 – 14:00	Lunch
12:40 – 17:00	Appropriate and Value-Based Care (AVBC) Roadshow
End of Day 2

Women’s & Children’s Health Conference

The Women’s and Children’s Health Conference (WCHC) held from 13 to 14 January 2025 gathered 38 participants from different institutions in the Asia Pacific region. The WCHC provided a platform for the exchange of ideas in the advancement of Women’s and Children’s health, creating a potential for scientific and academic collaborations. It also allowed clinicians in the regions to network and strengthen international relationships between institutions within the region.

Stay updated for the next session:

virtual Paediatric Multi-Disciplinary Exchange

Discussion of medical cases has always been a platform for rapid knowledge exchange between healthcare professionals and has played a major role in shaping diagnostics and treatments throughout the years.

However, such discussions are mostly done within institutions or cross institutions of similar patient demographics. Very few is said about such platforms across countries and institutions of difference income levels and living standards.

With the virtual Paediatrics Multi-Disciplinary Exchange (vPMDEX), we hope to bridge this gap by having institutions across the APAC region come together to showcase different patient cases across the different landscapes and demographics. By doing so, we aim to engage health care professionals throughout the region.

Every session, cases related to a selected topic will be discussed, the sessions will be held bi-monthly and is open to all healthcare professionals and industry partners in the region.

Upcoming Session

Past Sessions

Our first session of the vPMDEx saw 150 healthcare professionals gather on Zoom to discuss complex clinical cases of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). The session was chaired by our own KKH expert, Dr Loh Ne-Ron and the cases were presented by Dr Lingling Xie from Chongqing Medical University, China and Dr Kavya Rajarajan from MRR Children’s Hospital.

The discussion explored evolving management strategies including the role of mTOR inhibitors in disease modification and long-term surveillance protocols. The session exemplified the value of international collaboration in advancing knowledge and harmonizing care practices, ultimately improving outcomes for individuals living with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

In our second session of vPMDEx, we discussed complex clinical cases on Neurofibromatosis in Children. The session was chaired by our own KKH expert, Dr Nikki Fong and Dr Enrica Tan, the cases were presented by Dr Harshal Agrawal from MRR Children’s Hospital.

Discussions emphasized early diagnosis, genetic counselling, surveillance strategies and the need for multi-disciplinary management to optimize long term outcomes. The session provided a valuable platform for peer learning, collaborative discussion, underscoring the importance of continued knowledge sharing in the care of individuals living with neurofibromatosis.

Testimonies:

“Interesting sharing on these topics”
– Ms Kalsum, Registered Nurse, SG

“Very interesting and useful session”
– Dr Kyaw, CLL Health, MM

“Very informative and effective for young learners”
– Dr Zin, CLL Health, MM

Stay updated for the next session:

Join us as a contributing Partner!

vPMDEx Interest Form

virtual Women's Multi-Disciplinary Exchange

The virtual Women’s Multi-Disciplinary Exchange aims to bridge the gap within the region through the discussion of medical cases over a virtual platform between healthcare professionals on a regular basis. With this, we hope to shape diagnostics and treatments overtime and provide a platform for the discussion of complex cases, knowledge sharing and networking.

Upcoming Sessions

Sessions

Stay updated for the next session: