UIC had its first forum on public health on 9 May as academics gathered to share insights into various challenges in contemporary China.
Over twenty academics from top-flight higher institutions from Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China attended the First Interdisciplinary Forum on Public Health Challenges in Contemporary China. They shared their views and research findings on a variety of public health issues, ranging from food safety to hospital management.
“Public health has been one of the major concerns for the government and citizens,” said UIC President Prof Ng Ching-Fai. He hoped this interdisciplinary effort will contribute to a healthy and harmonious society in China.
Prof Ng Ching-Fai presents souvenirs to the speakers of the Forum
Dr Nazrul Islam, Convener of the Forum and Assistant Professor at UIC’s General Education Office (GEO), thinks public health in China is in poor condition compared to developed countries. “The Forum aims to cultivate an academic atmosphere in Zhuhai, South and East China, and to develop and maintain relations between UIC and top universities in China,” he said.
The Forum was attended by Prof Samuel M Y Ho, Associate Head of the Department of Applied Social Studies at the City University of Hong Kong; Dr Lihua Pang, Associate Professor of the Institute of Population Research at Peking University; Prof Yingyao Chen, Associate Dean of the School of Public Health at Fudan University; Prof Hengjin Dong, Executive Director of the Centre for Health Policy Studies in Zhejiang University’s School of Medicine; Prof K E Kuah-Pearce from the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Sociology; Prof Spencer D Li, Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Macao; Prof Mildred Yang, Director of UIC’s GEO; Prof Johnston Huang, Programme Director of UIC’s Social Work and Social Administration Programme; Dr Donald C H Lee, Programme Director of UIC’s Environmental Science Programme; and other academics and guests.
Academic ideas on public health
Prof Samuel M Y Ho spoke of the need to improve individual psychological health in China. He believed that increasing health and medical psychology education and the building of positive adaptive cognitive skills among medical patients could improve the efficiency of medical treatment and enhance the overall public well-being.
Dr Lihua Pang presented the population-based disability survey in China. “Engel’s coefficient indicated that the people with disabilities, in average, were still on the fragile edge between poverty and well-off. However, support for these people has been improved in the areas of education, employment, rehabilitation service and social security.”
Prof Yingyao Chen reviewed and analysed the effects of China granting its public hospitals autonomy. He thinks the reason behind the healthcare controversies in China is mostly due to how government agencies tend to focus on economic development as opposed to monitoring hospital autonomy policies.
Prof Hengjin Dong also spoke on hospital system reforms, specifically at the county level.
Prof K E Kuah-Pearce discussed Buddhist charities as an indicator of distributive justice in the public health framework of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan.
Prof Spencer D Li talked of the changing trend of illicit drug use in Macao and Zhuhai, as local communities become increasingly susceptible to Macao’s high drug presence.
Prof Johnston Huang discussed the recent growth of social work in China’s health service sector.
Prof Mildred Yang focused on food safety in China, as the safety levels of advanced chemical and biological food production technologies are still undetermined.
Dr Donald C H Lee spoke of the indoor air quality in Zhuhai. Many public facilities in Zhuhai have substandard indoor air quality with high amounts of air pollutants produced by a variety of sources.
Dr Nazrul Islam raised questions on the authenticity and standardisation of contemporary Chinese medicine education and practice, as many Chinese Medicine graduates use their academic degrees as licenses for doing back door Western medicine practice.
After the individual speakers had taken the stand, a round table discussion was held between the participants.
Reporter: Chiu Wen Chin
Photographers: Wang Naidan and Irene Yu
Editor: Deen He
(from MPRO, with special thanks to the ELC)
