Asia-Pacific
ECO Care Equity in the Asia-Pacific Conference
From Risk to Resilience: Health System Sustainability in an Era of Climate Change.
Event Overview
A regional gathering for climate-resilient health systems.
The ECO Care Equity in the Asia-Pacific Conference brought together leading voices in health, policy, and development to strengthen Emergency, Critical, and Operative (ECO) care systems across the region in an era of climate change.
Co-hosted by the Pacific Islands Surgeons Association (PISA), the Global Alliance for Surgical, Obstetric, Trauma, and Anaesthesia Care (The G4 Alliance), and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), this conference was a major regional gathering focused on building sustainable, climate-resilient health systems in the Asia-Pacific.
View the provisional programWhy It Matters
Pacific Island nations face mounting health risks from climate change:
- Rising disease burden linked to displacement and extreme weather
- Fragile health infrastructure and workforce shortages
- Limited access to essential and surgical care, particularly for NCDs
- Fragmented emergency and surgical systems
- Under-implemented National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anaesthesia Plans (NSOAPs)
Conference Purpose
A strategic regional intervention.
- Advance the WHO ECO Care Continuum in the Pacific
- Showcase country-level progress on NSOAP implementation
- Address cross-cutting issues such as gender equity, AMR, AI, and oncology
- Strengthen advocacy, financing, and regional partnerships for sustainability
Key Themes
Five threads connecting the program.
- From Risk to Resilience: Sustainable health systems in an era of climate change
- Strengthening ECO and SOTA Care Systems: Building the foundation for emergency preparedness and universal health coverage
- Policy to Practice: Translating regional commitments into coordinated implementation
- Regional Collaboration: Financing, partnerships, and innovation for equitable health access
- Equity and Inclusion: Centering gender, community leadership, and local capacity-building