Semarang (July 30th) – The health system plays a crucial role in safeguarding public health against various health risks associated with climate change. Natural disasters, vector-borne disease management, socio–economic vulnerabilities, and improvements in water supply and sanitation infrastructure require adaptive commitments and solutions to strengthen a climate-resilient health system. Developing strategies for managing heat-related stress, strengthening health information systems, enhancing capacity and collaborative governance, ensuring food security, supporting mental health, and projecting coastal ecosystems must be prioritized to ensure public health in tropical and coastal regions. On July 30-31, 2025, the Faculty of Public Health hosted the 6th International Conference on Public Health for Tropical and Coastal Regions (ICOPH-TCD) titled “Public Health Resilience in Tropical and Coastal Areas.”
his event featured five speakers from various countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, and the United States. The event began with a welcoming speech by the Dean of the Faculty of Public Health at Universitas Diponegoro, Dr. Budiyono SKM, M.Kes. In his speech, the Dean noted that we are facing an urgent need to strengthen health systems in response to the complex interactions between climate change, natural disasters, vector-borne diseases, and socio-economic vulnerabilities. The Dean added in his speech that “tropical and coastal regions are rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage, requiring innovative, sustainable, and culturally aligned solutions to ensure equitable health outcomes.” The Dean also stated, “Since 2016, ICOPH-TCD has evolved into a global collaboration opportunity, bringing together scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders to address urgent public health challenges in tropical and coastal regions. This conference serves as a global catalyst, aiming to disseminate interdisciplinary research findings, foster academic and community partnerships, and strengthen high-quality scientific publications in reputable journals and proceedings”.
The event continued with an opening ceremony by the Rector of Universitas Diponegoro, Prof. Dr. Suharnomo, S.E, M.Si. In his speech, the Rector expressed his hope that this conference would foster networking between Universitas Diponegoro, particularly the Faculty of Public Health, and universities around the world, which could encourage innovation to overcome health challenges in Indonesia, especially public health in tropical and coastal areas. This conference serves as a platform to disseminate research findings, share scientific arguments, best practices, and engage in discussions on current issues encompassing policies and practices across various contexts. The Rector also stated at the end of his speech that “Universitas Diponegoro, with its public health experts and laboratory support, has evolved into a leading research university committed to improving public health. UNDIP extends its congratulations and best wishes for the continued success of the ICOPH-TCD event. We sincerely thank you for joining us today.”
The event was enlivened by a performance from Studio 8, which presented the Gugur Gunung dance, a traditional Javanese dance that depicts the spirit of mutual cooperation and collaboration among communities, with strong cultural roots in the Yogyakarta and Central Java regions.
At the opening ceremony, the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, represented by the Head of the Health Development Policy Agency (BKPK), Professor Asnawi Abdullah, BSc.PH, MHSM, MSc.HPPF, DLSHTM, P.hD, delivered the keynote speech. In his speech, Professor Asnawi stated that the Indonesian government, through the Ministry of Health, has initiated six pillars of transformation in the health system as a strategic effort to strengthen the health system in Indonesia, in line with the President’s Vision and the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), with the aim of improving the overall and sustainable health status of the Indonesian people. The six pillars of health system transformation include focusing on primary care transformation, referral care transformation—particularly hospitals—health resilience system transformation, health financing transformation, health human resources transformation, and health technology transformation with a focus on biotechnology. In addition, Professor Asnawi also said that “Indonesia is developing a free health screening program or CKG (Free Health Check) which aims to detect health problems early, prevent diseases and risk factors by providing free health checks for all Indonesian citizens (WNI) at least once a year. This Free Health Check program will introduce a new paradigm in healthcare services, encouraging the public to utilize healthcare facilities such as community health centers or hospitals, even when they are not ill. The program aims to change the mindset of the public, who tend to only seek healthcare when they are already sick”.
The opening ceremony concluded with a group photo session with all participants, led by the Master of Ceremony.
The presentation on the first day was delivered by Ts. Dr. Ismaniza Ismail (Mara University of Technology, Malaysia) and Assist. Prof. Issara Siramaneerat, Ph.D (Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, Thailand), moderated by Professor Hanifah Maher Denny, BSPH., MPH, Ph.D. Dr. Ismaniza Ismail presented material on “Adapting Occupational Hygiene Practices to Enhance Resilience in Coastal Regions.” Meanwhile, Assistant Professor Issara Siramaneerat, Ph.D., presented on “Reproductive Health in the Elderly Population,” followed by a discussion and question-and-answer session with the participants.
On the second day, the material was presented by Professor Elena N. Naumova, Ph.D (Tufts University, USA), Tsheten, BSc, MPH, Ph.D (National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Australian National University, Australia) and moderated by Professor Martha Irene Kartasurya, MSc, Ph.D. Dr. Martha Irene Kartasurya, MSc, Ph.D. The material presented by Professor Elena N. Naumova, Ph.D, was on Artificial Intelligence for Nutrition and Food Security in Tropical and Coastal Areas. Next, Tsheten, BSc, MPH, Ph.D presented on the Real-World Application of the Dengue Early Warning System for Disease Surveillance and Control, followed by a question-and-answer session and discussion with participants who joined online.
On the second day, Professor Zahroh Shaluhiyah, MPH, Ph.D (Faculty of Public Health, Diponegoro University, Indonesia) also presented material, moderated by Muh, Fauzi, SKM, Ph.D. The material presented by Professor Dr. Zahroh Shaluhiyah, MPH, Ph.D., was titled “Health Promotion Strategies for Building Health Resilience in Vulnerable Coastal Communities of Indonesia,” followed by a question-and-answer session and discussion with participants via online platforms.
The event was attended by 403 participants from Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Rwanda, Australia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Ghana, Nigeria, Islamabad, Poland and Gambia. A total of 234 participants also disseminated their research results and ideas related to public health in oral presentations in parallel sessions. Yudhy Dharmawan SKM, M.Kes, MSc, Ph.D as the chief organizer of the 6th ICOPH TCD 2025 said that “after this event, let this be a call for action. This is a moment of solidarity and a shared purpose in our mission to protect health, promote equity and build resilience in the face of climate change.”
At the end of the event, it was announced that Susianto was chosen as the best general presenter with the title The Effect of Supplementary Tempeh-Based Milk as a Local Food on the Improvement of Body Weight, Height, and Body Mass Index in Stunted Toddlers.
“Thank you for the insightful presentation, Prof. Elena” said one of the participants (Andrew Reigns, Nigeria).
At the end of the event, a performance from studio 8 singing a popular song called Rungkat ended the web conference that had been held for 2 days. The Faculty of Public Health Universitas Diponegoro hopes that this activity can provide insight and best practices to participants that are useful and impactful in accordance with their fields of expertise in public health in building resilience to climate change. In addition, it is also hoped that this activity can open up opportunities for cooperation and collaboration in supporting the three principles of Higher Education with other institutions both at home and abroad.