Kuala Lumpur 2012 Introduction

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, one of the world's tallest buildings

The International Academy for Design & Health introduces the Scientific Program for the 8th World Congress on Design & Health in partnership with the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

The International Academy for Design and Health will be organising the 8th Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition in partnership with the Ministry of Health Malaysia and supported by world-renowned academic institutions and healthcare industries worldwide.

Following the acclaimed success of the 7th Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition in Boston, USA, we are delighted to have renewed our commitment to the Asian region and to invite your contributions for the 8th Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition, to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 27 June-1 July 2012.

As the world undergoes a significant economic and demographic shift, the Asian region will be increasingly at the centre of world affairs – socially, economically and politically. Many Asian countries, such as Malaysia, which is targeting to become a developed nation by 2020, have recognised that progressive societies aiming to achieve strong and sustainable economic growth must also be healthy societies.

Growing awareness of the importance of health promotion and the need to invest in healthy and sustainable public, social, institutional and domestic infrastructure is placing Asian countries at the forefront of opportunity and the leading edge of change.

In 1997, the World Health Organization identified that the health “arena”, including priority settings and frequently used spaces such as the workplace, schools, hospitals, correctional institutions, commercial offices and public spaces within our cities should be at the centre of health promotion activities in the 21st century. During the 66th meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations this year, the socio-economic challenge facing the world of non-communicable disease was discussed for the first time.

The IADH believes strongly that the built environment has a significant impact on health and is committed to bringing this understanding to the design and health professions in an effort to reduce the prevalance of these lifestyle diseases.

Deputy Health Minister Malaysia (right) Mrs Datuk Rosnah binti Haji Abd Rashid Shirlin

Using the environment as a strategic tool is one of the most cost-effective and enduring approaches to improve public health. International research demonstrates how the quality of our public and private spaces is closely linked to levels of community and individual’s health, socio-economic status, crime prevention efforts, poverty levels and our quality of life. The level of design quality in the built environment is also critical to the sustainable development of our neighbourhoods, towns and cities.

Salutogenic approaches to the design of the built environment can make a significant contribution to the creation of a healthy society. In one of the most important sectors, the successful delivery of health infrastructure, requires the adoption of a salutogenic approach that can support the delivery of high quality medical treatment and support the corporate development of the health provider as a health promoting organization where wellness factors are to the fore, embedded in the everyday cultural life of its staff, patients, their families and the local community.

As the impact of the global economic downturn has forced governments and public institutions to face up to new challenges and priorities, the IADH believes that population health and well being is significantly related to, and influenced by, the designed environment. A ‘Salutogenic approach’ to health and public infrastructure investment and development embedded at the core of a preventative care strategy changes the focus from risk factors and the treatment of disease to a more holistic understanding of a healthy society.