Strengthening Health Leadership and Data Equity: The China Medical Board Foundation and Equity Initiative at PMAC 2025

Strengthening Health Leadership and Data Equity: The China Medical Board Foundation and Equity Initiative at PMAC 2025

The Prince Mahidol Award Conference (PMAC) 2025, held from January 28 to February 2 in Bangkok, Thailand, focused on “Harnessing Technologies in an Age of AI to Build a Healthier World.” As a long-standing partner, the China Medical Board (CMB) Foundation co-hosted this year’s PMAC, and co-organized four significant sessions, reinforcing its commitment to advancing health systems, equity, and leadership in Asia.

As a program of CMB, the Equity Initiative (EI) was well represented throughout the conference. Several EI Fellows and program staff had the opportunity to participate, contribute, and engage with leaders across the region—further strengthening our shared mission of health equity.

The first CMB co-organized side meeting, “Global and Regional Movements for Building Data Systems and Health Metrics Capacity in Asia for Health Systems Resilience and Health Systems Performance,” took place on January 28, emphasizing the importance of robust data systems in enhancing health system resilience across Asia.

Later that day, CMB co-organized a second side meeting, focusing on collaborative efforts to strengthen health data systems in Cambodia and Lao PDR through the session, “Building Partnerships for Data and Health Metrics Capacity for Better Health in the ASEAN Region - Updates from Cambodia and Lao PDR.

On January 31, the special event titled “The Second Lincoln C. Chen Lecture in Global Health” honored Dr. Lincoln Chen, former CMB president, and his contributions to global health. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Suwit Wibulpolprasert, with both Dr. Chen and Dr. Marty Chen in attendance.

This session also featured remarks from CMB President Dr. Roger Glass, CMB Board Member Ms. Suzanne Siskel, and Gabriel Leung, Executive Director (Charities and Community) at The Hong Kong Jockey Club. The parallel session on February 1“Data is Power! Confronting Data Colonialism, Ownership Issues and Hidden Biases,” delved into the ethical considerations surrounding data use in health technologies.

CMB and EI’s presence was strong throughout the week. Representing CMB were CMB President Dr. Roger Glass, Executive Vice President Dr. Barbara Stoll, and Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Mr. John Lichten, alongside CMB Board Members Ms. Suzanne Siskel and Dr. Keiji Fukuda. Equity Initiative Fellows Dr. Clive Tan (2022, Singapore) and Dr. Chhorvann Chhea (2016, Cambodia contributed as panelists and speakers, with many other Fellows engaged as audience members, enriching the discussions with their insights.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Piya Hanvoravongchai, Senior Consultant for CMB, for his exceptional efforts in organizing these impactful sessions.