Wazzup Pilipinas!?
The year 2025 has been a defining chapter for the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health (SCPH), a period where "the era of simply documenting crises" gave way to a "whole-of-nation mission" to secure the future of both people and the planet. As global temperatures climb and urban landscapes expand, the Centre has positioned itself as a "think-and-do tank," moving with intent from the academic margins to the very center of global action.
The Architecture of Change: Three Pillars for a Resilient Future
Recognizing that human health and environmental integrity are inseparable, SCPH has focused its 2025-2027 strategy on three high-leverage policy priorities designed to bridge the gap between global sustainability goals and local realities:
Healthy Cities: With over half the world’s population living in urban centers, cities are the front line of health. SCPH is working to integrate health impact assessments directly into urban planning to protect millions from heat islands and pollution.
Health-Centred Decarbonisation: Re-framing climate policy as a public health intervention, the Centre advocates for the immediate health co-benefits of cleaner energy and fossil-free healthcare.
Education Revolution: The Centre is embedding planetary health into the National Higher Education Blueprint, ensuring the next generation of leaders possesses the values and skills to navigate a volatile geopolitical landscape.
From Policy to Pavement: Landmarks of 2025
The year’s achievements were marked by "courageous steps" and historic firsts, grounding high-level theory in real-world application:
Malaysia’s National Blueprint: SCPH served as a core technical partner in the launch of the National Planetary Health Action Plan (NPHAP). This makes Malaysia the first country on the planet to adopt such a comprehensive roadmap for aligning development with ecological limits.
The Ipoh Doughnut Economics Launch: In a regional first, SCPH partnered with the Ipoh City Council to launch the Ipoh Doughnut: City Portrait in Action. This innovative roadmap seeks to meet the needs of all citizens without overshooting the planet’s boundaries.
A Historic Global Partnership: At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sunway University secured a landmark RM17 million (CHF3.4 million) grant from Fondation Hoffmann. This represents the first time the foundation has awarded such a grant to an institution in the Global South, solidifying the Centre’s role as a global leader.
Empowering the Next Generation
SCPH’s mission extends beyond policy to the people who will inherit the Earth. Through the Climate Courage Workshops, youth leaders are provided a safe space to process "eco-anxiety" and build the emotional resilience required for long-term climate action. Meanwhile, the Global Health Governance as Public Service (GHGAPS) programme has empowered youth delegates to take their seat at the table in international forums like the World Health Assembly.
2026: The Year of Mobilising
As the Centre looks toward 2026, the focus shifts to "de-jargonising" planetary health. By making complex science accessible and relevant to everyday communities—from the limestone hills of Ipoh to the heat-stressed neighborhoods of Melaka—SCPH is turning evidence into a collective movement.
As Executive Director Prof. Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood notes, planetary health is no longer a mere aspiration; it is the "foundation for collective wellbeing". Through "rigour, relevance, and integrity," the Centre continues to be a beacon of hope, proving that systemic change is not only necessary but entirely possible.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
