Special Report: Planetary Health in Asia
Around the world, a wave of hope and leadership is transforming how we address the interconnected challenges of the Earth crisis. In East and Southeast Asia, this movement is gaining remarkable momentum, as communities, government agencies, and hundreds of leaders embrace the principles of Planetary Health. These efforts are paving the way for the potential launch of a Planetary Health East Asia Regional Hub and building on the foundational work of the South and Southeast Asia Regional Hub, which has already fostered meaningful collaboration. This growing network signals a profound shift in how some of the world’s most influential regions are approaching the interconnected challenges facing human health and well-being on a rapidly changing planet.
Representatives from the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health (JHIPH), including PHA and JHIPH Faculty Director Sam Myers, PHA Partnership Coordinator Hannah Turley, and JHIPH Innovation and Implementation Program Faculty Co-director Seydina Fall, traveled to Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia from November 6 to 20, 2024. The visit aimed to strengthen scientific collaboration and policy engagement through meaningful dialogues with national government representatives and longstanding Planetary Health allies.
Japan: A Beacon of Planetary Health Leadership
PHA’s and JHIPH’s journey began in Japan, where they were met with remarkable openness and a deep commitment to fostering cultural and value shifts to address the Earth crisis. During meetings with the Ministries of Health and Environment, Sam Myers and members of the Planetary Health Japan Hub discovered a great receptiveness to PHA’s mission. A Planetary Health graphic (Figure 2.) illustrating ecological determinants of health sparked meaningful conversations, with ministry officials recognizing that critical health factors often lie beyond traditional healthcare domains. Meetings included valuable time with Steering Committee member Professor Chiho Wantanabe who has played a crucial role in the establishment of an extensive Planetary Health hub in Japan, spanning multiple universities with hundreds of students and faculty involved. A visit to Hiroshima University was particularly energizing, with hundreds of participants attending a Planetary Health Symposium, which included a keynote address by Sam Myers. This visit demonstrated Japan’s willingness to spearhead Planetary Health across East Asia.
South Korea: Regional Leadership and Collaborative Potential
In South Korea, the Planetary Health Alliance found a vibrant platform for its message at the World Health City Forum, where Planetary Health was the central theme. Sam Myers delivered a keynote address to advance conversations with government representatives and longtime Planetary Health allies and participated in a panel with Seydina Fall on the future of Planetary Health cities. Advisory Board member, Tan Sri Dr. Jemilah Mahmood also delivered a keynote address focused on the Planetary Health Roadmap and Action Plan. With the support of respected former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the conference highlighted the growing global recognition of a Planetary Health approach in urban spaces. PHA co-hosted a session, where individuals from numerous East Asian communities, as well as the Planetary Health South and Southeast Asia Regional Hub, presented reports about their rich activities in Planetary Health. A particularly exciting development is the potential formation of an East Asia Hub, a powerful platform for regional collaboration representing communities from Taiwan, Mongolia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and mainland China. The forum concluded with the adoption of the City Pledge, a World Cities’ Declaration of Commitment to Transition for Resilience and Sustainable Urban Development. These dialogues mark key steps in how the region is navigating the interconnected challenges of the Earth crisis. If you’re interested in getting involved with the Planetary Health East Asia Regional Hub, please email PHA Partnership Coordinator Hannah Turley at hannah.turley@jhu.edu.
“This is a pivotal year and decade for our cities, for humanity, and for our Earth. Let us thus seize the moment and make the decisions today that will shape a healthier, more inclusive, more resilient, and more sustainable future for all people and our planet.”
— Ban Ki-moon, Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, during his opening speech at the 2nd World Health City Forum in Incheon City, Republic of Korea.
Singapore: Urban Innovation and Sustainable Connections
Singapore emerged as a hub of innovative potential during the Planetary Health Alliance’s visit. Sam Myers was joined by Seydina Fall, whose work at Johns Hopkins University focuses on the future of cities. Together, they met with key leaders, including the head of the National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture and the Government Chief Sustainability Officer of Singapore’s Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment. These conversations revealed exciting opportunities for sustainable urban design and economic development, with hopeful continued connection at an upcoming convening on Planetary Health Cities in Washington, D.C. in June 2025.
Malaysia: Institutional Engagement and Support
The Malaysian leg of the journey revealed a dynamic landscape of Planetary Health interest and potential. Meetings spanning a broad range of parties demonstrated a genuine enthusiasm for integrating Planetary Health principles across government, academia, and business. The team met with Think City, an impact organization focused on sustainable redevelopment and spent an hour in discussion with the Minister of Health, who showed a strong interest in advancing a Planetary Health agenda. At Sunway University, Sam Myers gave a lecture and met with the school’s nursing team, who are actively collecting data and exploring ways to incorporate Planetary Health into their curriculum. The team also engaged with Malaysia’s Academy of Sciences, the scientific advisory body of scholars and activists tasked with supporting Malaysia’s unprecedented National Planetary Health Action Plan. The conversation was vibrant and productive, with individuals at the Academy expressing strong support for the national effort to mainstream Planetary Health into policies and plans.
An Inspiring Global Perspective
The trips revealed a compelling global narrative of hope and action, showcasing not just intellectual engagement, but a cross-cultural and multilateral commitment to addressing interconnected health and environmental challenges with an all-encompassing lens. With dynamic hubs blooming across Asia and growing interest and action from governmental, academic, and professional sectors, the Planetary Health Alliance’s vision of systems-level thinking is gaining significant traction in a region poised for transformative leadership.
“The good news is that we look out across all our systems — whether its food systems, energy systems, the built environment, circular economy, manufacturing — we see an extraordinary, rich landscape of solutions. The answers are out there. There is an enormous amount we can do.”
— Sam Myers, Faculty Director of the Planetary Health Alliance and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health, during his keynote speech at the 2nd World Health City Forum in Incheon City, Republic of Korea.
