The Public Health Conference 2025 commenced today at Villa Nautica, bringing together health professionals, policymakers, and international partners for two days of discussion and collaboration on advancing public health in the Maldives. 

The conference was officially inaugurated by Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim.

Jointly organized by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the Ministry of Health, and the Maldives National University (MNU) with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the SAARC Development Fund, and the World Health Organization (WHO), the conference provides a dynamic platform for exchanging experiences, presenting new research, and developing actionable strategies to address the nation’s evolving health landscape.

This year’s theme, “Equitable Access, Reducing Vulnerabilities: Advancing Migrant Health in the Maldives,” underscores the importance of ensuring inclusive and resilient healthcare systems. 

More than 100 participants representing government agencies, private organizations, and associations are attending, reflecting strong cross-sector engagement. 

The sessions will focus on key challenges affecting the wellbeing of migrant workers and explore ways to strengthen service delivery and collaboration.

Foreigners constitute one in four residents of the Maldives,and represent 43 percent of the national workforce. 

The HPA notes that ensuring the health and safety of migrants is critical to safeguarding the broader population, given the prevalence of communicable diseases in some countries where the majority of the foreign workers come from. 

Additional challenges include limited access to healthcare, poor living and working conditions, visa restrictions, economic insecurity, and social discrimination.

In response, the government has initiated the National Migrant Health Policy, aimed at strengthening healthcare access for foreign workers. 

The conference will review and provide recommendations on three of its five key policy areas, focusing on equitable access, intersectoral cooperation, and strategies to reduce vulnerabilities.

Through expert-led panels and collaborative sessions, the conference aims to produce robust recommendations that strengthen national systems and guide policy implementation. 

The event will conclude with a session highlighting the key outcomes, achievements, and commitments toward a stronger, more inclusive public health framework for the Maldives.