Sunway leads international dialogue on child health equity

Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City (SMC) proudly hosted the International Paediatric Symposium 2025, themed “Paediatrics Without Borders: Bridging Subspecialties, Saving Lives.” The landmark hybrid-format event brought together top paediatric specialists from Malaysia, China, Singapore and the United States to drive regional collaboration, strengthen paediatric subspecialties, and raise clinical care standards across Asia-Pacific.

The symposium was officiated by Deputy Health Minister Yang Berhormat Dato’ Lukanisman Awang Sauni and attended by Dr Saravanan SR Sundaramurthy, Director of the Health Performance Unit, Ministry of Health, Malaysia.

Addressing regional health inequities

In the Asia-Pacific region, children face significant health threats including neonatal complications, congenital disorders, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and developmental delays. According to the World Health Organisation, neonatal conditions, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malnutrition remain among the top causes of under-five mortality.

The 2023 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) painted a worrying picture for Malaysia: 21.2% of children under five are stunted, 15.3% are underweight, and 11% experience wasting. At the other end of the spectrum, childhood obesity is rising – with 13.9% of children overweight, 11.8% obese, and 24% classified as having excess weight – increasing risks for type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Pneumonia alone accounts for nearly 5% of deaths in Malaysian children under 14.

Childhood cancer is another pressing concern, with 413,000 new global cases in 2020. While high-income countries have seen survival rates exceed 80%, survival in low- and middle-income countries can be as low as 10%, exacerbated by underdiagnosis and limited access to specialist care. In Southeast Asia, studies suggest up to 49% of childhood cancer cases may go undetected.

A platform for multidisciplinary collaboration

To tackle these challenges, the symposium gathered experts from SMC and other institutions within Sunway Healthcare Group, alongside international representatives from Fudan Children’s Hospital Shanghai, Boston Children’s Hospital, and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital Singapore.

Sunway Medical Centre’s Children’s Health and Development Centre was showcased as a regional leader in holistic, multidisciplinary care. The hospital also highlighted its purpose-built child-friendly facilities, including a 24-hour Children’s Emergency Department and the technologically equipped SMART PICU, designed to support intensive and critical care for paediatric patients.

“Quaternary service anchors the complexity of care across all 26 paediatric subspecialties, enabling integrated management of critical cases, from medical and surgical to oncological and post-transplant care. No speciality works alone; we deliver care as one multidisciplinary team,” said Dr Seow Vei Ken, CEO of Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City.

Building a brighter future

Over the course of the symposium, participants delved into topics ranging from newborn care and adolescent oncology to paediatric cardiology and chronic disease management. A key highlight was the focus on regional health equity – particularly how countries can collaborate to expand access to subspecialty training, introduce early detection protocols, and close treatment gaps across borders.

“When we come together across borders, we build something far more powerful than protocols and procedures; we build a community that cares. This symposium reminded us that behind every clinical breakthrough is a shared hope to give every child a healthier, brighter future. It is through shared knowledge, compassion, and collaboration that we can truly transform the future of paediatric care,” said Dr Seow.

The event concluded with all participating institutions reaffirming their collective mission to improve child health outcomes in the region through continuous knowledge exchange, patient-centred innovation, and medical excellence.

“This symposium exemplifies our ongoing commitment to comprehensive, inclusive, and integrated child health services. It is through open dialogue, professional exchange, and deep empathy that we can reimagine the future of paediatrics for the betterment of every parent and child in the region,” said Dr Ng Lee Li, General Manager of the Women and Children Services at Sunway Medical Centre, Sunway City.

Sunway Medical Centre is Malaysia’s largest private quaternary hospital with more than 300 resident consultants, 60 medical specialties, and 28 Centres of Excellence. Upon the completion of Tower F (Children’s Pavilion), its bed capacity will grow from 810 to over 1,100. As the flagship of Sunway Healthcare Group, SMC holds three major hospital-wide accreditations – JCI (USA), ACHS (Australia), and MSQH (Malaysia) – and has been ranked by Newsweek as Malaysia’s leading provider of paediatric care for the third consecutive year.