Malaysia recently booked the 8th Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition in 2012 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
The five-day congress will explore the latest research findings on the relationship between the built environment and human health, well-being and quality of life with a focus on the Asian, African and Middle Eastern emerging economies.
Organised by the International Academy for Design and Health headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, the Congress has never been to Malaysia before.
It is expected to attract 1,000 delegates and generate an estimated USD3.5 million in economic impact.
“The selection of Malaysia as the destination for the congress was based on the government’s commitment to improve health of its people and the country’s health facilities,” said Malaysian Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.
“With much emphasis on transforming the people’s mindset to adopt healthy lifestyle habits and not just paying attention to physical health aspects, this is what the country needs to move forward and compete in the world stage in any fields,” he added.
Led by the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), the competitive bid was supported by Malaysia’s Ministry of Health and Public Works Department.
The Design & Health Congress is part of a larger effort by MyCEB, which has launched a specialist unit known as the International Events Unit that focuses on identifying and supporting international event bids including sports, art and culture and lifestyle events.
