Sarawak, on the island of Borneo, is a rapidly developing economy. It was appraised by the World Bank as a high-income economy in 2021 and is poised to become a region with one of the highest revenues by 2030.  However, the burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases remains substantial, and healthcare delivery, equity, and services continue to be challenging. Sarawak and Sabah are unique in their socio-demographic and geographical challenges compared to West Malaysia. Zoonotic and neglected tropical diseases are endemic and still a burden in Sarawak and Sabah. Although tremendous strides in health development have occurred over the past few decades, with substantial investment in health from the federal and state governments, public health remains a significant area of concern in Sarawak.

Sarawak is unique in its logistics, socio-economic, and regional characteristics compared to other regions and states in Malaysia. Sharing its landmass with Sabah and other countries, such as Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia. With the imminent relocation of the Indonesian capital of Nusantara to Kalimantan, this Borneo Health Summit has the potential to become a leading forum for health, not only for Sarawak and Malaysia but also with Brunei and Indonesia. One crucial paradigm is the discussion on health autonomy for the region of Sarawak and Sabah, which will affect all levels of healthcare.

The Sarawak Public Health Practitioners Association, in collaboration with the Sarawak Health Department, is organising the 41st Sarawak Health Conference, which will bring together stakeholders, healthcare leaders, and healthcare champions to discuss, exchange ideas for collaboration, and network on issues related to public health delivery, services, and challenges.