Sarawak wins major international congress on occupational and environmental health

Malaysia’s Sarawak province has won the bid to host the 24th Asian Congress on Occupational Health (ACOH). The congress is expected to attract 2,000 health experts from across the globe for the 5-8 August, 2026 event at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching.

ACOH is a triennial congress, and the theme for the 2026 event is: ‘Navigating global cross-cultural perspective on occupational health: shaping the future for sustainability’ and will focus on how cultural differences influence occupational health approaches and how these insights can contribute to sustainable practices in the field. A key aspect of the congress is to motivate collaboration between academia and the workplace to advance the field of occupational health in the region.

The scientific programme includes three plenaries and 12 symposia. There will also be poster and free paper presentations throughout the three-day event.

The Honourable Datuk Amar professor Dr Sim Kui Hian, deputy premier of Sarawak and minister for public health, housing, and local government Sarawak said: “The 24th ACOH is an important event for Sarawak. We are a rapidly developing state and the post Covid-19 Development Strategy focuses on major rising industries such as renewable energy, manufacturing, and agriculture. We must pay attention to creating strong occupational health and safety standards so that people can work in safe and healthy conditions, building a sustainable ecosystem for economic activities to thrive.”

Hosting the event is the Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Malaysia (AOEMM) in collaboration with the Asian Association of Occupational and Environmental Health (AAOEH).

Professor Dr Abu Hasan Samad, congress chair of ACOH 2026, president of the Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Malaysia (AOEMM), president of the Asian Association of Occupational and Environmental Health (AAOEH), and chairman of the Malaysian Federation for Occupational Safety and Health (MyFOSH), added: “The ACOH is a major triennial international conference on occupational and environmental health. Malaysia was selected to host ACOH 2026, making it the second time for our country to host after 29 years. With strong support from the Federal Malaysian government and Sarawak government, ACOH 2026 promises to be an impactful event for national and international participants.”

Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak, estimated total economic impact of ACOH 2026 to be RM16.4m (US$3.73m), with 1,301 jobs supported and created from the organising of ACOH 2026. “We also look forward to collaborating with the host to build an occupational and environmental health legacy that will benefit our growing communities,” she said.

The international bid win resulted from a collaboration between the Academy of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Malaysia, Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak), and the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).

For more information on the 24th Asian Congress on Occupational Health 2026, visit