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Journalist Training Workshops
Elevating Lung Health in Malaysia
Championing Lung Health in Southeast Asia and Beyond: A Three-Day Strategic Dialogue on Respiratory Health
Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs) claim over 3.5 million lives annually, yet they remain dangerously underreported and underfunded. The Pace Center for Global Health is confronting this crisis head-on through a strategic series of international media workshops designed to shift the global narrative, influence policy, and train the media to bring these conditions out of the shadows.
Every breath matters, let’s make that more than a slogan. Let’s make it a reality.
—José Luis Castro
Following a successful inaugural summit in Mexico City earlier this year, our latest venture brings us to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a pivotal three-day program from November 12–14, 2025.
The Core Mission: A Three-Day Intensive
This convening is not just a single event; it is a comprehensive capacity-building initiative designed to create a new ecosystem of health reporting in Southeast Asia. By gathering top-tier health and science journalists from international, regional, and local outlets, we are bridging the gap between academic insight and public awareness.
Over the course of three days, attendees engaged in:
- Specialized Media Training: Equipping journalists with the technical tools and scientific context needed to report effectively on complex lung health issues like COPD and asthma.
- Policy Analysis: Examining the impact of the landmark World Health Assembly resolution on integrated lung health, with a specific focus on Malaysia’s leadership as a Lead Sponsor.
- Network Building: Fostering direct dialogue between reporters, public health officials, and scientific experts to ensure sustained, accurate coverage of CRDs long after the workshop concludes.
Headline Event: World COPD Day Press Conference
Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Focus: Elevating CRDs on the Global Political Agenda
Kickstarting the workshop is a high-level press conference held in anticipation of World COPD Day. This public-facing segment brought together a coalition of global and local leaders to call for urgent investment in clean air and respiratory care.
Distinguished Speakers Include:
- Datuk Dr Norayan Hassan, Director of Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Malaysia
- José Luis Castro, WHO Director-General’s Special Envoy CRDs/»¨¼¾´«Ã½ Center for Global Health, France
- Dr Helmy Haja Mydin, Consultant respiratory physician, Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Dr Saunthari Somasundaram, President and Medical Director, National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM), President-Elect, NCD Alliance, Malaysia
- Mr Thiagaraja Munusamy, person living with COPD, Malaysia
Leadership in Action
The Pace Global Health Ventures initiative is led by José Luis Castro, a Pace alumnus and Visiting Scholar who brings decades of experience in scaling global health organizations. Joining him in Malaysia is Dr. Sonia Suchday, the Center’s Director of Operations and »¨¼¾´«Ã½â€™s Director of Research and Graduate Education.
Together, they embody the Center’s scientist-practitioner model, combining rigorous academic research with the strategic agility needed to navigate the corridors of the World Health Organization and national ministries.
Why This Matters Now
This workshop is the second in a planned series of five regional convenings over the next two years. Through ventures like the Kuala Lumpur convening, »¨¼¾´«Ã½ is ensuring that CRDs are no longer the "forgotten" non-communicable diseases, but a priority for global action.
Articles by Jorunalists
Here are some of the articles published by the journalists who attended the media workshop in Malaysia which provided training to international, regional, and local journalists on reporting and raising awareness about chronic respiratory diseases.
He called for global action as air pollution, smoking, and neglect fuel a silent epidemic
Individuals with chronic respiratory diseases are highly vulnerable to mental health issues. They gradually have to come to terms with the reality that the primary activity essential for human life, which is breathing, has now become restricted.
KUALA LUMPUR, KOMPAS - The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to urge governments worldwide to reduce smoking rates in their respective countries, one of which is by increasing tobacco taxes.
Every breath someone takes in a polluted city, every child exposed to second hand smoke, these are preventable harms.
Take a deep breath. Most of us do it 20,000 times a day without thinking. But for hundreds of millions of people around the world, every breath is an act of effort -- an act of endurance.