McPherson University, Seriki-Sotayo, Ogun State, played host to the 7th International Public Health Conference of the Association for Public Health Teaching, Research and Service (APHTReS), held from September 15 to 17, 2026. The conference was organised in collaboration with the University’s Department of Public Health.
The conference, themed “Social Accountability, Accreditation and Quality Process in Public Health Practice,” brought together public health educators, researchers, practitioners, academics and students to deliberate on issues relating to accountability, accreditation and quality improvement in public health practice.
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francis Igbasan, at the conference, the Registrar of the University, Mrs Emi’ Alawode, welcomed the participants to the institution. She noted the significance of the conference theme to contemporary public health challenges and the need for institutions and practitioners to promote socially responsible and quality driven health systems.
In the address, Prof. Igbasan emphasised the importance of social accountability, strong accreditation standards and continuous quality improvement in developing resilient, equitable and people centred health systems. He also stressed the need for learning, research, services and interventions to respond to the actual health needs of communities and make meaningful contributions to society.
The conference featured participation from over 10 institutions, alongside local and international experts, including Dr Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, Honourable Commissioner for Health, Oyo State; Prof. Paul Barach of Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA; Dr Olubunmi Ojelade of Sonder Collective, Finland; Chinedu C. Arinze, Director, Data Management, Pple Tech, Nigeria; and Pauline Krolinski, Global Health Advisor, GIZ, Germany. The gathering provided a platform for knowledge sharing, professional engagement and discussions on strengthening public health teaching, research and service.
