The Asian Collective for Health Systems (Centre for Social and Economic Progress) along with the Asian Development Bank hosted a key discussion on Strengthening Regional Institutions and Collaborations for Advancing Health in Asia on the third day of the World Health Summit Regional Meeting, happening for the first time in India. The panel included dignitaries and distinguished experts on global health.
The keynote address was delivered by Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, followed by a discussion with Ilona Kickbucsh (Founder and Chair, Global Health Centre, Graduate Institute,Geneva), Srinath Reddy (Founding President, Public Health Foundation of India), Indu Bhushan (Former CEO, Ayushman Bharat), Priya Basu (Executive Head, Pandemic Fund, World Bank), Jae Kyoun Kim (Health Specialist, Asian Development Bank) and moderated by Neethi Rao (Fellow, CSEP).
The session began by highlighting the urgency and complexity of strengthening regional institutions and collaborations for advancing health in Asia, especially in the context of a global health landscape marked by weakened multilateral systems, funding crises, and shifting geopolitical dynamics. The panel acknowledged that South Asia and Southeast Asia, home to a quarter of the world’s population, face common challenges such as demographic changes, rising non-communicable diseases, and the impacts of climate change, all within a region of diverse state capacities and health system maturities. It was emphasized that regional integration and collaboration could provide a pathway to managing this “era of polycrisis” and ensuring more equitable health outcomes
