Developing Competencies for a Climate-Resilient Health Workforce in South and Southeast Asia
Across South and Southeast Asia, climate change is intensifying existing pressures on health systems. Heatwaves, flooding, shifting vector ecologies, and climate-sensitive disease outbreaks are increasing health service demand in contexts already characterised by workforce shortages, uneven infrastructure, and high baseline vulnerability. While there are no estimates of workforce requirements for addressing the health impacts of […]
Pandemic Agreement and the New World of Global Health Governance
The WHO Pandemic Agreement (PA), adopted in May 2025, comes at a critical moment in Global Health Governance (GHG). While negotiations to finalise its most contentious provisions, Article 12—the Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) annex—are ongoing, the four-year negotiation process is a foundational moment for GHG. On the one hand, the final agreement has […]
Key Insights | The Pandemic Agreement & its implications for PPPR in South & South-East Asia
This study analyses the implications of the pandemic agreement (PA) and its negotiations for building an equitable PPPR regime, focusing on South and South-East Asia and pathways to strengthen PPPR. The authors analyse the a) changes in the ‘equity’ provisions between the zero and final draft of the PA b) negotiations which produced the final […]
South and Southeast Asia in Global Health Governance- A Regional Consultation Summary Report
In late November 2025, the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) and the United Nations University’s International Institute for Global Health (UNU-IIGH) co-hosted a two-day regional consultation on South and Southeast Asia in global health governance. Experts and practitioners from Sri Lanka, India, Brunei, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries participated in the […]
Forging a Shared Path to COP30: Regional Lessons for Transformative Climate and Health Governance in Asia
This statement reflects the shared understanding and lessons emerging from a regional virtual dialogue convened on 6 October 2025 by the Asian Collective for Health Systems (TACHS), let by its partners the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), the United Nations University–International Institute for Global Health (UNU–IIGH), and the Public Health Foundation of India […]
Health Workforce Migration in Southeast Asia- Regional Dynamics and Global Implications
This Paper is based on participant discussions at the Regional Workshop on Human Resources for Health, Co-organized by The Asian Collective for Health System and WHO SEARO in Sri Lanka, 3-5 July 2025. It examines the drivers and implications of health workforce migration and identifies ethical and sustainable strategies for managing it. The international migration […]
Human Resources for Health: Strengthening Competence and Compassion- Workshop Report
The report highlights persistent challenges in the equitable distribution of the health workforce across ten South and South-East Asian countries, marked by rural-urban disparities and reliance on expatriate or foreign-trained professionals. Institutional reforms focus on modernizing medical education, embedding competency-based curricula, and integrating digital innovations like HRIS and telemedicine to enhance training and monitoring. Quality […]
Strategic Management of Human Resources for Health: Building Competence and Compassion through Systemic Changes
WHO SEARO and TACHS co-hosted Regional Workshop on Human Resources for Health (HRH), held in Colombo in July 2025, convened policymakers, academics, and practitioners from across Asia to address pressing health workforce challenges. The synthesis by Dr. Borwornsom Leerapan highlights insights on strengthening HRH education, improving retention and accountability, and aligning workforce planning with shifting health […]