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 meeting. The consultation aimed to identify what the region needs from global and regional health institutions and to explore how Asian countries can better shape evolving health governance frameworks and mechanisms of cooperation.
Over two days, participants explored gaps and opportunities in regional and global health cooperation, financing challenges, and the impact of geopolitical shifts on health collaboration. They discussed ways to strengthen global health governance so that South and Southeast Asian needs are better represented. A SWOT analysis of the current global and regional health governance architecture was conducted. The consultation’s findings will feed into ongoing joint research by UNU-IIGH and CSEP on how Asian countries engage with health governance amid shifting geopolitical dynamics.
