APO on health systems

📍APO is in Cebu for the #HPSR Network Convergence Forum 2026! Grateful to @DOHgovph and @results4dev for convening this forum as well as to all the researchers, policymakers and health practitioners who are doing the hard work of bridging evidence and action. Pleased to be joined by #APO consortia partners @NUSingapore and @UGMYogyakarta. #HealthPolicy #HealthSystems #HealthResearch #AsiaPacific

📣𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓: A Healthy Future: Primary Health Care and the Chronic Disease Epidemic in East Asia and the Pacific 🌏 The @WorldBankGroup's latest publication examines how countries across East Asia and the Pacific can strengthen primary health care (#PHC) systems to address the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (#NCD)—particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer—where service delivery often remains focused more on treatment than prevention. 💡If not addressed, health costs could rise sharply. For example, Fiji may need to increase health spending 2.5 times by 2050 just to address the growing burden of NCDs. 📝Because strong PHC systems are essential to prevention and long-term management of NCDs, the report includes cross-country comparable insights on how PHC systems are structured, financed and delivered across the region. The analysis draws on the expert survey and document reviews conducted by the Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policies (@AP_Observatory), working with ministries of health (#MOH) and 10 partner institutions across the region. 📕 Learn more: worldbank.org/en/region/eap/… #PrimaryHealthCare #NoncommunicableDiseases #EastAsiaPacific #HealthPolicy #HealthSystems #HealthResearch #HPSR #WorldBank #APO

🧭A shared framework toward a healthier #AsiaPacific 🤝Together with representatives from ministries of health, schools of public health and policy institutes from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, #APO joined a consultative exchange convened by @NUSingapore Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and China Medical Board on strengthening capacity to use data for health policy and health systems decision-making. 💡A key outcome was a shared agreement among representatives to move forward in building a collaborative regional network and to use #APO’s Health Systems in Transition (#HiT) Review template as a common framework to assess and compare health system performance across #ASEAN. 📘#APO's flagship publication, the #HiT, is among the most downloaded publications across @WHOSEARO and @WHOWPRO. The #HiT template offers a practical foundation for advancing health policy and systems research (#HPSR) and strengthening evidence-informed policy dialogue. 👉Access it here: bit.ly/hit-template #HealthPolicy #HealthSystems #HealthResearch #HealthforAll #APAC

🌏Health system resilience to climate change is a planning challenge today. At #PMAC2026, thoughtful moderation by Dr Jemilah Mahmood sharpened the focus on health system resilience in the face of climate risk. As climate change intensifies risks, health research must adapt from describing demographic shifts to actively informing health system planning. Evidence has to be used in policy decisions that shape health systems decades ahead. #HealthPolicy #HealthSystems #HealthResearch #HPSR #HealthSystemResilience #ClimateResilience #ASEAN

‼️DOH, KINILALA NG WHO SA PAGKABILANG SA COUNCIL OF CHAMPIONS TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN‼️ DOH Secretary Ted Herbosa ay kinilala ng World Health Organization - Philippines bilang kinatawan ng bansa sa Council of Champions to End Violence Against Children.

I am deeply concerned by multiple reports of health personnel and medical facilities in Iran being impacted by the recent insecurity, and prevented from delivering their essential services to people requiring care. In recent days, there have been reports of health workers assaulted, and at least five doctors detained, while treating injured patients. I call for the release of any health worker in detention. Healthcare personnel should never face intimidation. @WHO has confirmed that the Khomeini Hospital, in the western city of Ilam, came under attack earlier in January. Violence was reported inside and around the facility following the transfer of injured people to the hospital. Medical services and supplies were disrupted and affected. We have also confirmed that multiple health facilities were damaged across Iran in recent weeks, including 10 prehospital emergency posts, where more than 50 paramedics were injured and over 200 ambulances damaged. Tear gas was also reportedly used at Sina Hospital in Tehran. The recent crisis, according to reports, has strained the health system. It is imperative that health facilities are protected and be able to deliver their critical health services in an unimpeded manner. This is fundamental to the provision of health care required by all people who need services, especially during times of crisis. Healthcare should never be a target.

📍 #APO at #PMAC2026 We’re grateful to be at the Prince Mahidol Award Conference this week—hosting, moderating and participating in conversations that put primary health care, universal health coverage and health systems resilience at the center of regional dialogue. #PHC #UHC #HealthSystems #HealthPolicy #AsiaPacific

🔹[SMB227] Building the Future of Health Research in Southeast Asia: pmac-2026.com/activity/41/si…

🔹[SMB105] Peer-to-Peer Learning Approach on Universal Health Coverage: pmac-2026.com/activity/36/si…

🔹[SMB214] Bridging policy gaps with evidence: strengthening PHC across Asia Pacific: pmac-2026.com/activity/66/si…

⭐#APO will be at Prince Mahidol Award Conference 2026 (#PMAC2026) in Bangkok! We're honored to be co-hosting, moderating and contributing to multiple side meetings focused on primary health care (#PHC), universal health coverage (#UHC) and health systems resilience across Asia Pacific. If you're at PMAC, join our side meeting on "Bridging policy gaps with evidence," co-hosted with @WHOSEARO and @WHOWPRO, as we reflect on emerging evidence and build consensus around actionable policy options to strengthen PHC. #PMAC2026 #HealthSystems #HealthPolicy #AsiaPacific

👉See side meeting details: pmac-2026.com/activity/66/si…

📢 Join #APO's side meeting at #PMAC2026! At the Prince Mahidol Award Conference (#PMAC), the @AP_Observatory with @WHOSEARO and @WHOWPRO—will convene a side meeting (SMB214) on: 💡𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 This session will build on the research findings of APO and @WorldBank East Asia Pacific in landscaping #PHC systems in 25 countries in East Asia Pacific which is expanded to additional six South Asian countries. This informs the determination of evidence of linkages to health outcomes and socio-demographic determinants and facilitates discussions on financing and demographic transitions. Participants will hear from and engage with representatives from ministries of health, regional organizations and leading research institutions. 🗓️ 27 January 2026 (Tuesday) 🕑14:00–17:30 (GMT+7, Bangkok time) 📍Lotus Suite 11, Centara Grand at CentralWorld #PrimaryHealthCare #HealthSystems #HPSR

📕#ComparativeCountryStudy: Public-private mix continuity of care for older persons - bit.ly/APOCCSAgeing ↗️

📗#HiT: Thailand Health System in Transition Review 2024 - bit.ly/3zfpfsl ↗️

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 Across Asia Pacific, countries continue to navigate demographic pressures, economic uncertainty, climate risks and rapid technological change—all while striving toward #HealthForAll. The demand for timely, country-led and policy-relevant evidence has never been greater. As we close the year, we are reflecting on three insights that emerged across #APO’s publications, webinars and regional health policy and systems research engagements in 2025: 💡𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫-𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. 💡𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦-𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬. 💡𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲-𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭. Looking ahead, APO will deepen its work on PHC and UHC, health equity, health system resilience for climate change and pandemics, digital health and human resources for health—always grounded in country priorities and regional collaboration.