Asia

Fostering regional partnerships for coherent policy action

The P4H Asia Network is a space for Asian countries to discuss common policy issues and share experiences, best practices and lessons learned. Experts from 18 Asian countries, international organizations and development partners actively participate, support, guide, and benefit from the P4H Asia Network’s activities, all of which relate to social health protection and health financing reforms and advancing universal health coverage (UHC). The P4H Asia Network was created during the SEARO-WPRO Bi-regional Health Financing Policy Workshop in New Delhi in 2017, held by the South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) and Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) of the World Health Organization.

Leveraging regional dynamics catalyzes long-term partnerships

The P4H Network supports and coordinates regional and country initiatives on social health protection (SHP) and health financing (HF) and facilitates policy discussion and implementation. It fosters open communication, multisectoral dialogues and flexible networking, advocacy, and capacity building by leveraging expertise and knowledge in the region. P4H actively uses p4h.world and social media to share regional updates, expert opinions, and relevant studies with the community.

In 2022, the P4H Network held and posted on YouTube a series of three webinars with regional experts who shared their insights on key aspects of SHP and HF. In India and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In 2023, the network partnered with Australian National University and other P4H members and P4H’s regional partner CONNECT, the Asian network on social health protection to present another webinar series. Panellists in the 2023 series addressed social health protection for migrant workers and their families.

Creating knowledge products that aid policy reforms

In 2022, the P4H Network supported a cross-national exploration of the impact of COVID-19 on SHP and HF in China, Korea, Mongolia, and Singapore. P4H also collaborates with the Health Systems Strengthening Accelerator, helping regional institutions develop a stronger ecosystem in Asia for health policy and systems research (HPSR). P4H is supporting Seoul National University to develop a framework to assess HPSR domestic funding sources and opportunities. These activities reinforce the P4H Network’s role as a unique platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and partnerships in the region.

The P4H Asia Network enjoys a nexus with the Asia-Pacific Network for Health System Strengthening (ANHSS) and CONNECT. Together they facilitate country dialogues, cross-country studies, capacity building, policy development and knowledge sharing in the region. Collaboration is expected to expand in the coming years through regional organizations and forums and engagement of a P4H country focal person in Asia.