ARTICLES

23 May 2025

Medical Care: Vietnam’s Underleveraged ‘Soft Power’ in Cambodia

Sovinda Po|Kuch Sonika Bun

Although Cambodians are still wary of the Vietnamese, they have faith in Vietnam’s medical services — an asset that the government has not yet fully taken advantage of.

12 Feb 2025

Is the Growth of Thailand’s Medical Tourism Industry Sustainable?

Archanun Kohpaiboon

There are mounting concerns that foreign medical tourism in Thailand could exacerbate a brain drain from the public healthcare sector. The overall picture is more nuanced.

Health Thailand Tourism

11 Oct 2024

Mpox: Can ASEAN Build Resilience to Tackle Health Threats?

Mutiara Indriani|Fadjar Wibowo

Compared to ASEAN’s reaction to Covid-19, the region’s public health response to mpox is more assured and united but still requires reinforcement and reinvention, if true resilience is a goal.

ASEAN Health Mpox

21 Sep 2023

Advancing the Digital Health Ecosystem in Southeast Asia

Katrina Navallo|Keith Detros

Katrina Navallo and Keith Detros highlight the importance of infrastructure, trust, and innovation to foster a thriving digital health ecosystem in Southeast Asia.

ASEAN ASEANFocus Digitalisation Health

12 Apr 2023

Is ASEAN Prepared for Future Pandemics?

Bony Wiem Lestari|Aly Diana|Adriana Viola Miranda|Fadilah Fitri Arsy

Bony Wiem Lestari, Aly Diana, Adriana Viola Miranda, and Fadilah Fitri Arsy call for ASEAN countries to enhance regional collective actions for future health preparedness.

ASEAN ASEANFocus COVID-19 Health Regional Cooperation

25 Jan 2023

Dangerous Unintended Consequences Loom in the Wake of Thailand’s Hasty Legalisation of Marijuana

Termsak Chalermpalanupap

Thailand’s hasty legalisation of marijuana and hemp without necessary control measures has sparked concerns about illicit trade and abuse of ‘legalised’ marijuana. It also threatens to disrupt ASEAN’s regional effort to create a “drug-free” community; the other nine ASEAN members still treat marijuana as a banned narcotic.

Drug Trade Health Thailand

1 Jul 2022

Policymakers' View

Taking a New Tack on Ageing: Seniors as Agents of Development

Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana

As populations in Asia and the Pacific age, it is crucial for countries to reimagine senior citizens as agents of development rather than seeing them as a burden on societies.

Ageing Population Asia Pacific Demography Health Policymakers’ View Sustainable Development

27 May 2022

Can a Regional Public Health Emergency Centre Work for ASEAN?

Melinda Martinus

ASEAN’s plan to set up a regional public health emergency centre will support its efforts to reopen the region’s economy to tourism and to finally shed the pall that the Covid-19 pandemic has cast. However, the devil is in the details and ASEAN needs to ensure the plan is not dead in the water.

ASEAN COVID-19 Health

30 Mar 2022

The Race to Produce Covid-19 Vaccines in Southeast Asia

Tham Siew Yean

Several Southeast Asian countries are racing to produce home-grown Covid-19 vaccines, to reduce dependence on the vagaries of external sources. Local vaccine manufacturers face significant challenges as well as stiff competition. Nonetheless, the technology acquired and lessons learnt are helpful to prepare the region for future pandemics.

ASEAN COVID-19 Health

13 Oct 2021

Slammed by The Delta “Force”: Turns In The Covid-19 Wars In Southeast Asia

Choi Shing Kwok

Nearly two years into the Covid-19 pandemic, Southeast Asian countries have realised that they must continually adapt their strategies to stay ahead of the game.

COVID-19 Health Southeast Asia