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ASEAN, UK Launch Five-Year Health Security Partnership Program to Strengthen Regional Health Resilience

This Week

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Kingdom officially launched the ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership Program (HSP), a landmark five-year initiative designed to enhance Southeast Asia’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats.

Funded by the UK, the HSP program will provide grant funding for projects across the ASEAN region aimed at improving health systems, expanding access to healthcare, and bolstering ASEAN’s ability to tackle emerging threats, including those posed by climate change. 

The program will also foster expert collaborations between ASEAN institutions and global partners, including the UK, to facilitate knowledge exchange and jointly develop innovative health solutions.

A key element of the program will involve working closely with the Quadripartite organizations — WHO, FAO, WOAH, and UNEP — to support the ASEAN One Health Joint Plan of Action. 

This collaboration addresses complex challenges such as antimicrobial resistance by promoting a coordinated ‘One Health’ approach across human, animal, environmental, and plant health sectors.

Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, welcomed the partnership, stating:

 “The ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership Program is a timely initiative that complements ASEAN’s collective efforts to strengthen pandemic preparedness and build resilient healthcare systems. We deeply value the UK’s commitment to meaningful and lasting cooperation with ASEAN.”

UK Ambassador to ASEAN, Sarah Tiffin, emphasized the program’s significance:

 “The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that no country is immune to global health threats. Through this partnership, the UK is proud to collaborate closely with ASEAN to build long-term resilience and secure a healthier, safer future for communities in the region and beyond.”

By focusing on pandemic preparedness, emerging diseases, and health system resilience, the ASEAN-UK HSP program will mobilize expertise from both Britain and ASEAN to address shared challenges and meet the evolving needs of ASEAN member states. 

This launch marks a significant milestone under the ASEAN-UK Plan of Action (2022–2026), reaffirming the UK’s role as a committed ASEAN Dialogue Partner and its ongoing support for ASEAN’s health cooperation priorities.

For program enquiries:
Sam Beckwith
Regional Director, Southeast Asia, Health – UK Mission to ASEAN
sam.beckwith@fcdo.gov.uk

Fiqhi Dengo
Regional Programme Manager, Health – UK Mission to ASEAN
fiqhi.dengo@fco.gov.uk

For media enquiries:
Annissa Mutia
Communications Manager – UK Mission to ASEAN
annissa.mutia@fco.gov.uk

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