Asia Pacific Regional Pandemic Preparedness and Response Forum

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Korea and the World Bank Group, this forum was an opportunity to showcase the key findings of the WBG-Republic of Korea Partnership on Pandemic Preparedness and Response Advisory Services and Analytics Project which started in 2021. Five country case studies (Fiji, Malaysia, Mongolia, Republic of Korea, Vietnam) and 6 thematic policy notes (vaccination, risk communication and information sharing, elderly care and long-term homes, hospital response to COVID-19, adaptation of health insurance to COVID-19, improving pandemic response of financing schemes and payment systems, and the role of digital innovations in responding to COVID-19) were developed throughout the course of this project through the joint efforts of country experts and World Bank task teams. The forum brought together experts from 11 countries (Cambodia, Fiji, Malaysia, Mongolia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Republic of Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam) to promote the generation of knowledge and adaptation of international best practices in preparing for and responding to subsequent phases of COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Download the Program Book.

Day 1

Opening Remarks & Setting the Stage, by David Wilson, Program Director, Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, World Bank
Regional Analysis on COVID-19 Preparedness and Response: focusing on excess mortality, by Taejin Lee, Professor, Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health, Korea
Pandemic Response to Vulnerability Groups: Lessons learned from COVID-19 vaccination in Indonesia, by Nelis Imanningsih, Senior Policy Analyst, Senior Policy Analyst Directorate for Health System Resilience and Health Resources, Ministry of Health
Did Solidarity Work During the COVID-19 Crisis? by Hyesung Wee, Senior Researcher, National Health Insurance Service, Korea
Lao PDR Vulnerability Exposed by COVID-19, by Rattanaxay Phetsouvanh, Director General, Department of Communicable Disease Control, Lao
Vulnerability: Challenges, by Tumurbat Byamba, Executive Director, Academy Medical Professionals, Mongolia
Lessons Learned on Public Health Measure and Core Responsein in Cambodia, by Ly Sovann, Advisor and Director of the Diseases Control Department, Ministry of Health, Cambodia
Fiji: by Anaseini Maisema, Principal Medical Officer, Ministry of Health and Medical Services
Public Health Measures & Core Response by Government in the Asia Pacific Region", by Nilam Patel, Additional Director (Public Health), Commissionerate of Health, Medical Services & Medical Education, Government of Gujarat, India
Indonesia Vulnerability Exposed by COVID-19, by Triya Novita Dinihari, Team Leader of Early Detection Surveillance, Ministry of Health, Indonesia
COVID-19 Responses in the Republic of Korea, by Hyewon Jeong, Deputy Director, Division of Emergency Preparedness and Response, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA)
Response of Vietnam Government to the COVID-19 Pandemic, by Tran Dac Phu, Advisor, Vietnam National Committee for COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Lessons from Hospitals' Experiences in Responding to COVID-19, by Wankyo Chung, Professor, Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health, Korea
The True Cost of Failing to Protect Healthcare Workers: by Huihui Wang, Senior Economist, Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, World Bank
Indonesia: Health System Response in COVID-19 Pandemic, by Ina Agustina Isturini, Ministry of Health of Republic of Indonesia
Malaysia’s Health System Response, by Musalnizan Binti Mustalkah, Public Health Specialist, Disease Surveillance Sector, Disease Control Division, Malaysia
Philippines Health System Response, by Pretchell Tolentino, Director III, Metro Manila Center for Health Development, Philippines

Day 2

Old Scars, New Wounds? Public Financing for Health in Times of COVID-19, by Ajay Tandon, Lead Economist, Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, South Asia Region, World Bank
Health Financing dring COVID-19, by Taejin Lee, Professor, Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health, Korea
Effective Fund Mobilization in Response to New Infectious Disease: COVID-19, by Soon Ae Shin, Senior Director General, National Health Insurance Service, Korea
Health Financing, by Tumurbat Byamba, Executive Director, Academy Medical Professionals, Mongolia
Lessons from India's COVID-19 Response, by Dinesh Nair, Senior Health Specialist, Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, World Bank
Role of Indonesia’s National Health Insurance (JKN) in the COVID-19 Response, by Somil Nagpal, Lead Health Specialist, World Bank; Zelalem Yilma Debebe, Senior Economist, World Bank
South Korea's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: National Health Fund and Expenditure, by Myung-IL Hahm, Executive Director, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Research Institute, Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, Korea
Lessons from India's COVID-19 Response: Private Sector and Innovation, by Dinesh Nair, Senior Health Specialist, Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, World Bank
Partnerships and Innovations for Evidence-based Health Policy, by Jaiyong Kim, Director, National Health Insurance Service, Korea
Partnerships and Innovations in the Health Sector: Sharing Experiences, by Tan Chin Liong, Pathologist (Medical Microbiology), Institute For Medical Research, National Institute of Health, Malaysia
Partnerships and Innovations in the Health Sector - ASEAN - AVSSR, by Sunate Chuenkitmongkol, Deputy Director, National Vaccine Institute, Thailand
ASEAN Vaccine Research, Development, and Manufacturing: Economic Benefits of Investing in ASEAN Vaccine Development and Regulatory Capacity, by Ronald Mutasa, Practice Leader, Human Development Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, World Bank
General Global Partnerships during COVID-19, by Marelize Gorgens, Digital Health Lead, Health Nutrition and Population Global Practice, World Bank
Works and Examples of the Technology & Innovation Lab, by Yongdae Kim, IT Officer, Technology & Innovation Lab, World Bank Group Korea Office
ETRI Technologies and Its Application to COVID-19, by Chaewon Hyun, Engineer, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute of Korea
Digital Policy for Solving Social Problems in Korea, by Eunshil Yu, Deputy Director, Digital Society Planning Division, Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea