Ensuring equitable access to medicines is vital to realizing universal health coverage and resilient health systems across Southeast Asia. Recognizing this, policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and civil society representatives convened at two key regional dialogues in early 2025 to chart a path forward. The discussions, held at the inaugural Southeast Asia Access to Medicine (SEA AtM) Summit in Bangkok and during the closed-door open forum at the World Health Summit Regional Meeting in New Delhi, brought together diverse perspectives on overcoming persistent inequities in access to essential medicines. The position paper summarizes the shared challenges, emerging opportunities, and actionable priorities identified through these deliberations.
The SEA AtM Working Group comprises ACCESS Health International, AVPN, the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, and Takeda Pharmaceutical International.