The Inaugural Southeast Asia Access to Medicine Summit
ACCESS Health International, in collaboration with AVPN, SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, and Takeda, successfully co-hosted the first Southeast Asia Access to Medicine (SEA AtM) Summit in Bangkok. The summit convened over 100 regional leaders, policymakers, healthcare professionals, academic institutions, industry representatives, and patient advocates to address the urgent need for sustainable and equitable access to medicines across the region. The event underscored the persistent barriers to healthcare access and highlighted the necessity of multi-sector collaboration to drive meaningful change.
The Urgent Need for Equitable Access
Access to essential medicines remains a significant challenge in Southeast Asia. According to the World Health Organization, progress toward universal health coverage has stagnated since 2019, leaving millions without adequate medical support. Many communities continue to face fragile healthcare infrastructure, with substantial gaps in screening, diagnostics, and treatment availability. Addressing these challenges requires a unified effort among governments, healthcare organizations, and industry leaders to develop sustainable solutions that ensure healthcare access for all.
A Call for Collective Action
During the summit, Dr. N. Krishna Reddy, CEO of ACCESS Health International, emphasized the importance of innovative and integrated solutions to overcome healthcare barriers. He stated, “Southeast Asia’s healthcare challenges demand innovative, integrated, and collaborative solutions. Forums like this summit provide a critical platform for cross-industry dialogue, fostering partnerships that can drive meaningful and lasting change. By bringing together diverse stakeholders, we can collectively address barriers to access, share best practices, and advance sustainable healthcare solutions that ensure equitable and resilient health systems across the region.”
The Southeast Asia Access to Medicines Pledge
A key outcome of the summit was the Southeast Asia Access to Medicines Pledge, a formal commitment by participating organizations to drive long-term, sustainable change in healthcare access. The pledge outlines five key focus areas:
- Championing Inclusive Healthcare Systems – Engaging and mobilizing stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem, including governments, industry, civil society, and communities, to prioritize equitable access to medicines.
- Collaborating for Innovation – Strengthening partnerships to develop scalable solutions that address diseases disproportionately affecting Southeast Asia’s populations.
- Enabling Policy Transformation – Advocating for evidence-based policies that eliminate systemic barriers to medicine access and strengthen regional healthcare systems.
- Elevating Community Voices – Ensuring that the perspectives of affected communities are integrated into decision-making processes through collaboration with key stakeholders.
- Demonstrating Progress – Establishing measurable milestones to track improvements in medicine access and healthcare system resilience across the region.
Key Discussions and Outcomes
Throughout the summit, discussions focused on actionable strategies to address affordability, infrastructure limitations, and regulatory complexities. Participants explored the role of public-private partnerships, health technology assessments, and digital health tools in enhancing access to medicines for underserved populations. The summit also facilitated knowledge sharing, with expert-led sessions showcasing successful cross-sector collaborations in healthcare delivery and infrastructure development.
Madhavika Bajoria, Executive Director (Health and Nutrition Platform) at AVPN, highlighted the critical role of multi-sector collaboration, stating that “the Southeast Asia Access to Medicines Pledge is a critical step in aligning cross-sector efforts toward meaningful, lasting change. By bringing together policymakers, funders, and healthcare professionals, we can drive impactful solutions that ensure medicines reach those who need them most. This summit reinforces our shared commitment to forging partnerships that will help close the healthcare access gap across the region.”
A Roadmap for Sustainable Change
Looking ahead, the Southeast Asia Access to Medicines Pledge will serve as a foundation for long-term action, fostering a shared roadmap to address critical healthcare challenges in the region. Commitments made at the summit mark the beginning of a sustained, multi-stakeholder effort to dismantle barriers to medicine access through innovation, collaboration, and systemic change.
ACCESS Health International remains dedicated to advancing this agenda and working alongside partners to strengthen health systems, ensuring that equitable access to medicines is not just an aspiration but a reality for all communities in Southeast Asia.