Key Summary
- The HSP programme announced the first recipients of its grants.
- A total of 20 projects has been selected.
- The initiatives address health challenges facing ASEAN and the UK.
The ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership (HSP) programme announced in Jakarta that 20 projects have been selected as the first recipients of its grants.
The projects have been selected across government, academic and civil society sectors, benefiting all ASEAN Member States.
The portfolio targets shared health threats between ASEAN and the UK, such as antimicrobial resistance, outbreak detection and response, climate-driven health risks, and efforts to bolster pandemic preparedness.
Delays in detecting infections or the waning effectiveness of antibiotics can directly harm people’s health and livelihoods. In Southeast Asia, where movement of people and goods is high, unchecked health threats can disrupt communities, overload health services and affect economic stability across borders.
To address these risks, ASEAN and the UK are funding collaborative initiatives through HSP.
UK’s Ambassador to ASEAN, Helen Fazey, said the awards support frontline teams and innovators who strengthen regional health defences, adding that diseases cross borders and these projects will help protect communities in Southeast Asia and the UK.
Funded by the UK, the HSP programme received more than 440 applications for this first round.
Several grants were co-developed with ASEAN Member States and health specialists. After a competitive review, awards were granted across 11 ASEAN health security and health-systems strengthening priority areas.
ASEAN secretary-general Dr Kao Kim Hourn said the Round 1 selections show ASEAN’s commitment to regional health security and innovation, and will help member states advance common priorities and build more resilient health systems.
