The Asian Development Bank approved the technical assistance Strengthening Regional Health Cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion – Phase 2 on 2 December 2024. This technical assistance supports the implementation of the new GMS Health Cooperation Strategy 2024-2030. Strengthening regional health cooperation will help realize a healthy and sustainable GMS community. The project aims to achieve this through three outputs: (i) operationalizing the strategic pillars of the new strategy; (ii) promoting and expanding knowledge support for regional health cooperation in the GMS; and (iii) strengthening operational support for the GMS Woking Group on Health Cooperation and its secretariat.
Phase 1 of the technical assistance, which concluded on 17 May 2024, established the GMS Working Group on Health Cooperation and its secretariat and developed the GMS Health Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023.
The GMS Regional Health Cooperation Strategy 2024-2030 emphasizes health issues that are regional in nature and require collective action to address. It has two strategic pillars: regional health security and health system strengthening toward universal health coverage.
Scaling Up One Health Approaches in the Greater Mekong Subregion provides an overview of One Health in the GMS and its relationship to addressing climate change. It details One Health activities in the subregion and recommends how they can be scaled up, including specific investment opportunities.
The GMS health agenda under the GMS Program Strategic Framework 2030 (GMS-2030) focuses on communicable disease control through cross-border surveillance and modeling, information exchange, implementation of international health regulations, and pandemic preparedness. Since universal health coverage is a critical regional public good, GMS-2030 aims to accelerate its implementation through strengthening the performance of GMS health systems to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats such as COVID-19 and other emerging diseases; support countries to comply with the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations; apply a unified approach to environmental, animal, and human health (“One Health”); strengthen protection of vulnerable communities and migrants; build capacity and cross-border cooperation to address priority health issues; and advance in gender equality to build subregional health cooperation leadership and decision-making policy.
Vision: Through collective efforts, the GMS Program aims to foster a healthy and sustainable GMS community, where the well-being of all citizens is pursued.
This vision is aligned with GMS-2030. Central to its attainment are two outcomes also aligned with the GMS-2030 and with the GMS-2030 Results Framework:
The GMS HCS 2024–2030 is underpinned by two pillars:
Strategic Pillar 1: Regional Health Security: The vulnerability of the GMS to health security risks is widely acknowledged. The GMS is particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases due to its high biodiversity, frequent human to animal interactions, and rapid urbanization, which facilitate the spread of zoonoses and other pathogens. Additionally, cross-border trade, intensive livestock farming, weak health systems, and environmental degradation further contribute to the region’s susceptibility to outbreaks and the rise of AMR; thus, it is critical for the GMS to align activities and technical areas that contribute to public health, preparedness, response, and resilience
Strategic Pillar 2: Health System Strengthening Toward Universal Health Coverage: Strengthening the health system with an emphasis on equity and resilience is vital for achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and health security. This approach also supports broader socioeconomic advancement. According to UHC2030, it is the most effective and sustainable way to meet UHC and health security objectives. GMS-2030 aims to accelerate the implementation of UHC offering a chance for increased and more targeted investments in the core elements of health systems, particularly primary health care (PHC). Service accessibility, availability, and individual acceptability play important roles in facilitating or hindering vulnerable populations, including older people’s access to health care services. Addressing these factors is crucial for achieving UHC, since it ensures everyone—regardless of their vulnerabilities—can receive the health services they need without facing financial hardship. By prioritizing the unique needs of these groups, health systems can reduce disparities, improve health outcomes, and promote equity, ultimately leading to a more inclusive and resilient health care system.
The GMS HCS 2024–2030 will guide programming, foster innovation, increase engagement with the development and private sector partners, and mobilize new financing to support its implementation. In addition to its two strategic pillars, Its crosscutting themes are gender, climate change, and digital health.
The 5-year strategy focused on three strategic pillars: (1) health security as a regional public good, (2) health impacts of connectivity and mobility, and (3) health workforce development.
Established under the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-funded technical assistance Strengthening Regional Health Cooperation in the Greater Mekong Subregion – Phase 1 in 2019, the GMS Working Group on Health Cooperation (WGHC) serves as a platform for addressing regional health challenges. It facilitates dialogue and supports the development of policies, strategies, and programmatic responses. WGHC operationalized, governed, and institutionalized the GMS Health Cooperation Strategy (HCS) 2019–2023, with nominated representatives from the six countries, terms of reference, and reporting systems endorsed by the respective health ministers
Approved by ADB on 2 December 2024, this technical assistance supports the implementation of the new GMS HCS 2024-2030. Strengthening regional health cooperation will help realize a healthy and sustainable GMS community. The project aims to achieve this through three outputs: (i) operationalizing the strategic pillars of the new GMS HCS 2024-2030; (ii) promoting and expanding knowledge support for regional health cooperation in the GMS; and (iii) strengthening operational support for the GMS WGHC and its secretariat.
This technical assistance, approved by ADB on 22 August 2018 and concluded on 17 May 2024, supported the establishment of the GMS Working Group on Health Cooperation and its secretariat and supported annual meetings of the WGHC; developed the (a) GMS Health Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023, and (b) GMS Health Cooperation Strategy 2024–2030; supported annual meetings of the GMS WGHC and annual health cooperation workplans; produced knowledge products, including on migration, health, and One Health; and yielded six new GMS health sector investment projects.
Focal Persons at the Asian Development Bank
Rikard Elfving
Human and Social Development Sector Office
Sectors Group
Najibullah Habib
Human and Social Development Sector Office
Sectors Group
Other Concerned Staff & Consultants
Asadullah Sumbal
Regional Cooperation and Integration Unit
Southeast Asia Department
Rowena Sancio
Regional Cooperation and Integration Unit
Southeast Asia Department/GMS Secretariat
Send inquiries to GMS Secretariat.
Regional health cooperation is a priority for the countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and an integral part of the GMS Economic Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030. It utilizes the subregion's expertise in health leadership, human resource capabilities, and programmatic experience to tackle their shared health issues and cross-border challenges
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a financing package of $24.9 million, inclusive of a $4.95 million Asian Development Fund grant, to help improve access to quality health services in the border provinces of Champasak, Phongsali, and Savannakhet of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR).
This publication outlines how the One Health approach can be stepped up in the Greater Mekong Subregion to address climate change, boost food security, and tackle disease resistance to help optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.
Tracking Human Mobility Dynamics to Inform Public Health Interventions in Cambodia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
ADB and the National Health Commission of People’s Republic of China convened the 6th Greater Mekong Subregion Working Group on Health Cooperation Meeting on 13-15 December 2023 in Beijing.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for migrant workers in Thailand, who found themselves facing not only health risks but also economic and social hardships. Recognizing these challenges, the Asian Development Bank contracted a local-based civil society organization, Raks Thai Foundation, to implement a project aimed at addressing the plight of migrant workers in three provinces. It emphasized community-led prevention, the establishment of social protection systems, and economic support for jobless migrant workers.
Farmers are playing a pivotal role in Quảng Ninh, Viet Nam’s restructured vision for its agricultural sector for 2022-2025. The vision aims to expand agricultural markets, establish supply chains that integrate technology, and create a cohesive and sustainable agricultural economic ecosystem. Farmers are key drivers as the Government provides support, committing substantial resources to strengthen local farmers' capacity. Initiatives have included
The Fifth Meeting of the GMS Working Group on Health Cooperation (WGHC-5) was held on 13–14 December 2022 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. WGHC-5 was co-organized by the Ministry of Health of Cambodia and ADB.
Thailand’s unemployment rate dropped to 1.05%, its lowest in three years, as the country’s tourism industry rebounds.
The Kim Thanh International Border Gate between Lao Cai (Viet Nam) and Yunnan Province (PRC) plays a vital role in the GMS northern corridor. Photo by ADB.
The Asian Economic Integration Report 2023 highlights the continued growth of integration in subregional initiatives and programs in Southeast Asia, including both in the GMS and the ASEAN, from 2006 to 2020.
Greater Mekong Subregion Secretariat
Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division,
Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank
Address: 6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone: +63 2 8632 4444 Fax: +63 2 8636 2226