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.
BEIJING, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (20 September 2017) — The Asian Development Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a results-based loan of $250 million to help establish a demand-driven technical and vocational education and training system in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
This is the summary of proceedings from the first meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Working Group on Health Cooperation (WGHC-1) at Luang Prabang, in the Lao People's Democratic Republic on 13-14 December 2017.
Increased access to health services can help improve outbreak response to malaria and other diseases. Photo: ADB.
Scientists are urgently calling for alternative treatments to a malaria “superbug” that now affects four countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion.
More than 50 participants from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Planning, and Ministry of Finance of the six GMS countries met on 5 July 2017 in Bangkok, Thailand to discuss the proposed GMS Strategy on Health Cooperation and the proposed GMS Working Group on Health Cooperation.
An extraordinary meeting of the GMS Working Group on Human Resource Development was held in Bangkok, Thailand on 4 July 2017.
Mosquito nets protect children against malaria in Viet Nam. Photo: Justin Mott/ADB.
Five countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion are receiving additional support to eliminate malaria.
Migrant and mobile populations in the Greater Mekong Subregion are often more exposed to malaria and out of reach of the health system. They can also spread the disease as they move within the region. Photo: ADB.
Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Myanmar are on the frontlines of the global fight against malaria.
ADB Lao PDR Resident Mission OIC Steven Schipani and Vice Minister of Finance Thipphakone Chanthavongsa signed the loan and grant agreement in a ceremony in Vientiane attended by other government officials. Photo: ADB
VIENTIANE, LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC (3 February 2017) — The Asian Development Bank and the Government of Lao People’s Democratic Republic today signed an agreement for a $12 million loan and grant package for a health security project.
The 15th Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion Working Group on Human Resource Development was held on 13-14 December 2016 in Kunming, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China.
The project will enhance responses to emerging infectious diseases and the management of other major public health threats. Photo: ADB.
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA (23 November 2016) — The Asian Development Bank has approved a $117 million loan to the Governments of Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Viet Nam to enhance responses to emerging infectious diseases and the management of other major public health threats. The Lao PDR government is also receiving $8 million in grant assistance.
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