• 20 projects to be funded through ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership (HSP) programme
• Projects will strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak response, and health system resilience across all 11 ASEAN Member States
• UK reaffirms long-term commitment to ASEAN health security and regional collaboration

The ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership (HSP) programme today announced the first recipients of its grants and peer exchange awards in Jakarta. The grants are designed to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based policy and practice, while the peer exchanges will facilitate expert collaboration and the sharing of practical solutions across the region.

A total of 20 projects have been selected in this first funding round, spanning government, academic, and civil society sectors, benefiting all ASEAN Member States. Profiles of the grants and peer exchange initiatives in each country can be accessed here.

The initiatives address pressing shared health challenges facing ASEAN and the UK, including drug-resistant infections, disease prevention and control, climate-related health risks, and progress towards pandemic preparedness. These challenges directly affect lives and livelihoods. When antibiotics stop working, common infections become harder to treat. When outbreaks are detected too late, they can spread rapidly across borders. In Southeast Asia, travel and trade are integral to daily life, and health threats can disrupt communities, strain health systems and impact economic stability, regionally and globally. This is why ASEAN and the UK are tackling these major challenges together through HSP’s funded initiatives. Examples of funded projects include:

• Timor-Leste: Strengthening food safety systems to address contamination and prevent the spread of drug-resistant infections in imported frozen food.
• Viet Nam: Enhancing disease surveillance and laboratory systems at provincial and community levels to detect outbreaks earlier and respond faster under the country’s new governance structure.
• Indonesia: Helping authorities in indigenous areas of Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan to pilot the first Community Based Surveillance for early detection and response to health threats.

UK Ambassador to ASEAN, Helen Fazey, emphasised, “By working closely with ASEAN, we’re backing the innovators and frontline teams strengthening the region’s health defences where they’re needed most. Diseases don’t stop at borders, and these new grants and exchanges will help build the resilience that keeps communities safer – in Southeast Asia and in the UK.”

Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, remarked “The selection of Round 1 grantees under the ASEAN–UK Health Security Partnership demonstrates ASEAN’s commitment to strengthening regional health security through collaboration and innovation. These initiatives will support ASEAN Member States in advancing shared priorities and building more resilient health systems for our communities.”

For this first funding round, the HSP programme, funded by the United Kingdom, received over 440 applications, reflecting strong interest and engagement from diverse institutions and experts. Several of the grants were co-designed with ASEAN Member States and health experts, reflecting the spirit of partnership at the heart of the ASEAN strategy and strengthening Member States’ capacities to respond collectively to shared health threats. Following a rigorous review process, grants and peer exchange awards were made across 11 ASEAN health security and health systems strengthening priorities.

This partnership in health security is just one example of the shared commitment of the United Kingdom and ASEAN to protect communities and strengthen regional resilience. Through these awards, the UK reaffirms its support for ASEAN’s efforts to prevent, detect and respond to health threats, deepening cooperation as a trusted partner in regional health security.