The fourth SECURE Webinar, Private Sector Engagement in COVID-19 Vaccination Programs in Southeast Asia, brought together policymakers, practitioners, and scholars to share insights, experiences, and best practices for private sector engagement in COVID-19 vaccination programs throughout SEA. The intent was to strengthen private sector participation in current and future vaccination programs within the region.

COVID-19 vaccination programs in SEA began in January 2021 and have contributed to the gradual reduction in the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Given the complexity, scale, and need for immediate implementation of these programs, SEA governments have partnered with the private sector to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination programs. Governments used a wide range of models, solutions, and approaches, to leverage the capabilities, capital, and innovativeness of the private sector.

These partnerships spanned the entire vaccine supply chain, from research to manufacturing, logistics, distribution, actual delivery of shots-into-arms, and data management (the “what”). The depths and types of partnerships were also diverse, ranging from simple outsourcing programs to more complex public-private partnerships (the “how”). Small clinics and health-tech start-ups were involved, as were large hospital groups and even listed companies that were not previously in healthcare (the “who”). This diversity reflected the prevailing political economy of the health of different countries, the sophistication of public healthcare systems, and the capabilities and ambitions of the private healthcare sector.