At the Symposium on Multilateral Financing for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, held on 11 July 2025 at ADB Headquarters, over 200 leaders from governments, multilateral development banks, international organizations, and the private sector reflected on lessons from COVID-19 and charted forward-looking strategies for pandemic preparedness. Key sessions explored the design of a new multilateral financing mechanism, procurement innovations such as advance market commitments, and approaches to bridge the region’s persistent health financing gaps. ADB Vice-President for East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, Mr. Scott Morris, emphasized the urgent need for collective action to build inclusive regional financing platforms and strengthen procurement and regulatory systems to ensure timely and equitable access to vaccines and medical countermeasures.

Experts, including Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former World Health Organization Chief Scientist, and leaders from the Global Fund, Pan American Health Organization, and Inter American Development Bank, also shared insights on building resilient systems and accelerating access to life-saving interventions. The symposium also featured panel discussions on embedding lessons from past health crises into future public health investment strategies.

With active participation from senior health officials across Asia and the Pacific, the event reaffirmed ADB’s commitment to advancing regional health security through inclusive financing, stronger institutions, and sustained partnerships with developing member countries and global health stakeholders.