Health Responses to COVID-19 across ASEAN - A/Prof Gregory Fox

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the Asia-Pacific region overnight. Responses to the viral disease have varied substantially across the region, with some countries introducing strong and effective measures while others have experienced rampant disease. The pandemic has tested the public health capacity of countries, as well as the capacity of governments to respond. Accurate evaluation of the impacts of COVID-19 is also varied – with some countries lacking the diagnostic capacity to quantify the incidence of disease. As new treatments and, potentially, vaccines are developed the capacity of countries to deploy these new strategies will also influence the trajectory of the pandemic. The nexus between the health and economic impacts of COVID-19 will see a significant widening of socioeconomic inequalities in many countries, and impair the control of other endemic infectious diseases such as tuberculosis. As part of SSEAC's annual ASEAN Forum, Associate Professor Gregory Fox (University of Sydney) sat down with SSEAC's Deputy Director, Dr Thushara Dibley, to explore the current and ongoing healthcare impacts of COVID-19 across Southeast Asia. About Gregory Fox: Greg is a respiratory physician, epidemiologist and clinical trialist committed to using research to improve health care among disadvantaged populations. He is clinical Academic Lead (Research) for the Faculty of Medicine and Health at Cumberland Campus. Greg's research interests include the epidemiology of infectious disease in resource-limited setting, cluster randomised trials, clinical trials and digital technologies to support health care. He also has interests in systematic reviews and meta-analyses, translation of evidence into policy, decision analysis and capacity building in research. View the transcript: https://bit.ly/2CQImfL Photo credit: Rene DeAnda