Overview
The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in partnership with the Philippines Commission on Population and Development, is organizing the Regional Workshop on Developing Health Systems that are Equitable and Sustainable, and Responsive to Demographic Change, to be held in Manila, Philippines, on 5 and 6 February 2026. This consultation forms part of the CPD-ESCAP partnership aimed at strengthening national capacity for developing and implementing comprehensive policies for older persons.
A project under the same name is currently being implemented by ESCAP with Bangladesh, Cambodia, Maldives, the Philippines and Sri Lanka serving as target countries and Malaysia and Thailand acting as good practice countries. In addition, China and other countries of the Asia-Pacific region have been included in later stages of the project in order to expand the reach and foster greater regional cooperation and peer learning.
Population ageing is a global and regional megatrend, and with 60 per cent of all older persons in the world (65 years or over) residing in Asia and the Pacific, the region is at the forefront of these trends. With people living longer but not necessarily healthier lives, it is important to strengthen health systems, build capacities among policymakers and other stakeholders to contribute to the development of coherent policies and practical strategies to address the social determinants of health towards a path to universal access to healthcare.
Objectives
This in-person meeting provides technical cooperation support to member States and non-governmental organizations on ageing and enhanced cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, to promote ageing issues and develop partnerships in this regard (as per General Assembly resolution 79/147).
Expected outcomes
The meeting aims to:
- Provide a platform for sharing useful experiences related to progress, challenges, opportunities and recommendations to strength national systems and achieve universal health coverage.
- Provide improved understanding of the importance of using evidence in strengthening health systems.
- Introduce tools, in particular e-learning, to disseminate practical knowledge on making universal healthcare services more available, affordable and accessible.
- Foster regional cooperation and peer learning, support ongoing capacity development and alignment with regional and global goals in achieving universal health coverage.
Participants will include government officials and other experts from academia, civil society and international organizations with a background in diverse aspects of health systems in Asia and the Pacific, ranging from planning and health financing to service delivery and the use of evidence to better inform policy development and programme implementation.