sandpiper-logo-newsandpiper-logo-newsandpiper-logo-newsandpiper-logo-new
  • Expertise
  • People
  • Careers
  • News & Insights
  • Contact
Public Affairs Tracker: Bolstering Singapore’s Workforce Skills for the Future Economy
Public Affairs Tracker: Bolstering Singapore’s Workforce Skills for the Future Economy
Public Affairs Tracker: Role of Businesses in Singapore’s Journey to Net Zero
Public Affairs Tracker: Role of Businesses in Singapore’s Journey to Net Zero

Health Equity and Asia-Pacific

Categories
  • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
  • Health
  • Public Relations
Tags
Health Equity and Asia-Pacific
News & insights

Health Equity and Asia-Pacific

May 2022

by Tseng Yi Ying, Account Manager based in Sandpiper Singapore. Yi Ying has broad experience in healthcare communication, patient advocacy, research, stakeholder engagement and content development.


In our previous article “Is it Time for Healthcare Organisations to Drive Social Impact“, we looked at how pharmaceutical and life science companies are pursuing health equity and ESG strategies following the COVID-19 pandemic. This represents a promising step forward in addressing the social determinants of health.

But Asia-Pacific is large and diverse. There are huge disparities in health, wealth, and development. Not to mention in the prevalence of disease, pharmaceutical regulations, and medical infrastructure. For instance, the region has made strong progress in increasing universal basic coverage: More than three quarters (77.8 per cent) of the population had legal health cover in 2021.

But this headline figure masks significant disparities. Over 90 per cent of people in China have coverage compared to less than 70 per cent in Cambodia. And there are still almost a billion people without protection and at risk of ill health, most often in deprived communities. Meanwhile, a growing urban middle class is driving demand for health insurance products and private medical care. But there remains widespread variation within and across the region and underfunding continues to be an issue.

×

    Please tell us a bit more about you and your company

    You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy

    Sandpiper Health Tracker-Report-2022

      Please tell us a bit more about you and your company

      You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy

      Reflecting and responding to local communities

      In other words, the issues affecting patients in Sydney and Seoul are not the same as those in Saigon or Siem Reap. There is no one-size-fits-all ESG approach. So, pharmaceutical companies in Asia-Pacific need to tailor their health equity strategies to match individual markets. This might include:

      • Having a more granular focus on specific issues in different countries – such as high rates of diabetes in Malaysia, tuberculosis in the Philippines, malaria in Indonesia, or age-related non-communicable disease in Japan.
      • Bringing a laser-like focus to the lack of access to healthcare in particular communities – such as ethnic minorities, migrant workers, or people living in remote and rural areas.
      • Creating educational activities or awareness-raising initiatives with specific groups such as pregnant women. This could help to tackle issues such as high maternal mortality rates in places like Bangladesh, Laos, or Nepal.

      Four tips to help healthcare organisations kickstart their ESG activities

      COVID-19 might now be moving from pandemic to endemic. But the health inequalities it highlighted will be with us for the foreseeable future. And now that the world is starting to reopen, there is a renewed determination from countries across Asia-Pacific to address these issues. This will require coordination between public and private sectors and stakeholders from healthcare organizations, governments, and patient groups. No one group can tackle these problems on their own.

      Therefore, pharmaceutical and life science companies have the chance to be at the heart of this conversation through mainstreaming the social pillar of ESG into their health equity frameworks. This will not just improve well-being and save lives but also help to build healthier, more resilient communities.

      For those taking their first steps into ESG, here are four quick tips to get started:

      • Deep-dive into the specific challenges and circumstances in each market.
      • Discuss and decide with internal stakeholders which aspect of the social pillar will be prioritized. This could be maternal health, chronic health, or other health issues that are aligned with broader corporate strategies.
      • Engage in stakeholder interviews and map out milestones in an ESG action plan.
      • Develop robust communications campaigns to promote ESG strategies.

      To find out more about creating, mainstreaming, and communicating impactful ESG activities, contact the team at Sandpiper Health. We work right across Asia-Pacific and our team has in-depth insights into the health and social challenges facing communities right across the region.


      You may also like:

      Sandpiper Healthcare Tracker Report
      Sandpiper Health Launch


      Share

      BEIJING
      Suite 1105, Full Tower,
      No. 9 Middle East 3rd Ring Road,
      Chaoyang District, Beijing, PRC

      北京市朝阳区东三环中路9号
      富尔大厦1105室

      + 86 10 8591 0056
      beijing@sandpipercomms.com

      HONG KONG
      21/F, The Workst@tion,
      43 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central,
      Hong Kong

      香港中環擺花街43號
      The Workst@tion 21樓

      +852 3114 6339
      hongkong@sandpipercomms.com

      NEW ZEALAND
      The Hive 2/200,
      Market Street North, Hawkes Bay,
      New Zealand

      +64 21084 40939
      newzealand@sandpipercomms.com

      SHANGHAI
      No 1229 Century Avenue, 6/F, Tower 1.
      Century Metropolis.
      Pudong New District. Shanghai. 200122

      世纪大道1229号, 世纪大都会6层,
      浦东新区, 上海市, 上海市, 200122

      +86 15507577095
      shanghai@sandpipercomms.com

      SINGAPORE
      #21-02, Prudential Tower, 30 Cecil Street,
      Raffles Place, Singapore, 049712

      +65 6592 2883
      singapore@sandpipercomms.com

      SYDNEY
      Level 4,
      71 Walker Street, North Sydney,
      NSW 2060

      +612 9939 8220
      sydney@sandpipercomms.com

      OUR AFFILIATE NETWORK
      Bangkok
      Berlin
      Brusels
      Dubai
      Frankfurt
      Hanoi
      Ho Chi Minh City
      Jakarta
      Kuala Lumpur
      London
      Manila
      Mumbai
      New York
      Paris
      San Francisco
      Seoul
      Taipei
      Tokyo
      Yangon
      Zurich
      logo

      OUR AFFILIATE NETWORK
      Bangkok Berlin Brussels Dubai Frankfurt Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Jakarta Kuala Lumpur London  
      Manila Mumbai New York Paris San Francisco Seoul Taipei Tokyo Yangon Zurich

      Copyright © Sandpiper Terms of Use Privacy Policy