Health Equity in Southeast Asia

Creating a community for health equity in Southeast Asia.

BASED AT THE EQUITY INITIATIVE AT CMB FOUNDATION

TIM AYE-HARDY

Co-founder and executive director, myME: Myanmar Mobile Education Project Yangon, Myanmar

CHHORVANN CHHEA

Director, National Institute of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Cambodia Phnom Penh, Cambodia

HOANG VAN MINH

Vice-rector amd director of Center for Population, Hanoi University of Public Health Hanoi, Viet Nam

CHALERMSAK KITTITRAKUL

Coordinator for Access to Medicines Campaign, AIDS Access Foundation Bangkok, Thailand

Providing education via mobile classrooms to children in Myanmar who are in indentured servitude at teashop restaurants. Working to develop policies and strategies to address inclusivity and equity in education. Leading research into maternal and child health, and the health system in Cambodia; and spearheading the fight against HIV/ AIDS. Working to develop a national health management and leadership training curriculum. Publishing widely in scientific journals; undertaking research studies on health and health care in Viet Nam on topics including the social determinants of health, noncommunicable diseases, and universal health coverage. Working to ensure that policies on the promotion of access to HIV and HCV (hepatitis C virus) treatment are developed and implemented effectively and systematically.

JEREMY LIM

Partner, Oliver Wyman; co-founder and chief executive officer of AMiLi Singapore

LIU CHENHUI

Chief executive officer, FamilyDoc Medical Mechnology Co. Ltd. Beijing, China

THU HA NGUYEN

Executive director and Morning News producer, Vietnam National Television Hanoi, Viet Nam

OANH PHAM KIEU

Founder and chief executive officer, Center for Social Initiatives Promotion Hanoi, Viet Nam

Working on increasing the use of technology to improve health equity and access to care. Advancing use of mobile technology to help 1.5 million doctors deliver high quality primary care for everyone, anytime, anywhere, across China. Overseeing content development for national television on social issues, including gender and domestic violence, women’s health and HIV/AIDS. Helping build a new sector for social entrepreneurship in Viet Nam and the region.

NATALIE PHAHOLYOTHIN

Chief executive officer, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Thailand Bangkok, Thailand

THI THUY TRAM PHAN

Deputy director general, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Viet Nam Hanoi, Viet Nam

SOULIVANH PHOLSENA

Chief physician, Lao Medical Care Center, Ban Phonxay, Xaysetha District Lao People’s Democratic Republic

NICOLA POCOCK

Postdoctoral fellow, Institute of Global Health, United Nations University Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Leading the organization toward conservation excellence and efficiency. Protecting biodiversity and preserving its habitats, combating illegal wildlife trade, and implementing plastic pollution reduction programs in major coastal cities. Practicing social justice through ideas and implementation of the Community Development Program and the White Cane Initiative for the Blind in Viet Nam. Strengthening primary health care by focusing on the community-based health service through private sector involvement. Running two community medical centers, providing over 100,000 outpatient visits a year. Working on migration, forced labor and health, especially the health needs of trafficked fishermen.

SI ZHANJIE

Director, Aizhen Yunnan, China

JIRUTH SRIRATANABAN

Director, Thailand Research Center for Health Service Systems, Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand

NILA TANZIL

Founder and chief executive officer, Travel Sparks; founder and chief executice officer of Taman Bacaan Pelangi Jakarta, Indonesia

Addressing the psychological, physical, social and economic problems of people affected by leprosy in China. Focusing on health service systems in Thailand, including universal coverage, quality management, health sector financing and health security schemes. Also working to promote equity and quality in education. Nurturing children’s habit of reading and improving their literacy skills in remote areas of eastern Indonesia, having set up over 100 libraries and trained thousands of local teachers.

BENJAMIN LAWRENCE PATRICK E. ARITAO

Director of Prosecution Development, International Justice Mission Manila, Philippines

LYNNA CHANDRA

Asjok Fellow; founder and trustee of Rachel House children’s hospice Singapore

DENG RUI (RITA)

Associate professor, School of Public Health, Kunming Medical University Kunming, China

DO THUY DUONG

Chief executive officer and founder, TalentPool Hanoi, Viet Nam

Rescuing victims of trafficking from places of exploitation and using casework lessons to derive systemic remedies. Bringing humanity to medicine with compassionate and excellent care for all. Founded first pediatric palliative care service in Indonesia. Teaching students and conducting research contributing to the improvement of health for ethnic minorities, especially women and young girls. Designing and implementing leadership development programs to enhance the quality of women’s lives.

WAI WAI HAN

Research scientist, Department of Medical Research, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar Yangon, Myanmar

ARIEL CARINGAL HERNANDEZ

School director, Global Mindanaw Polytechnic Northern Mindanao, Philippines

BEVERLY LORRAINE HO

Director of Health Promotion and Communications Service, Health Promotion Bureau, Department of Health, Philippines Manila, Philippines

SANTI LAPBENJAKUL

Director, Lamsonthi Hospital Lopburi, Thailand

Enhancing social justice in health through research of vulnerable populations. Initiating efforts to improve the practice of evidence-based policy-making by mentoring and facilitating data to the policy program in Myanmar. Combating rural poverty and promoting equity-based development and sustainable peace. Helping put into operation the mandate of the Universal Health Care Act in the Philippines, ensuring all Filipinos are health literate and have healthy living and working conditions. Working with the government to train caregivers and redirect health care resources toward home care.

THARANI LOGANATHAN

Medical lecturer, Social and Preventive Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

LUONG THE HUY

Director, iSEE Institute Hanoi, Viet Nam

PAN MYAT MON

Country program manager, Australian Volunteers (Myanmar) Yangon, Myanmar

NGUYEN THI LAN ANH

Founder and director, Action to the Community Development Institute (ACDC) Viet Nam

Focusing on achieving universal health coverage and providing financial risk protection to households. Advocating for LGBTI in Viet Nam, focusing on raising public awareness, legal advocacy for law makers, media, youth, public and private sectors. Helping bring a sustainable social and development change in Myanmar. Empowering communities of people with disabilities. Having advocated the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is actively monitoring the implementation.

SOMPORN (NUI) PENGKAM

Founder and director, Community Health Impact Assessment Platform in Southeast Asia Bangkok, Thailand

ALAY PHONVISAY

Lecturer, Faculty of Economic and Business Management, National University of Laos Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic

KANAPON (TUM) PHUMRATPRAPIN

Chief executive officer and founder, Health at Home Bangkok, Thailand

SATIRIANTINAH (SATI) BUR RASUANTO

Co-founder and chief commercial officer, VIDA Digital Identity Jakarta, Indonesia

Leading efforts to empower communities to carry out health impact assessments to encourage them to negotiate with policymakers, with a focus on mining and coalfired power plants. Focusing on trade and poverty reduction. Combining expertise in geriatric medicine with a passion for home health care technology to serve Thailand’s growing elderly population. Enabling Digital Trust and catalyzing financial inclusion through VIDA, a technology company providing a frictionless and secure digital identity system. Supporting entrepreneurs, investing and health equity issues.

SHI NAN

Lecturer, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University Beijing, China

BUI THI THUY

Head of the Nursing Department, Viet Nam National Children’s Hospital Hanoi, Viet Nam

ABELARDO APOLLO DAVID JUNIOR

Founder, Independent Living Learning Centre (I.L.L.C.) Manila, Philippines

ABDEL JAMAL DISANGCOPAN

Attorney/Law Reform Specialist IV, Law Center, University of the Philippines Iligan City, Philippines

Focusing on health, food, and drug safety across China. Developing training programs and policies to support community health, such as those ensuring patient safety and supporting parents in caring for and understanding their child’s medical care needs. Advancing access to quality and inclusive health and education resources that equip children of all abilities and needs. Developing coherent positions, using primarily the rights-based approach, to ensure that government agencies’ requests for legal assistance to their bills, rules and regulations are in line with the constitution and laws.

CHANNÉ SUY LAN

Regional lead, InSTEDD iLab Southeast Asia Phnom Penh, Cambodia

CARMENEZA DOS SANTOS MONTEIRO

Strategic policy adviser, Ministry of Social Solidarity and Inclusion, Timor-Leste Dili, Timor-Leste

NUR KHAULAH FADZIL

Health field officer, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

SOPHIA BENEDICTA HAGE

Clinic manager and founding member, Medifit Clinic Jakarta, Indonesia

Designing solutions to help people elevate their dignity and living conditions through improvements in health, education and economic development. Working toward a just and equal society through fair, inclusive public policy formulation and implementation. Focusing on health care in detention and health policy for refugees. Focusing on issues of sexual and gender-based violence and on promoting healthy lifestyles.

HOANG TU ANH

Founding member/vice director, Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population Hanoi, Viet Nam

HAN WIN HTAT

Deputy country director, Population Services International Yangon, Myanmar

JIANG FAN

Vice chancellor, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Shanghai, China

NORAIDA ABDULLAH KARIM

Director for Mindanao Program, Community and Family Services International Cotabato City, Philippines

Empowering vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and enhancing state accountability. Strengthening health systems to tackle health and social inequity issues for the poor and vulnerable populations, through the strategic purchasing of primary health care services to improve quality in the non-public sector. Researching social and environmental change and child health; and taking part in a national, large-scale early child development intervention program in Shanghai and rural western China. Working to improve the resilience of the Internally Displaced Persons. Training para-social workers to serve as a social service catalyst in the Bangsamoro communities.

BORWORNSOM (ACK) LEERAPAN

Health systems researcher and Faculty member, Ramathibodi Medical School, Mahidol University Bangkok, Thailand

BAWI MANG LIAN

Medical officer, National Health Plan Implementation Monitoring Unit, Ministry of Health and Sports, Myanmar Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar

ELISABETH LISTYANI

Researcher, Center for Health and Policy Management, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, University Gadjah Mada Yogyakarta, Indonesia

KOUNG LO

Director, Preah Vihear Provincial Health Department Preah Vihear, Cambodia

Applying systems thinking to solve complex issues, such as regional governance of Thailand’s universal health coverage, communitybased health interventions for vulnerable populations and patient safety in health workforce planning. Focusing on monitoring Myanmar’s National Health Plan, toward improving the allocation of health resources in Myanmar, especially the distribution of health facilities. Supporting hospitals to improve services in collaboration with local government to strengthen Indonesia’s health system. Researching the inequitable distributions of hospitals and health services of remote areas in Indonesia. Working to improve access to health information and health services, especially for remote patient populations. Spearheaded an initiative to support high-risk pregnant women.

SHARON LOW

Research manager, REACH Initiative Syria Singapore

TIARA MARTHIAS

Lecturer, Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, University Gadjah Mada West Java, Indonesia

NGUYEN TRAN NGUYEN

Official, Office of People’s Committee of Dong Thap Province Dong Thap, Viet Nam

NGUYEN THI THAI LAN

Lecturer, Social Work, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Viet Nam National University Hanoi, Viet Nam

Supporting assessment, evaluation, and research projects in fragile and conflict-affected states. Assessing geographical equity in reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health. Working to expand health insurance coverage and health service provision, with a focus on the growing elderly population. Creating change through supporting access to health and social services for vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, such as children in special circumstances, persons with disabilities, HIV/AIDs patients and marginalized groups.

ANA P. SANTOS

Journalist Manila, Philippines

PAIROJ SAONUAM

Assistant chief executive officer, Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) Bangkok, Thailand

MAY SRIPATANASKUL

Founder and chief executive officer, LUKKID/Asian Leadership Academy Bangkok, Thailand

KOTCHAKORN VORAAKHOM

Founder and chief executive officer, Porous City Network Bangkok, Thailand

Writing about culturally taboo topics such as sexual and reproductive health to bridge the gap between vulnerable women in Philippine society and legislators who draft policies that affect their rights. Seeking to empower individuals and organizations for a healthy society and environment. Developing humancentered work processes that allow people to tackle social challenges through collaboration. Working to tackle climate change and increase urban resilience in Thailand and Southeast Asian cities through landscape architecture.

XU JIN

Lecturer, Center for Health Development Studies, Peking University Beijing, China

Working to bring greater recognition to the importance and feasibility of reducing health inequities and facilitating China’s contribution to global health equity.

BLANDINA ROSALINA BAIT

Nutrition officer, UNICEF Indonesia Kupang, Indonesia

Leading field implementation of UNICEF’s landmark research project on the management of severe acute malnutrition, which contributed to the effective scale-up process of this life-saving intervention for children.

GIDEON CAUTON

Director, National Law Enforcement Development, International Justice Mission Manila, Philippines

Building the capacity of public law enforcement to rescue and protect children in vulnerable communities against violent offenders, with current project focused on the online sexual exploitation of children.

RENNTA CHRISDIANA

Commissioner, Yogyakarta Hospital Supervisory Board Yogyakarta, Indonesia

ALFREDO MATUGAS CORO II

Municipal vice mayor and former mayor, Municipality of Del Carmen, Siargao Islands, Philippines Del Carmen Municipality, Philippines

Improving quality health care and empowering patients through collaborative works with providers, health practitioners, government and society. Innovating local governance in areas of public health, focusing on social determinants such as education, climate change, environmental management, and income and social protection.

LETCHIMI DEVI DORAISAMY

Grants officer, DAI Global LLC Kajang, Malaysia

PAUL GIDEON LASCO

Senior lecturer, Department of Anthropology, University of the Philippines Diliman Manila, Philippines

LE THI NHAT

Country project manager, ICRC MoveAbility Foundation Hanoi, Viet Nam

PHETDAVANH LEUANGVILAY

Technical officer, Health Emergency Program, World Health Organization Vientiane, Lao PDR

Supporting Malaysia’s reform toward a more democratic, inclusive and accepting home for all its people. Pursuing ethnographic and qualitative research on medical, social, and environmental issues relevant to the Philippines and the region. Writing for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and other publications. Aiming to ensure access to quality and affordable physical rehabilitation services for people with disabilities in Viet Nam. Strengthening public health emergency preparedness and response capacity through engaging with stakeholders to implement the national health security plan, ensuring equitable access to health services.

XIAO LONG

Professor and deputy director, Peking Union Medical College Hospital Beijing, China

GORIS MUSTAQIM

Founder and chief executive officer, Semur Nusantara Consulting Jakarta, Indonesia

NGUYEN QUÓC THANH

Artist, curator and founding director, Queer Forever! Hanoi, Viet Nam

RATAWIT OUAPRACHANON

Educator, Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University Bangkok, Thailand

Professor and deputy director of Plastic Surgery Department, Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Board member of a non-profit foundation, Peking Union Medical Foundation. Building solutions to tackle maternal deaths using big data analytics. Driving up community empowerment across Indonesia to improve the local economy, a social determinant of health equity. Exploring issues of queer aesthetics and activism, working through art and film projects, and exhibitions that are usually collaborative and participatory. Educating and conducting research to promote peace, human rights, reconciliation and conflict transformation in Thailand and neighboring countries.

PHAN THI NGOC LINH

Chief executive officer, Center for Healthcare Improvement Research Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

PANUSART (MIDNIGHT) POONKASETWATTANA

Executive director, APCOM Foundation Bangkok, Thailand

NATARAJAN RAJARAMAN

Head of Medical Services, HealthServe Ltd. Singapore

SAM OUEN SAM

Managing director, Buddhism for Health Takeo Province, Cambodia

Bringing together all available resources, domestically and internationally, to support the improvement of health care services in Viet Nam. Developing a broad range of projects to advance the health, rights and well-being of people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. Providing low cost primary care to migrant workers in Singapore; and strengthening the health systems in Timor-Leste. Improving access to quality health care services for the poor and vulnerable. Strengthening capacity of local government officials in developing responsive local investment plans and accountability.

VANNAPHONE SITTHIRATH

Media consultant, film producer, journalist and co-founder, Lao New Wave Cinema Production Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic

SEAN SOK PHAY

Executive director, Child Helpline Cambodia Phnom Penh, Cambodia

KRITAYA SREESUNPAGIT

Consultant, Vajira Hospital Bangkok, Thailand

RAPEEPONG SUPHANCHAIMAT

Senior researcher, International Health Policy Program, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand Nonthaburi, Thailand

Producing socially responsible documentaries of life in Laos and Southeast Asia, with a focus on social, health and environmental issues. Advocating for child protection law and cybercrime law to criminalize online child sexual exploitation in Cambodia. Developing an online helpline platform to give children increased protection. Creating networks of support for health care professionals to remove obstacles that prevent them from reaching their full potential. Focusing on research into universal health coverage, especially in low- and middleincome countries. Researching the health of migrants and vulnerable populations, applying epidemiology and econometrics.

RAUDAH MOHD YUNUS

Researcher and public health specialist, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

ZHANG KUN

President, Evercare Health Group Beijing, China

ZHANG YUNTING (EDWINA)

Associate professor, Child Health Advocacy Institute, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center Shanghai, China

Conducting research and advocating for the rights and protection of older adults, refugees and migrant workers. Building and training young minds to stand up for equity and social justice from the health perspective. Developing the group strategy and strong relationships with local communities. Leading, inspiring and managing the top leadership teams. Ensuring the company’s profitable growth. Establishing an early child development monitoring system, identifying a target population with equity analysis and carrying out interventions to improve child health and development.