Boosting health resilience, equity across the region

AWANI

Aside from the ASEAN Summit, there is a focus on health, highlighted by the WHO’s recent approval of a global treaty on pandemic preparedness, emphasising Malaysia and ASEAN’s need to boost self-sufficiency in medical research. Astro AWANI's correspondent, Faye Kwan reports from Australia.

Transcript

00:00Now other than the ASEAN Summit, we also would like to focus on matters concerning health.

00:06Last week, the World Health Organization voted in favour of a global treaty on improving pandemic preparedness.

00:13While this is a landmark decision, the pandemic also highlighted the need for Malaysia, along with ASEAN,

00:18to reduce reliance on big players and build greater self-sufficiency in medical research and development.

00:25Astro Awani correspondent Fei Kuan reports from Australia's National Science Agency in Melbourne.

00:34Malaysia aims to create its own homegrown vaccine by 2030.

00:38Now that's outlined by the National Vaccine Development Roadmap.

00:42This is of course supported by Australia's National Science Agency in terms of manufacturing infrastructure and human capital,

00:48as well as know-how for the advancement of the vaccine.

00:51Now earlier, I spoke to Professor Susie Nielsen from the National Science Agency, also known as SIRO,

00:58on the significance of this partnership and the importance of developing self-reliance within the biotech industry for the region.

01:05So I think if COVID taught us something, it taught us that we rely on accessing both the components for medicines

01:13and medicines from a limited source around the world.

01:16And when something like a pandemic completely disrupts the supply chain, you realise just how fragile that is.

01:23So by developing our capabilities to actually manufacture things in multiple different areas and being self-reliant within Southeast Asia,

01:31it negates that reliance on a very small supply chain.

01:34So as mentioned, traditionally, medicines are often manufactured in a small number of countries.

01:40India and China are very good at doing that.

01:42But when things impact and you can no longer access that, we realise that we have a bigger problem.

01:48So if, again, if we can develop our reliance on the South Australia region and work together and collaboratively build those expertise

01:55and that ability to have self-reliance, then when a new pandemic or epidemic comes,

02:01then we won't be relying on a very few other organisations or countries to actually help us to be treating or prepared for that.

02:11Malaysia currently imports 100% of its vaccines.

02:15SIRO's collaboration with the National Institutes of Biotechnology Malaysia aims to improve access to affordable,

02:21high-quality medications and strengthen regional health systems ahead of future outbreaks.

02:28This involves providing tools and hands-on training for Malaysian scientists

02:32to advance vaccine candidates through quality control and clinical trials.

02:37So the significance of developing a vaccine in Malaysia, it allows sovereign capability for Malaysia

02:43and it also allows to have a healthier Southeast Asian region

02:47because if we think about Southeast Asia, there's an equivalent population in that region as there is to Europe.

02:56And yet at the moment, in terms of manufacturing vaccines or therapeutics, that's just not available.

03:01So if we can grow the region so that there's more opportunity to manufacture vaccines,

03:07then that will provide equitable access and access to new medications within the region on an ongoing basis.

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