VANCOUVER, B.C. – January 15, 2021 – The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) is pleased to announce that the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), under its International Health Grants Program (IHGP), will fund the Foundation’s Translating Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Experiences for Canada research project.
As Canada grapples with the current novel coronavirus pandemic, APF Canada believes there is a critical and urgent opportunity to track COVID-19 public health policy responses in the Asia Pacific region. Asia has been at the forefront of the coronavirus crisis since early 2020, and developments in the region have valuable lessons for Canada as it moves into the next stage of pandemic response and prepares for future outbreaks of disease.
APF Canada believes there are four critical areas where the Asia Pacific experience, and Canada’s connection with the Asia Pacific, can be of particular value at this time:
- Public health policies related to pandemic response
- The use of digital innovations in public health
- Trade flow of medical supplies between Canada and the Asia Pacific
- Engagement with regional dialogue mechanisms
With these four key areas in mind, the Translating Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Experiences for Canada project will draw on a multi-method approach utilizing desk research, dialogue, and scenario modelling to deliver a set of policy papers that translate Asia’s experiences with COVID-19 into lessons for Canada.
“We are immensely grateful to PHAC for funding this project, and recognizing the vital role that APF Canada can play in enhancing strategic engagement with Asia on international public health, which will be critical to the continued health and economic wellbeing of Canadians,” said APF Canada President and CEO, Stewart Beck. “The Asia Pacific is the emerging global centre of gravity, driving economic growth and innovation. The region has developed public health policy in response to a number of earlier health crises and has been at the forefront of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. For Canada, lessons from the Asia Pacific are crucial.”
APF Canada’s Translating Asia-Pacific COVID-19 Experiences for Canada project will enable a greater understanding of Asian states’ pandemic policies, uses of technology, regional engagement, and economic ‘rebound’ and frame these developments in line with Canada’s national pandemic experience.
The six month project will include three expert roundtable dialogues with representatives from the region, and conclude with a set of four policy reports outlining directly-applicable policy recommendations for Canada in the areas of public health, digital innovation, medical supply chains, and regional engagement that are actionable and relevant as we move forward from COVID-19 and seek to maintain engagement with the Asia Pacific region.
