This event is part of the Asia Health Policy Program (AHPP) 2020-21 Colloquium series "Health, medicine, and longevity: Exploring public and private roles"

Non-state actors contribute to health systems in many ways that are vital for health and well-being, especially for those most vulnerable. We will hear from three distinguished speakers on non-government organizations and public-private collaborations in Asia: Dr. Karki, Executive Director of PHASE Nepal; Mr. Choub, Executive Director of KHANA, Cambodia; and Dr. Huntington of Johnson & Johnson, Singapore, prefaced by video interviews of many others. They will share about the trade-offs in contracting for health services in Asia and beyond, from the conceptual foundations to the daily reality of practitioners, and what COVID-19 has taught about “building back better” in the future.

Speakers:

Dr Jiban Karki is a development professional with a PhD in Public Health, a master’s degree in Rural Development and bachelor’s degrees in Civil Engineering and Business Administration. He has over 20 years of experience in leading development organizations and managing projects in Nepal and over 9 years of experience in academic research in South Asia. He is currently working with the University of Sheffield. He also leads PHASE Nepal, an NGO he founded in 2006 in Nepal which works with multiple partners at the grassroot level in the health, education and livelihoods improvement sector where other organizations rarely go because of the remoteness of the areas.  His research interests range from community led primary health care to provision of Assistive Technology to Person with Disabilities. 

Mr. Sok Chamreun Choub is the Executive Director of the Khmer HIV/AIDS NGO Alliance (KHANA) in the Kingdom of Cambodia, which focuses on prevention and treatment for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, sexual reproductive health, other non-communicable diseases, as well as promoting human rights and health coverage for vulnerable populations in Cambodia. Chamreun’s professional background is in social science, but he has been devoted to public health work for 27 years in government, the UN and NGOs—more than two decades with KHANA, but also in many other roles. For example, he currently also serves as the Chief of Party for the five-year USAID-funded Community Mobilization Initiative to End TB (COMMIT); the Chair of the Steering Committee of the Health Action Coordinating Committee for the Cooperation Committee for Cambodia; Vice-Chair Civil Society Representative for The Global Fund Country Coordination Committee for Cambodia; Co-Chair of the Activists Coalition on TB for Asia and the Pacific; and the Developing Country NGOs Representative of the Stop TB Partnership Board.  

Dr. Dale Huntington is currently Senior Director, Health Care Systems for Emerging Markets with Johnson and Johnson, based in Singapore where he serves as the primary Global Health Policy lead in Asia and the Pacific. In this role, he is responsible for developing and implementing a strategy to advance Johnson & Johnson’s Enterprise objectives and Government Affairs & Policy platform priorities – with a particular focus on shaping healthcare systems to expand access to quality healthcare in key emerging markets. Prior to joining Johnson and Johnson he was with the WHO, working as the Director of the Asia Pacific Observatory on Health Policy and Systems, based in the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office, Manila, and as a Scientist with the Department of Reproductive Health and Research in Geneva. Before joining WHO he was a Senior Health Specialist at the World Bank – focused on South and East Asia. He holds a Doctorate in Science degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health, specializing in health services research and evaluation. He has lived and worked in developing countries for over 25 years. He has an extensive publication record and is proficient in French.