The ANU School of Medicine and Psychology (SMP) represented Australia at the Asia Pacific Regional Policy Forum on Social Health Protection and Universal Health Coverage, held in Bangkok from 12–14 May 2026, and at the ILO-CONNECT General Assembly which followed.

Organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the ASEAN Institute for Health Development (AIHD) and the WHO Providing for Health (P4H) Network, and supported by the governments of Luxembourg and Belgium, the forum aimed to advance Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Universal Social Protection (USP) across the region.

Participants included social health protection administrators, researchers, development partners, social partners, and civil society organisations from across Asia and the Pacific. Representing ANU SMP, Associate Professor Nyoman Sutarsa contributed as a panellist in Session 6 on coordinated approaches to advancing social justice and health equity.

ANU SMP has been an academic member of ILO-CONNECT since 2023, represented by Professor Christine Phillips and Associate Professor Nyoman Sutarsa, and continues to strengthen collaboration with CONNECT members across the Asia Pacific.

The forum was followed by the ILO-CONNECT General Ahttps://connectshp.com/the-1st-connect-network-general-assembly-meeting/ssembly, hosted by AIHD at Mahidol University, Thailand. This marked the network’s first in-person gathering since its establishment and provided an important opportunity to strengthen relationships, enhance collaboration, and promote knowledge exchange among members.

Key agenda items included identifying future collaborative research priorities, discussing the appointment of the Steering Committee, revising the Network Charter, and exploring practical approaches to strengthen member engagement and communication.

Further information:https://connectshp.com/the-1st-connect-network-general-assembly-meeting/

• https://www.ilo.org/
• connectshp.com/the-1