Malaria, smallpox, and even the recent COVID-19 outbreak pose threats not just to a particular nation-state but to the whole world. These infectious diseases will transcend borders and become an imminent concern for countries worldwide, especially vulnerable communities. The Global Health concept, in general, focuses on the implication that the health of people worldwide takes precedence over the concerns of individual nation-states. J.P. Koplan et al. (2009) defined ‘global health’ as “an area for study, research, and practice that prioritises improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global health emphasises transnational health issues, determinants, and solutions; involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration; and is a synthesis of population-based prevention with individual-level clinical care.” Taking these into consideration, RDI focuses on promoting health safety for all with evidence-based research.

Numerous national, regional, and global hazards pose threats to global health security and ultimately jeopardise public health conditions, intensifying the risks associated with re-emerging infectious diseases, emerging infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Additionally, the impacts of climate change further compound these challenges. The ever-evolving landscape of health hazards and risks has increased the frequency and complexity of public health emergencies and catastrophic health-related events in the Southeast Asia region. This condition necessitates establishing a robust and resilient public health system capable of ensuring health security at both national and regional levels. 

Global Health recognizes that the issue is of global and regional concern, not limited to one nation-state. Realising this importance, the ASEAN community has been striving to realise the initiatives. The ASEAN Post-2015 Health Development Agendas (APHDA) was then born and it identifies four key sectors essential for achieving robust health security and realising the health potential of the ASEAN Community: Healthy Lifestyle Promotion, All-Hazards Public Health Emergency Measures, Health System Strengthening, and Food Safety.

Through the Public Health Emergencies project (Advisor for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Research and Development Platform), RDI has mapped out case studies, which include the four key sectors that have been identified in the APHDA, covering influencing factors, frameworks, and challenges related to global health. The project brings about crucial elements in Global Health promotion such as enhancing healthy lifestyles, reducing non-communicable diseases, emphasising tobacco and alcohol reduction, injury prevention, mental health promotion, healthy and active ageing, and promoting nutritious and healthy diets.