In 2007, no less than the World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm in a report that new diseases were emerging at a rate not seen before. Since the 1970s, at least 40 new infectious diseases have been identified, including HIV/AIDS, Ebola, SARS, MERS, and Zika, alongside other re-emerging and zoonotic diseases. More than a decade after the WHO report, COVID-19 emerged and brought the world to a standstill, rapidly reshaping how we live over the next four years. Today, amid growing environmental pressures and climate change that heighten risks between humans and animals, the question is no longer whether the next pandemic will occur, but when.
Indeed, readiness is our first layer of protection in the face of large-scale public health threats. But readiness should not only mean having technical capacity—public health systems must also be able to move fast, with mechanisms in place for rapid detection, swift information sharing, and quick response to potential cross-border outbreaks. As COVID-19 showed, when disease spread accelerates exponentially, time is one of our most valuable assets, and speed becomes a critical capability.
Such responsive coordination lies at the core of the mission of the Regional Public Health Laboratory Network in the Asia-Pacific (RPHL Network). By functioning as a regional mechanism for information sharing and coordination on emerging health threats—and by mobilizing a pool of qualified laboratory expertise—the Network enables timely, well-informed responses.
Interestingly, the RPHL Network was established in Thailand in October 2019—just months before SARS-CoV-2 began spreading in December of that year. Its 14 members are linked on a voluntary basis through a governance structure set out in a Terms of Collaboration (ToC) that outline membership, expectations, and operational arrangements. The Network is supported by a project-based Secretariat, housed at the Department of Medical Sciences (DMSc) under Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), with seconded staff in its early phase.
But if the Network is to truly evolve into a platform for rapid coordination and response to regional and global health emergencies, it must move beyond project-based arrangements. The Network requires sustainable footing, anchored in a clearer governance framework and a robust Secretariat—an urgent transition, well before the next pandemic.
Strong governance as catalyst for coordinated preparedness
In this context, governance is foremost about a suitable organizational structure, but it also encompasses member ownership and leadership, clear roles and responsibilities, strategic decision-making processes, and mechanisms that keep members engaged and active, enabling the Network to coordinate across countries and act quickly in both routine operations and crisis situations.
Thankfully, nearly seven years after its inception, the RPHL Network has reached a major milestone in its journey toward institutionalization. At the Network’s Annual Meeting in March 2026, members endorsed a revised governance structure and ToC, reaffirming strong member ownership through five core pillars: the establishment of a Steering Committee, the creation of the RPHL Network Foundation, a strengthened Secretariat, the formation of a Technical Committee, and enhanced member engagement. This milestone marks a significant step toward a more robust governance framework, positioning the Network as a more institutionally anchored, agile, and sustainable platform for advancing regional laboratory system development.
This effort to formalize the Network’s structures is supported by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) through its Laboratory Systems Integration Fund (LSIF)—a catalytic investment under Grant Cycle 7 to strengthen integrated laboratory systems and advance pandemic preparedness. For the RPHL Network, the Global Fund supports two technical modules to bolster laboratory systems in the Asia-Pacific: (i) developing national laboratory strategic plans (NLSPs) and improving quality management systems (QMS); and (ii) advancing regional collaboration through knowledge sharing and expanding the Network’s community of practice (CoP).
A third module reinforces the Network’s core operational structure—driving improved governance arrangements and a well-equipped Secretariat. This approach recognizes that sustained preparedness depends not only on strong laboratories individually, but also on the institutional capacity to build trust, coordinate, convene, and adapt quickly at the regional level in the face of evolving health threats.
By addressing technical capacity and governance in tandem, the Global Fund investment adopts a mutually reinforcing approach. Strengthening the Network’s operational backbone ensures that technical advancements across the region are supported by a professional management structure, while a more robust governance framework provides the mandate and stability required to sustain and scale these improvements.
Ultimately, this enhances the Network’s agility through well-defined yet adaptive structures, procedures, and systems for accountability and decision-making. Agility requires a dual-focus strategy that balances “peacetime” preparedness with “crisis-time” response. During periods of relative stability, the Network focuses on the quiet work of building the capacity of public health laboratories. But the true measure of these efforts lies in how seamlessly the Network can pivot into an active regional shield when a threat emerges—ensuring that the transition from regular operations to emergency mobilization is both rapid and coordinated. This is where strong, adaptive governance becomes critical.
And while this transition toward more sustainable and responsive ways of working is a natural progression, it can be slow for a voluntary network of national public health laboratories without fundamental backing in place. The Global Fund’s catalytic investment therefore leverages resources and partnerships to fast-track this institutional upgrade. To this end, the Mekong Institute (MI)—an intergovernmental organization based in Thailand with three decades of experience in regional cooperation, integration, and capacity development in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)—contributed its expertise to help streamline key processes and accelerate the Network’s evolution.
Since the collaboration began in September 2024, MI has worked closely with the RPHL Network to enhance its institutional and operational capacity through an iterative process of consultations and workshops. Support has focused on formalizing governance and cooperation frameworks, particularly the ToC, to establish suitable structures and enable effective coordination and decision-making among member countries. The collaboration has addressed constraints that may limit the Network’s agility, including unclear roles, informal distribution of leadership, loss of institutional knowledge, and lack of continuity in activities and resource support.
The refinements to the ToC sought to fine-tune expectations, foster accountability and mutual transparency, promote timelier decision-making, and preserve institutional memory, while maintaining the Network’s collaborative and voluntary nature.
In addition, clearer membership governance, now enshrined in the updated ToC, helps ensure the Network remains an effective platform for regional health security cooperation and capacity building as it grows.
In this light, strong governance acts as the engine of speed; by establishing clear collaboration protocols, the Network clears the path for immediate action—ensuring that precious time isn’t lost to administrative delays when a crisis hits. At the same time, an improved governance framework enhances the Network’s credibility and better positions it to convene laboratory leaders and professionals, support preparedness and prevention efforts, and align national laboratory system development with regional and global priorities.
At its upcoming Annual Partnership Meeting in September 2026 in Brunei Darussalam, the RPHL Network will convene the inaugural meeting of its new governing body. The RPHL Network Steering Committee, permanently chaired by Thailand, will be co-chaired by Brunei Darussalam from 2026 to 2028, with Indonesia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Singapore representing the member countries on the committee.
Toward an independent, responsive Secretariat
Coordinating an expanding regional network requires sustained commitment and adds to the workload of national public health laboratories. Alongside strong governance, a dependable and well-functioning Secretariat is therefore essential for timely coordination and responsive action. MI has supported the RPHL Network in setting up its Secretariat team through the recruitment of personnel with the right skills and institutional fit. Drawing on its experience, MI then helped establish context-appropriate financial, procurement, and human resource management processes and guidelines, enabling the Secretariat to operate more independently and efficiently, and respond more quickly to members’ needs.
Targeted capacity-building in program management, financial and procurement management, and information technology helped translate these guidelines into practical workflows—supporting clearer roles, faster processing, and more consistent execution of Secretariat functions. Guidance was provided for key digital infrastructure needs, including website maintenance and knowledge management. Communications training contributed to improved visibility, outreach, and knowledge sharing, reinforcing the Secretariat’s role as a coordination hub and interface between members and partners.
To support long-term viability, MI also co-facilitated a workshop with Network members and experts to refine resource mobilization plans, aligning them with strategic priorities and improving the Secretariat’s ability to engage donors and partners. In parallel, support was provided for the registration of the RPHL Network Foundation under Thai law, which, while legally anchored in Thailand, supports Secretariat operations by functioning as a regional vehicle for mobilizing and managing diverse resources.
Ultimately, strengthening the RPHL Network and its Secretariat is a phased endeavor. While current support from the Global Fund provides an essential foundation, it marks the beginning of a broader evolution. The long-term objective is clear: to transition the Network into a fully functional, self-sustained entity—a permanent fixture of regional health security, with the technical and operational capacity to respond to the needs of the Asia-Pacific for decades to come. As the Network advances toward a fully operational governance framework, these efforts enhance its ability to outpace emerging diseases, contributing to a more responsive and agile regional platform in the face of future public health threats.
Want to learn more about the RPHL Network?
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