Asia Pacific One Health Initiative Launches in Singapore
The new regional body aims to detect emerging infectious disease threats early through predictive modelling and cross-border research.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Diseases — General
The Asia Pacific One Health Initiative (APOHI) was launched in Singapore on November 3, 2026, to identify emerging infectious disease threats before they spread. It is backed by Temasek Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and the Health for Human Potential Community by the Philanthropy Asia Alliance.
Why it matters
Surveillance systems in the region have often operated in silos, with information fragmented across institutions and borders. Emerging threats are increasingly shaped by interactions between humans, animals, and the environment, and dense populations and rich biodiversity in Asia-Pacific heighten the risk of zoonotic spillover.
The initiative sets a 10-year horizon for building regional surveillance capacity, and its first programme spans four countries. Results from the Borneo monkey malaria study have not yet been reported.
The players
Leo Yee-Sin
Leo Yee-Sin led teams through the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022 in Singapore, drawing on that experience in the regional initiative.
Kimberly Fornace
Kimberly Fornace is a spatial epidemiologist leading the initiative's first programme, which studies monkey malaria in Borneo.
Temasek Foundation
Temasek Foundation is a Singapore-based philanthropic organization supporting the initiative.
Gates Foundation
The Gates Foundation is a global philanthropic organization that funds public health research and supports the initiative.
The details
APOHI brings together regional partners, experts, and institutions across human, wildlife, and environmental health. Its first programme, led by spatial epidemiologist Kimberly Fornace, is mapping potential macaque monkey hotspots where a malaria-causing parasite could pass from monkeys to humans through mosquito bites.
Timeline
2003: SARS outbreak in Singapore, led by Leo Yee-Sin's teams.
2020 to 2022: Covid-19 pandemic response in Singapore.
November 3, 2026: APOHI launched in Singapore.
Next 10 years: APOHI aims to build regional surveillance and research capacity.
Big Picture
The initiative builds on lessons from Singapore's SARS outbreak response in 2003 and its Covid-19 pandemic response from 2020 to 2022. It shifts emphasis from reacting to outbreaks toward predicting threats through integrated regional surveillance.
Residents across the region may see stronger early-warning systems for infectious disease over the coming decade. The initiative's monkey malaria study could also inform future public health planning for zoonotic threats.
The takeaway
Diseases that jump from animals to people are increasingly shaped by human, wildlife, and environmental factors together. Tracking them across borders, rather than institution by institution, is the approach APOHI is betting on.
Further reading
For broader context on emerging threats, explore Diseases — General coverage on Wisevoter.
