Official Release: ADPWG Flagship White Paper and Launch Webinar

We are thrilled to announce the official release of the Asia Dengue Policy Working Group (ADPWG) White Paper titled, “Unlocking Progress: Dengue Policies and Opportunities in Asia”. This milestone launch was marked by a dedicated Launch Webinar held on 30th May 2025 that unveiled key findings from the White Paper and featured an insightful panel discussion from esteemed dengue experts.

The webinar began with William Brown, Director of the ADPWG, giving a brief introduction of the group and key activities conducted since the group’s inception in April 2024.

Professor Tikki Pangestu, Former Director of Research Policy and Cooperation of World Health Organization (WHO), delivered the opening remarks, stressing the need to contain outbreaks locally through strong national health systems and integrated dengue policies. He called for regional trust and solidarity, noting that dengue is a shared challenge requiring a collective response. Professor Tikki affirmed that the White Paper offers a vital foundation to align efforts, drive innovation, and ensure equitable access to dengue prevention and control measures.

Rie Tai, Manager of the ADPWG, then shared more details about the ADPWG’s dengue policy landscaping and mapping exercise, presented key regional, national and country-level recommendations to pave the way to achieve WHO’s goal of Zero Dengue Deaths by 2030.

Regional recommendations
• Leverage existing regional strategies to shape national efforts
• Develop a dengue prevention and control toolkit: Menu of regional evidence-based interventions
• Establish a regional data-sharing and research collaboration mechanism
National recommendations
• Establish a national dengue taskforce to drive multi-sectorial coordination
• Position dengue prevention as a national economic and development priority
• Ensure transparent and equitable allocation of resources

A panel discussion then followed, featuring leading dengue experts who shared their perspectives on policy implementation and best practices across Asia:

• Professor Eggi Arguni, Paediatric Infectious Disease Consultant at the Department of Child Health, Dr Sardjito General Hospital/Faculty of Medicine at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)
• Dr Bhaskar Shenoy, Chief, Division of Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, India

We extend our sincere gratitude to our distinguished guests for their invaluable contributions.

The event concluded with Dafydd Green, Advisor & Relationship Manager of the ADPWG, who shared closing reflections of the group’s progress, reiterated the important of regional collaboration, and highlighted the group’s upcoming activities.

You can view the webinar recording below.

You can now download and access the following resources on the Asia Dengue Policy Working Group website.

• White Paper
• Policy Map

Stay updated by following us on LinkedIn, and feel free to reach out if you wish to contribute or participate in these important discussions.