ASK Health Asia Launches First-of-its-Kind Regional Platform to Put the Patient Voice at the Centre of Health System Reform

Inaugural summit in Singapore convenes healthcare leaders across sectors to move patient-centered care from principle to practice

Healthcare and Patient Voice leaders commit to a joint Call-to-Action at Voices for Health Summit

Singapore — On 16 June 2026, ASK Health Asia, an international healthcare think tank and consulting firm focused on healthcare policy, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration across Asia, announced the inaugural launch of Voices for Health. The first-of-its-kind summit, taking place in Singapore, brought together close to 160 healthcare leaders across sectors, including policymakers, healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups, payers, industry leaders, researchers and digital health innovators, to explore how patient-centered care can move from principle to practice across Asia and the Middle East.

Around the world, healthcare systems are facing growing complexity, widening care gaps, rising cost pressures, and increasing expectations from patients and communities. Unlike traditional healthcare forums, Voices for Health is designed as a sustained regional platform, with patient voice embedded across discussions on policy, financing, innovation and care delivery. It provides a neutral, pre-competitive, and solutions-oriented platform where stakeholders can jointly shape practical approaches to more responsive, equitable, and sustainable care.

The launch of Voices for Health also marks the start of a multi-year platform designed to strengthen cross-sector collaboration, advance patient-centered policy and care delivery, and support at least 10 collaborations by 2030 that improve patient engagement, access, and health outcomes across the region.

Voices for Health builds on a structured co-creation process launched in December 2025, when healthcare stakeholders, digital health platforms, industry representatives and patient advocacy groups came together to identify common system gaps and define priorities for patient-centered health system strengthening. Insights from that process have shaped the Summit agenda and will inform the next phase of the initiative.

Discussions throughout the programme focused on three interconnected priorities: building value-based health systems, improving integrated and holistic care across the patient journey, and institutionalizing the patient voice into healthcare decision-making. Together, these priorities support Voices for Health’s mission to embed patient needs, experiences and priorities into health policy, access, and care models that shape health systems.

“Healthcare systems cannot claim to be patient-centered if patients are only consulted after decisions have already been made,” said Chang Liu, CEO of ASK Health Asia. “Voices for Health was created to change that, by bringing patient perspectives into the decisions that shape access, financing, innovation and care delivery. Our goal is to move beyond discussion and support practical collaboration that leads to more connected, equitable, and patient-centered health systems.”

Dr Chang Liu, CEO, ASK Health Asia

The Summit featured workshops, keynote sessions, and multi-stakeholder dialogues focused on translating patient-centered care into real-world system change. Discussions explored how the patient voice can inform care delivery, innovation, access, and financing, alongside conversations on accelerating diagnosis, improving continuity of care, strengthening patient engagement, and building more integrated patient journeys.

The Summit is supported by a coalition of regional partners across healthcare, patient advocacy, policy, innovation, and industry. Strategic Partners include AmChamSG, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), and Novartis, while Pfizer joins as Session Partner. Knowledge Partners include Duke-NUS Medical School Centre of Regulatory Excellence (CoRE), CRIS, and Precision Public Health Asia Society, alongside Supporting Partners RGA, Halodoc, Singapore Science Park, and Geneo.

The Summit’s Patient Council includes the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), , Touched by Max, Inc., and Fadia Survive & Thrive Association, alongside regional patient advocates and organisations representing patient perspectives across Asia and beyond.

 Dani Mothci, CEO, IAPO

“The inclusion of patient voices is no longer optional – it’s critical in influencing how we develop innovation and unlock access. If we want health systems that people trust, patients need influence early enough to shape decisions and not just be given a seat at the table after decisions are made. That’s why Novartis is committed to building with patients and partners from day one – so innovation reflects real lives and is accessible to people in the real world.” said Judith Love, President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMA), Novartis.”

Judith Love President, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (APMA), Novartis

 

“Singapore has made significant strides in building a high-quality, accessible healthcare system – but the next frontier is ensuring every patient feels heard, supported, and cared for as a person, not just treated as a case. At SGH and SingHealth, this has long been our conviction – captured in our shared purpose, ‘Patients. At the Heart of All We Do.’ What platforms like Voices for Health make possible is for that conviction to scale beyond any single institution. When policymakers, providers, advocates, and industry align around a common agenda, we move from isolated progress to genuine, system-wide change, and every patient, wherever they are in the system, benefits.” remarked Professor Phua Ghee Chee, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Hospital Experience), Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

A/Prof Phua Ghee Chee, Deputy CEO, Singapore General Hospital

 

“Patient-centered healthcare begins when we stop asking ‘What is the matter with this patient?’ and start asking ‘What matters most to this patient?’,” said Rod Padua, Vice-Chair of the CML Advocates Network and President of Touched By Max, Inc. Philippines. “When patients are treated as partners rather than passive recipients of care, health systems become more humane, effective, and sustainable. Meaningful patient engagement not only improves trust and treatment adherence but also helps ensure that healthcare outcomes are measured by quality of life and the ability for patients to live the lives they value most.”

Rod Padua, Vice-Chair CML Advocates Network and President, Touched By Max, Inc. (Philippines)

 

 

 

About Voices for Health

Voices for Health: A Summit to Advance Patient-Centered Health Systems takes place on June 16, 2026, at Singapore Science Park, organized by ASK Health Asia and regional partners (in-person and virtual). The Summit convenes policymakers, patient advocacy groups, providers, industry, and payers to tackle diagnosis gaps, care continuity, and equitable health financing across Asia-Pacific, anchored in patient voice, value-based care, and integrated patient journeys. It marks the launch of the Patient-Centered Health System Strengthening Initiative, a multi-year platform for sustained cross-regional collaboration and action. Learn more: https://voicesforhealth.askhealthasia.com/

 

About ASK Health Asia

ASK Health Asia is an international healthcare think tank and consulting firm dedicated to advancing healthcare policy, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration across Asia. With offices in Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai, ASK Health Asia works with policymakers, healthcare providers, patient organisations, industry leaders, and innovators to drive health system transformation, promote policy innovation, and develop sustainable, patient-centered solutions across the region. Learn more at: https://www.askhealthasia.com/

 

Media Contact

Yanant Aung, yanant@spurwingcomms.com

Spurwing Communications, on behalf of ASK Health Asia