From 18-19 February 2025, 31 participants from five Southeast Asian countries gathered in Da Nang, Vietnam, for the Southeast Asia Social, Ethical and Engagement Aspects of Pandemic Preparedness Workshop. The event was organised by OUCRU Vietnam, OUCRU Indonesia, and MORU Thailand, under the SEACOVARIANTS study led by Associate Professor Le Van Tan. This workshop brought together health researchers, scholars, policy stakeholders, engagement practitioners, and representatives from community-based organisations and local youth collaborators to share findings and experiences on the ethics, engagement, and communication aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic response and preparedness. 

A key focus of the workshop was to engage the participants in discussions and gather feedback on the country-specific SEACOVARIANTS engagement frameworks, which had been initially drafted based on community findings from Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. The workshop also highlighted citizen-led and youth-led pandemic preparedness efforts, emphasising the importance of community engagement and collaboration with various stakeholders in responding to the uncertainty of future pandemics.

As Dr. Iqbal Elyazar, OUCRU Indonesia, said during the panel discussion: “This is a great opportunity to document our collective memory—how we collaborated, how we coped, and what we have learned from the previous pandemic.”

This workshop was made possible by the SEACOVARIANTS grant, funded by Wellcome, and marked a significant step toward strengthening pandemic preparedness in Southeast Asia.