Asia Policy Research Company Limited (APR) provides innovative policy research and consulting services to assist countries in their social and economic development. APR works closely with governments throughout the region and with major international organizations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the United Nations (UN) on designing, managing, and evaluating health systems and health projects to enhance their effectiveness and improve people's well-being.

For nearly 10 years APR has provided health system research and health consulting services in Asia and the Pacific. The core services include (i) health systems research; (ii) health program and project evaluation; (iii) health project design and management; (iv) cross-border health cooperation; (v) pharmaceutical industry research; and (vi) public-private partnerships (PPPs) in health.

Asia Policy Research endeavors to have a discernible impact on the countries in which we operate by designing and implementing action-oriented, long-term solutions that meet the complex needs of the public sector and civil society. Some of our past projects in the health sector include:

Myanmar Health System Review: APR prepared a comprehensive review of Myanmar’s health sector, covering key health indicators and disease trends, public and private sector provision of health care facilities and services, human resources in health, donor activities in the health sector, and government  expenditures on health.

Greater Mekong Subregion Regional Communicable Diseases Control: APR was part of the team that designed a regional project focusing on Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam. APR designed the regional health cooperation component of the project, while also assisting in the design and planning of components on strengthening surveillance and response systems and improving provincial communicable diseases control (including HIV/AIDS).

HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control in Rural Development Enclaves: APR worked for the Asian Development Bank in designing an HIV/AIDS prevention and control project in Papua New Guinea. The project aimed to strengthen government leadership and the implementation of public-private partnership strategies to contain the spread of HIV among rural populations.

Evaluation of the Primary Health Care Expansion Project: APR conducted an overall evaluation of the 6-year, $25 million Primary Health Care Expansion Project (PHCEP) in Laos to assist the project managers in understanding the extent to which the project achieved its goals and objectives, what were its major successes and shortcomings, what lessons could be learned and applied to future primary health care (PHC) projects, and how well the new PHC system is functioning. The evaluation assessed people's access to PHC; the quality of health care; reproductive health; village health care; PHC coordination; PHC management systems; staff development for PHC management; and financing approaches.

Strengthening the Local Production of Essential Generic Drugs in Least Developing Countries: APR prepared detailed pharmaceutical sector profiles on Cambodia and Laos. The research assessed the potential for expanding and upgrading local manufacturers of essential generic drugs, with the objective of enhancing access of these drugs at affordable prices to local consumers. The research examined supply and demand constraints impeding the local production of essential drugs, drug quality, supply chain issues, public and private outlets for pharmaceuticals, and an assessment of the prospects for sustainable local production.

Exploratory Study on the Impact of the Influenza Pandemics in 1957 and 1968: APR was contracted for an exploratory study about the impact of the 1957 and 1968 influenza pandemics on selected non-health sectors (e.g., energy, telecommunications, food and water supply). Pandemic preparedness has gained international recognition and a renewed sense of urgency following the recent outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and avian influenza. The study sought to identify whether or not a measurable impact from previous influenza pandemics occurred in specific non-health sectors and to investigate possible coping measures that might have been put in place to counter the impact of the pandemics.