Recently, I was privileged to join some of the sharpest minds in global health to discuss how APEC economies achieve positive health reform; an inspiring meeting which reinvigorated my passion for our work.

The role of passionate advocates and proud partners in raising the bar on healthcare delivery was a key theme of my presentation at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High Level Meeting on Health and the Economy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The meeting was convened in support of APEC’s Healthy Asia Pacific 2020 initiative, which seeks to develop sustainable and high performing health systems by embracing “health in all policies” and a holistic “whole-of-government”, “whole-of-society” and “whole-of-region” approach.

At Janssen, we understand and value holistic partnerships in supporting transformative healthcare initiatives. While in Ho Chi Minh City, I shared our experience in collaborating with different partners in advancing medical innovation, including the development of a vaccine against Ebola, and encouraging early-stage trial results for a mosaic-based HIV vaccine.

Our efforts to help address the global TB epidemic by sharing resources and partnering with like-minded organisations to develop new treatments were also highlighted This work has been underway for more than 20 years and led to the development and introduction of bedaquiline, the first new TB medicine in nearly half a century.

We have replicated this collaborative mindset across other areas of unmet medical need. Mental illness, for example, is an area where we have the experience and resources to guide the transition to patient-centred and accessible, community-based healthcare services.

A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit identified mental illness as the second largest contributor to years lost due to disability in Asia Pacific. Mental illness will affect one-in-five people of working-age and thus impact both personal and public finances. For Healthy Asia Pacific 2020 and the APEC community more broadly, mental illness is crying out for investment and meaningful partnerships.

Janssen has been a passionate supporter of the APEC mental health initiative over the past five years and is proud to have contributed to the design, development and launch of the APEC Digital Hub, which was funded by a series of sector collaborations. This initiative marks a turning point in the regional response to mental illness and provides a framework for meaningful public-private partnerships in support of more integrated, community-based care.

I was also proud to sit alongside our partners at Operation Smile, who we have worked with for many years on programs that help transform the lives of children born with a cleft lip or palate. We are proud advocates for these types of cohesive, collaborative projects.

As our populations grow and age, public-private partnerships and multi-sectoral collaborations will play an increasingly important role in supporting the healthcare needs of communities and economies.

My time in Vietnam reaffirmed that health partnerships must go beyond bricks and mortar and deliver more than just a hospital bed or a dose of medicine. For a partnership to make a meaningful and sustained difference, we must understand the needs of everyone involved in receiving and providing care, and understand where the expertise and resources of individual organizations is best applied.

Like so many of my colleagues at Janssen, I am excited and inspired by the opportunity to work as partners in shaping a healthier Asia Pacific to 2020 and beyond.