The Dialogue Series

In this refreshingly candid episode, we welcome Mr. Toilet himself, Jack Sim, on a journey through toilets, taboos, and the transformational power of gumption. Drawing from his life’s work and his book “Gumption”, Jack unpacks how humour, humility, and human dignity can move the world. From sanitation to civic action, he reminds us that the future isn’t built by those who play it safe, but by thos...

Stephen Potts delves into his extraordinary life which includes winning gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games for Fencing. Through his many years of experience in healthcare and market research in Asia and beyond, Stephen sits down with Rohit Sahgal of The Voices Project Asia, to discuss the future of health research, why one needs a “killer insight”, the era of "info-besity" which we live in, rare...

Join us as we explore how adolescent psychotherapy techniques can illuminate pathways leading to or away from crime, offering critical insights into recidivism, the challenges ex-offenders face post-release, and the vital role of early psychological interventions and therapeutic practices in breaking the cycle of reoffending.

In this episode, we delve into the cutting-edge intersection of artificial intelligence, prisoner behaviors, and the complex issue of recidivism. Join us as we unravel the transformative potential of AI technologies in reshaping the trajectories of ex-offenders seeking reintegration into society, the cutting-edge intersection of artificial intelligence, prisoner behaviors, and the complex issue of...

We are thrilled to announce the release of Season 5 of The Dialogue Series. Our latest season delves into critical issues surrounding prison reform, recidivism reduction, and innovative approaches to ex-offender rehabilitation. Our inaugural episode, titled 'The Path Back,' features a compelling conversation with Holly Deane-Johns. Holly, the author of 'Holly’s Hell,' shares her profound insights...

In this episode, we are discussing patient engagement – or rather, the worrying lack thereof – in Asian societies with regard to diagnostic, preventive, and routine healthcare and how that risks undermining health promotion efforts and rendering expansions in access to healthcare ineffective at improving health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable populations. With us, we have Dr Ratna Devi, the...

Perhaps because mental illness is a stigmatised ailment, its not always easy to ‘reach the unreachable' by way of mental health support. On a societal level, does this general lack of awareness, urgency and public resources result in lasting negative impacts on the general public perception of mental health? How do we widen the remit of community-based programmes that make mental health more inclu...

The WHO's 2021 Mental Health Framework states that depending on the local context, certain individuals and groups in society may be placed at a significantly higher risk of experiencing mental trauma at very young ages. A blend of cultural behaviours and other stress facotrs can lead to debilitating trauma for children. This is Paulo's story and one person's will to change and the lessons that can...

Between 76% and 85% of people with severe mental disorders receive no treatment for their disorder in low-income and middle-income countries; the corresponding range for high-income countries is also high. Globally, annual spending on mental health is less than US$ 2 per person and less than US25 cents per person in low-income countries. 67% of these financial resources allocated to stand-alone me...

According to WHO’s 2021 global report, one in seven 10-19 year-olds experiences a mental disorder, accounting for 13% of the global burden of disease in this age group. Depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-19 year-olds. Understanding Asia's holistic attitude to m...

Health systems in large parts of SEA and the region have not yet adequately responded to the burden of mental disorders according to WHO. As a consequence, the gap between the need for treatment and its provision is large and only widening as the result of the last 2 years of pandemic isolation and disruption. What is driving this and are we allowing too many young sufferers fall through the crack...

Welcome listeners to our fifth episode of our second season, that will delve into the complex realm of global clinical trials and the access Asian patients actually have had in novel/innovative treatments – quite probably one of the most inequitable of standards in healthcare and one that hasn’t been understood deeply enough. We’re a group of like-minded health editors, researchers and writers who...

The future of wearables a reality? Our objective in this season’s episodes is to lay the foundations for a regional understanding of the necessary frameworks for the role of tech in life sciences. By doing so, we aim to develop region specific consensus that can be leveraged by policymakers, healthcare professionals, and actors in the private sector to better facilitate the development and rollout...

As technology penetrates society, digital literacy becomes increasingly vital to protect society and promote its wellbeing. As digitalisation takes root in health, we explore what digital literacy looks like for consumerised health.

If there's one lesson the pandemic has taught us, it's that telehealth and the remote/virtual delivery of health services is now viable. What does this mean for the future of health delivery?

The roles of life sciences, pharma companies and those of data-technology companies have been orbiting around disease prevention, patient pathways, hospital delivery efficiencies and long-term care. Has the pandemic created a more conducive synergy. Where one starts and the other finishes shouldn’t really matter now, should it?

Episodes 3 and 4 built asked some difficult and pressing questions – how can new-age health policy be designed keeping in mind the evolved audience it now needs to get re-engaged with healthcare matters? And in all of this, what of the healthcare system itself; does it not need to also recalibrate and integrate. In this episode, we’ll be asking our panel for their insights and opinions on how we c...

Part 2 of a special 3-part episode series, where we break down the challenges of building multiplex policies (who, what, how?) and then deep dive into a specifically challenging category that could well deserve a fresh new look at eradication strategies in this region. Ultimately, to derive consensus amongst multilateral stakeholders who each form a piece of this giant jigsaw puzzle.

Has the Covid 19 pandemic forced health policies to reconsider its criteria for evaluation and solution-finding? With the pressures made on health systems and services, the outlook that data, efficacy, clinical evidence alone can carry the weight of today’s public health burden have been shaken to its core. Vaccinations, preventable chronic diseases, the challenges of aging and degenerative co-mor...

I was curious to learn about real success stories that drive policy implementation. What sort of infrastructure is needed to bring stakeholders together to accelerate community value creation? The question I’m asking today to Fahim Ali, in the context of Pakistan’s efforts in community-driven value creation, is what can be done to reduce fragmentation and unlock integrated solutions for the post c...

The pandemic has helped mobilise incredible advances in innovation across the public and private sectors. Why is it then, after nearly a decade since the recommendation by WHO that HPV testing should be made the primary cervical screening method, that there is still such a lag to adopt it here in Asia?