Innovating equitable health for Asia-Pacific and beyond

Innovation in global health takes many shapes, but at its core, it’s about achieving more, improving quality, and ensuring fairness, all while working with limited resources. This type of innovation can be seen not only in new technologies but also in the improvement of health systems behind the scenes.  

Across the Asia-Pacific, urgent health issues include ageing populations, rising inequality, and climate change, which are all putting significant pressure on health systems and posing risks to overall social wellbeing. 

Global Health Innovations

Our core objectives

Integrate

global health priorities into the design and refinement of innovations addressing major burdens of disease in Asia-Pacific.

Strengthen

systems-level enablers for adoption and scale.

Advance

regional capacity in innovation science to seed effective national and regional responses to emerging health challenges.

Our approach: From insights to impact

We accelerate innovation through a structured pathway:

  • Identifying priority health system needs
  • Rapid prototyping and interdisciplinary co-design
  • Real-world pilot implementation
  • Rigorous evaluation and support for scale

 

This ensures that solutions are context-appropriate, sustainable and aligned with regional priorities in health equity and resilience.

Key focus areas

Climate-health innovation

Supporting Asia-Pacific innovators in developing solutions for heat adaptation and environmentally sustainable health systems.

Health AI

Examining responsible adoption and integration of artificial intelligence in health systems and care delivery.

Frugal innovation

Improving affordability and quality in trauma care and surgery through context-driven design.

 

Asia-Pacific Global Health Innovation Hackathon 2026

A flagship programme that convenes clinicians, researchers, students and industry partners to co-develop practical, scalable solutions for pressing global health challenges in Asia.

Through interdisciplinary teamwork, expert mentorship and rapid prototyping, participants translate real-world health system needs into implementable innovations — from outbreak preparedness and digital health to community-based care. Beyond the event itself, the hackathon strengthens regional partnerships, builds innovation capacity and catalyses solutions with long-term impact.

Learn more

Global Health Innovation Fellowship

An academic incubator that equips emerging leaders with the skills, mentorship and networks to translate ideas into scalable impact.

 


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Screenshot 2026-02-13 at 10.52.33 AM

Resources

Fixing fractures, rebuilding lives: frugal innovation in trauma care

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Media Release: SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre hosts inaugural Asia-Pacific hackathon on health and climate

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Get in touch

For more information about our innovation programme or to get involved, please contact us at sdghi@duke-nus.edu.sg.

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