Five years after COVID-19, one thing has become increasingly clear. Preparedness cannot begin only when a crisis happens. 

Outbreaks today are no longer driven by disease transmission alone. Climate disruptions, misinformation, population mobility and operational pressures are increasingly intersecting, creating more complex and unpredictable public health emergencies across the region. 

As public health risks become increasingly interconnected and operationally complex, preparedness systems across Southeast Asia are being forced to evolve beyond reactive outbreak response models. 

Against this backdrop, the Centre of Excellence for Pandemic Preparedness (CoEPP), a centre hosted by the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) convened the Pandemic Readiness Enhancement Programme (PREP) 2026: Practitioner Track in collaboration with Thai Red Cross Society (TRCS) in Bangkok, Thailand from 11 to 15 May 2026. 

Building on preparedness gaps identified during the Friends of CoEPP Dialogue in 2025, PREP 2026 brought together Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies across Southeast Asia, alongside public health authorities and regional partners, to examine how preparedness systems must evolve in an increasingly complex risk environment. 

Curated for field-level practitioners, the programme focused on strengthening operational readiness and community-based preparedness capacities, recognising that pandemics and outbreaks often begin within communities long before they escalate into larger public health emergencies. 

Speakers, observers and partners also included the CoEPP Taskforce, Singapore’s Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), IFRC Climate Centre, Asia Europe Foundation, Chulalongkorn University and Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health, reflecting the increasingly cross-sector nature of preparedness today.

Preparedness Beyond Emergency Response

Preparedness today extends far beyond stockpiles and emergency response plans.

Climate disruptions, operational strain and overlapping crises are placing increasing pressure on healthcare systems, emergency operations and community trust across the region.

PREP 2026 emphasised the importance of continuity planning, operational coordination and community trust before crises escalate, alongside the need to translate preparedness frameworks into practical and context-specific action. 

The programme also explored how preparedness can be strengthened through organisational resilience, sustainable operational planning and stronger cross-sector coordination before crises emerge.

Discussions led by Singapore’s Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) highlighted how Singapore has shifted from disease-specific planning towards more adaptive preparedness frameworks, reflecting broader efforts to strengthen coordination across public health, community and emergency response systems.

The session also reinforced how National Societies, including Singapore Red Cross in its auxiliary role, support preparedness efforts by translating public health guidance into community-level action and strengthening coordination before crises escalate.

Climate-related risks also emerged as a growing regional concern, as rising temperatures, floods and environmental disruptions increasingly reshape disease risks across Southeast Asia and complicate emergency response operations.

TRCS shared lessons from its community engagement efforts during COVID-19 and disaster response operations, while Timor-Leste Red Cross Society reflected on how community trust supported dengue outbreak control efforts and house visits for affected communities. 

“Resilience is not what you do during a crisis. It is what you build before one.”
- PREP 2026 participant

Operational Readiness is Also Evolving

Preparedness approaches across the region are increasingly integrating technology, climate adaptation and community-based systems into operational planning. 

Simulation exercises (SIMEX) placed participants in progressively evolving public health emergency scenarios involving preparedness advocacy, resource mobilisation, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), climate-adaptive decision-making and continuity planning under operational pressure. 

Participants were required to navigate misinformation challenges, strengthen community trust, adapt operational decisions to evolving climate risks and revise continuity plans throughout the simulations, reinforcing the importance of coordinated and sustainable preparedness efforts before crises escalate. 

Experiences shared by National Societies also highlighted how preparedness approaches are increasingly evolving beyond traditional outbreak response models. 

Indonesian Red Cross Society shared how digital dengue surveillance systems support earlier detection and monitoring, while Myanmar Red Cross Society demonstrated how heat mapping can strengthen operational planning during extreme weather conditions. 

AI, digital innovation and One Health approaches were also discussed as emerging enablers for faster coordination, early warning systems and operational decision-making during crises. 

Field visits to the Samut Prakan Community Centre and Queen Saovabha Memorial Institute (QSMI) highlighted Thailand’s HFMD outbreak preparedness efforts, alongside its vaccine research and production capabilities supporting COVID-19 and tuberculosis preparedness and response. 

The visits also reinforced how preparedness increasingly relies on sustained investments in public health infrastructure, surveillance systems, research capabilities and community-based prevention efforts before outbreaks escalate. 

Strengthening Preparedness Across Southeast Asia 

PREP 2026 reinforced the importance of continuous adaptation, coordination and collaboration before crises emerge.

The programme also reinforced CoEPP’s role as a regional platform for preparedness dialogue, operational learning and cross-sector collaboration across Southeast Asia. 

Through CoEPP, SRC will continue supporting National Societies through regional coordination platforms, operational learning exchanges and preparedness discussions focused on strengthening preparedness for evolving public health and humanitarian risks across the region. 

About PREP

The Pandemic Readiness Enhancement Programme (PREP) is an initiative by Singapore Red Cross’ Centre of Excellence for Pandemic Preparedness (CoEPP) aimed at strengthening preparedness for future public health emergencies across Southeast Asia. 

PREP brings together Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, public health authorities and regional partners through practical learning, simulation exercises and regional collaboration focused on strengthening operational readiness and resilience.

Learn more about CoEPP and its regional preparedness initiatives at CoEPP microsite