The Social Innovation in Health Initiative (SIHI) participated in the Member States Consultation on the Draft Regional Innovation Strategy in the Western Pacific, organized by the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office (WHO-WPRO), held on 11 to 12 May 2023 through video conference. Dr. Meredith Del Pilar-Labarda, SIHI Philippines hub lead, and Dr. JosephTucker, SIHI China hub lead, both served as temporary advisers to WHO for this event.

Dr. Del Pilar-Labarda delivered a presentation on measuring and institutionalizing innovation in the Philippines during the plenary session on the priority actions to scale innovation for impact. She also moderated the session on the recommended priority actions for the government. Dr. Tucker, on the other hand, moderated the plenary session on the roles key stakeholders should play in scaling health innovation for impact. The consultation aimed to identify key priorities and action points and facilitate an exchange of ideas among WHO-WPRO Member States on the implementation of the regional innovation strategy. The strategy supports the acceleration of health innovation and will guide governments and health ministers as actors of innovation.