18 May 2023 Why the WHO needs Taiwan Joel Keep Taiwan’s early warning and pandemic response should be offered as a model to the world, not hostage to China’s whim.
5 Jan 2023 Australia’s mainstream media neglected Asia’s Covid stories Ross Tapsell A heavy focus on how the US and UK struggled with the pandemic further removed Australians from their neighbourhood.
21 Dec 2022 Covid-19: from crisis to closure? Philippa Nicole Barr Moving from pandemic to endemic, many countries have not learnt the lessons of disease preparedness.
16 Dec 2022 A changing aid landscape in the Pacific Alexandre Dayant , Roland Rajah , Riley Duke Budget support was favoured during the pandemic, with loans — which must be repaid — also overtaking grants.
13 Dec 2022 2022: A global turning point Ian Hill Looking at trends and contours that have coalesced this year to make international politics more contested and unpredictable.
7 Sep 2022 North Korea’s politics defeats Covid … almost Khang Vu In one of the world’s most isolated countries, there’s no escaping microbiology, even when you’re the Chairman.
27 Jul 2022 The Quad needs a futures focus Abhijnan Rej A better – and public – understanding is needed of the cascading effects of regional challenges.
26 Jul 2022 ASEAN and pandemic recovery: Economy before strategic rivalry Tiara Putri Indira Dewanti Southeast Asia needs international support to rebuild from Covid. But help should not come with strings attached.
25 May 2022 Pacific youth: challenges today need the leaders of tomorrow Aidan Craney On climate, geopolitics, recovering from pandemic, and more – it’s vital to engage youth populations across the region.
20 May 2022 Lies, damn lies, and North Korea’s Covid statistics Khang Vu Why has Pyongyang suddenly fessed up to an outbreak after years of insisting the virus has been held completely at bay?
3 May 2022 Shanghai lockdown prompts collective action Jennifer Hsu China’s citizens are finding increasingly creative ways to make their voices heard during the pandemic.
15 Feb 2022 Asia’s Covid waste dilemma JJ Rose Southeast Asia is taking the brunt of pandemic-generated waste in a looming environmental headache for the region.
11 Feb 2022 Solomon Islands: A weak nation ravaged by a health crisis Derek Gwali Futaiasi A Covid-19 outbreak so soon after community unrest has left state institutions playing a catch-up game.
14 Jan 2022 Novak Djokovic – a symbol for anti-vaxxers? Nikola Mikovic The ruling to deport the tennis ace could hamper his career but transform him into a different type of star.
11 Jan 2022 When no shots are heard around the world Warwick McFadyen The saga of Novak Djokovic’s visa has galvanised global attention – with a result that still hangs in the balance.
24 Dec 2021 Covid-19 and -20 and -21 … Best of The Interpreter 2021 The Interpreter As vaccines rolled out, hope that pandemic lockdowns would end proved short-lived as variants took hold.
13 Dec 2021 The Interpreter’s 2021 favourites: reconnecting with music and art Jennifer Hsu Australia might have been locked off from the world in Covid times, but culture knows no bounds.
6 Dec 2021 Covid in Asia: the immediate payoff of donating vaccines Alyssa Leng The latest Lowy Institute Asia Power Index affirms that goodwill goes to the generous.
30 Nov 2021 Border closures should not be Australia’s default response Regina Jefferies The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is a risk to manage but not at the expense of leaving people in limbo.
22 Nov 2021 Forecasting vaccination in the Pacific Alexandre Dayant In the race to protect populations, big parts of the region have fallen well behind.
5 Nov 2021 National self-interest cannot govern global vaccine distribution Nicholas Bugeja The “all” is the most important part of the message that we’re not safe until we’re all safe.
3 Nov 2021 Politics and Covid-19 funds in Papua New Guinea Michael Kabuni Putting the money in the hands of MPs could mean it will never be known just how the funds were used.
26 Oct 2021 Overcoming community resistance to vaccination in Papua New Guinea Mihai Sora Increasing public demand for vaccines is the key to improving the country’s economic prospects and public safety.
25 Oct 2021 Assessing Australia’s role in global vaccine equity Roland Rajah , Alyssa Leng Australia has been more generous than most but as geopolitical as China.
13 Oct 2021 Vietnam had seemingly conquered Covid. Then Delta spread Helen Clark The Southeast Asian nation is slowly emerging from months of lockdown but has plenty of challenges yet.
13 Oct 2021 Zooming out of digital diplomacy Jeffrey Robertson It’s time to think beyond the videoconference to allow countries to trust again.
12 Oct 2021 Australia should donate surplus vaccine to Indonesia Josh Burns Helping a neighbour in need is far from mere charity but will protect Australia, too.
30 Sep 2021 Indonesia: painted politics Stania Puspawardhani A street art controversy shows government sensitivity over its Covid-19 response. It’s unlikely to be the last.
24 Sep 2021 Whipping the Covid-19 vaccine market into shape Philippa Nicole Barr The COVAX vaccine procurement facility has run a remarkable race, but needs stable funding for long-term success.
14 Sep 2021 Diagnosing Indonesia’s health challenges Ariane Utomo , Firman Witoelar The sickness in the country’s health system was apparent long before the pandemic. Covid only makes reforms more urgent.
7 Sep 2021 A blockchain solution to Covid-19 vaccine scams Philippa Nicole Barr An international market for fake medicine threatens hard won gains in the global vaccination race.
23 Aug 2021 Why politics and pandemics don’t mix John West Michael Lewis’ stranger-than-fiction take on how America’s public health mechanisms failed in the face of Covid-19.
20 Aug 2021 As Delta looms, PNG’s vaccine rollout challenges mount Ishani Kaluthotage Getting the jab where it is needed is only part of the problem. Making sure people understand the urgency is another.
17 Aug 2021 Australia should scale up its vaccine diplomacy Philippa Nicole Barr Is Australia undermining its own efforts to help other countries in the pandemic?
4 Aug 2021 Cruising into stormy weather Nick Savvides Covid-19 is not the cruise industry’s only woe. Will America’s love affair with sea voyaging be able to turn the tide?
19 Jul 2021 Press freedom more important than ever in the Asia–Pacific Olivia Pirie-Griffiths A new database tracks incursions and crackdowns on journalists’ capacity to report.
15 Jul 2021 Indonesia cannot afford to put its economy before people Eduard Lazarus , Teguh Maulana A religious festival has become a super-spreading event. The government knew the risk but didn’t do enough to stop it.
14 Jul 2021 Sun, surf and a sandbox escape from a pandemic Erin Cook Thailand’s holiday island Phuket is trialling vaccine tourism in a bid to recover from the Covid-19 wave.
12 Jul 2021 Covid crisis deepens in junta-ruled Myanmar David Hopkins Patchwork restrictions haven’t contained the virus. And now the danger is spilling over the border to neighbours.
5 Jul 2021 Aiding the Pacific during Covid: An update Roland Rajah , Alexandre Dayant While the money is flowing, the outlook for the region has also darkened considerably.
28 May 2021 Putting the pandemic in perspective John West Fareed Zakaria’s new book tells of tiny moments that have led to massive change.
27 May 2021 Thailand’s overcrowded prisons hit by Covid-19 surge David Hopkins Amid one of the world’s highest incarceration rates, an outbreak was always a risk. But the government has struggled.
27 May 2021 Fiji: Cannabis should be high on the government’s agenda Samantha Cook The tourists are gone, and Covid has crippled the economy. A well-regulated marijuana industry might not be a bad idea.
19 May 2021 When border control goes over the line Donald R Rothwell It will take months to repatriate Australians from Covid-ravaged India. A policy reset is urgently needed.
19 May 2021 Patent waiver for vaccines is a plus, but no panacea Roland Rajah Lifting IP rights won’t kill innovation. It also won’t automatically get more vaccine doses where they’re needed.
18 May 2021 Australia and migration: Will the Covid pause become a full stop? Sam Roggeveen A bipartisan consensus about high immigration remains. But so does arrogance about Australia’s place in the region.
12 May 2021 India’s Covid-19 wave is spreading south Lesley Branagan Will South India’s health system hold up to its promise in the second wave of Covid?
10 May 2021 Closed borders: The unequal waiting game Angela Lehmann Old notions about international mobility will need to be revised, especially for students travelling abroad.
7 May 2021 Post-Covid disaster governance in Southeast Asia Angelo Paolo L. Trias , Alistair D.B. Cook The pandemic revealed a narrow focus on natural hazards, lacking the systems needed for an increasingly complex world.
6 May 2021 Philippines community pantries give help – and send a message Andrea Chloe Wong Filipinos are putting the Duterte administration on notice that its efforts to help during the pandemic fall short.