State of Transforming Care Systems in Asia-Pacific: Report of the 2024 Asia‑Pacific Care Forum

The 2024 Asia-Pacific Care Forum brought together experts, policymakers, and practitioners to address the urgent need to transform care systems in the region and to convene the regional care movement. With over 200 participants from 19 countries, fostering dialogue among diverse stakeholders, the Forum was a powerful example of South–South exchange. The Forum showcased innovative care models and advanced good practices and policies to promote inclusive, gender-responsive care systems across the Asia-Pacific region.

This report synthesizes key discussions, findings, and policy recommendations that emerged from the 2024 Asia-Pacific Care Forum, a pivotal gathering of diverse stakeholders committed to #TransformCare.

The Asia‑Pacific region is a dynamic and active space for care-related action. Although there is more momentum than ever before, and significant progress is being made at the regional, subregional and country levels, this progress must be sustained and accelerated across all stages of the policy and programme lifecycle. There is also a need for concrete implementation of newly developed frameworks for care to drive faster progress towards women’s economic empowerment and gender equality.

It is crucial to sustain momentum on transforming care systems at all levels, local, national, subregional, regional and global. The insights and recommendations generated by the 2024 Asia‑Pacific Care Forum link directly to wider efforts on gender equality and women’s empowerment across all levels of needed reform.

The Forum was organized by the UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, with the support of the Global Alliance for Care, and partners: Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Development Research Centre (IDRC), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Visa Foundation, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and Ayat Care.