Canada will grant 3.5 million Canadian dollars to the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund, according to the Canadian Embassy in Vietnam. This regional fund ensures that ASEAN member countries have equal access to important funding sources for vaccines, medical supplies and research for post-pandemic recovery.

ASEAN has made important strides in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, through measures such as the establishment of an ASEAN Response Fund with COVID-19, information sharing through the ASEAN Emergency Operations Centre Network and the ASEAN BioDiaspora Virtual Centre for Big Data Analytics and Visualization - both implemented in cooperation with Canada - and the articulation of a community-wide recovery from COVID-19 with the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework.

Secretary-General of ASEAN H.E. Dato Lim Jock Hoi said, “Regional efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic have been put in place since as early as February last year. As part of these regional efforts, ASEAN is working with our external partners to overcome this global challenge. The ASEAN-Canada Enhanced Partnership has always been steadfast, as shown especially in these challenging times.”

This new support demonstrates Canada's commitment to partnership with ASEAN, prioritizing investment in human resource development and promoting regional prosperity, stability and health security during COVID-19 and beyond.