GMS Contents

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has proved how human health, animal health, plant health, and the health of the environment are all closely interconnected as “One Health”. “We have seen many diseases emerge over the years. Most of them originated from animal populations under conditions of severe environmental pressures,” said Mr. Ramesh Subramaniam, Director General, Southeast Asia Regional Department, speaking at the opening of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Working Group Meeting on Environment held via video conferencing on 23 June 2020.  

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a $1.5 billion loan to support the Government of Thailand’s response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

In the popular imagination, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has been a boon for the natural world. With more than a third of the global population under some level of lockdown, we’ve delighted to see skies burst back into blueness and wild animals venturing into urban neighborhoods. It’s been easy to convince ourselves that wildlife and the environment have flourished. The truth, however, isn’t so reassuring. The pandemic has created an increase in poaching, animal trafficking, illegal fishing and other environmental crimes.

When it comes to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak no one is safe until everyone is safe. This was one of the key points emphasized by Dr.

In immediate response to global efforts to combat the pandemic, the Health Sector Group of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s Sustainable Development and Climate Change (SDCC) Department mobilized funding for Technical Assistance (TA) on Regional Support to Address the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the amount of $48.3 million in early 2020.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved on 8 July 2020 a $250 million loan to help the Government of Cambodia respond to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic by strengthening the country’s health care system, increasing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable, and providing economic stimulus to businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises.

Senior officials of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) met to discuss responses to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the GMS, focusing on regional approaches to promote recovery and resilience. The meeting was held via videoconferencing on 2 June 2020, with participation from all GMS countries and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).  

Viet Nam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivered a report on how the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was contained and managed in the country, and solutions to restart the economy, at the opening ceremony of the country’s 14th National Assembly’s 9th working session on 20 May 2020. 

Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Myanmar and Viet Nam, CLMV countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), have experienced a relatively smaller number of reported cases and fatalities of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). As of 22 June, Cambodia reported 129 confirmed cases, Lao PDR reported 19 confirmed cases, and Viet Nam reported 349 confirmed cases. All three countries recorded 0 deaths from COVID-19. In Myanmar, while there have been 6 deaths, only 286 confirmed cases were reported.