There is growing recognition of the links between ill health and poverty. In order to protect the poor from the effects of illness a consortium, POVILL, is researching the causes and impacts of ill health in Cambodia, China and Lao PDR. Their research challenges mainstream thinking and provides evidence on the success of schemes to protect poor people from the financial impacts of a sick family member such as health insurance. 

A highlight of the conference will be the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the China Health Economics Institute (CHEI) and the Lao National Institute of Public Health (NIOPH). The bilateral collaboration has been developed under POVILL with assistance from China Health Development Forum. NIOPH researchers and high-ranking Lao health officials visited CHEI from Oct. 23 to Oct. 27, 2007 and held discussions with CHEI researchers and Chinese health officials. As noted by CHEI and NIOPH, collaborations in research, training and other academic activities will provide researchers of both institutions with opportunities of building up partnership and contributing to the collaboration of the two countries in developing health policies and health systems. Therefore, the two institutions decide to sign the MoU. One key area for the two institutions to work on in future is to establish an Asian Network. This network will act as a platform to encourage exchanges of experience and research findings between policy-makers, policy implementers and researchers and strengthen the capacity of participating institutions and individual members to undertake research, implement pro-poor policies and engage in policy debates.