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Digital innovation, seamless travel and stronger regional cooperation took center stage as APEC tourism ministers met in Macao, China to chart the next phase of tourism growth across the Asia-Pacific.
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Research examining fertility costs, preventive healthcare access and workplace inequalities has received top recognition under the 2026 APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Research Prize, highlighting the growing importance of health policy in supporting women’s economic participation across the Asia-Pacific.
Professor Zhu Zhaofang, Head of the Strategic Planning Division at the National Center for Maternal and Child Health under China’s National Health Commission, and her team received the top prize for research examining the growing financial pressures associated with childbearing and maternal healthcare.
Drawing on data from China, the study explores how maternity insurance systems can better support women and families by reducing out-of-pocket healthcare costs and strengthening maternity protection policies amid broader demographic and workforce challenges.
“Childbearing is both a personal and social choice. Women's decision to have children should never be constrained by economic pressures or personal development and career aspirations,” said Professor Zhu.
“This research demonstrates that with the right policy design, comprehensive maternity security is both achievable and fiscally sustainable. I hope these findings contribute to building economies where women are supported, as workers, as caregivers and as the foundation of healthy, thriving societies.”
The prize, presented annually by the APEC Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy, recognizes outstanding research that advances women’s economic participation by improving health outcomes.
Two additional studies were recognized as runners-up.
Dr Woo Yin Ling and her team from the University of Malaya and the ROSE Foundation in Malaysia were recognized for research exploring how antenatal care visits could help expand access to cervical cancer screening and preventive healthcare services.
Dr Sunjin Pak and colleagues from California State University Bakersfield in the United States were also recognized for research examining how long working hours and unpaid caregiving responsibilities can affect health outcomes and contribute to gender wage disparities.
“The experience of the APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Research Prize highlights the important role of research in advancing women's health and economic participation across APEC economies,” Zhang Jianmin, Interim Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy.
“Congratulations to this year's prize recipients, and we look forward to more research outputs that support knowledge sharing and more inclusive growth across the region because when we invest in women's health, we invest in the future of our economies,” Zhang added.
The APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Research Prize is sponsored by Merck and supports APEC’s ongoing efforts to promote inclusive growth through public-private partnerships.
“Merck is honored to support the APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Research Prize for the eighth consecutive year. The research recognized in 2026 highlights important evidence on women’s health, economic participation and access to care across the APEC region,” said Andre Musto, Managing Director and General Manager of Merck Healthcare China.
“We are pleased to continue supporting this platform, which helps elevate research, encourage dialogue, and contribute to shared learning among APEC economies.”
The Healthy Women, Healthy Economies (HWHE) initiative is grounded in the APEC HWHE Policy Toolkit, which highlights five areas for action: workplace health and safety; health awareness and access; sexual and reproductive health; gender-based violence; and work-life balance. The initiative supports policymakers, industry and civil society to advance women’s health as a foundation for broader economic empowerment.
For further information or media inquiries, please contact:
media@apec.org
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This news release can also be viewed on the APEC website: https://www.apec.org/press/
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Chinese Taipei has contributed USD1.5 million to establish APEC's first dedicated healthcare sub-fund, targeting the region's rapidly aging populations and widening gaps in access to care.
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Japan has contributed JPY90.1 million to support regional cooperation on clean, resilient and efficient energy solutions as rising electricity demand from digitalization and artificial intelligence places new pressure on energy systems across the Asia-Pacific.
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APEC trade ministers from the 21 member economies issued a joint statement upon conclusion of their meeting in Suzhou on 22–23 May.
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The Asia-Pacific region's economy grew 3.3 percent in 2025, exceeding earlier projections of 3.2 percent. However, recent analysis warned that momentum may be fading.
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Ahead of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade meeting taking place on 22-23 May, member economies met to review how the forum’s economic and technical cooperation agenda deliver relevant and targeted impact to the region.
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Senior officials from APEC economies convened for their second meeting of the year in Shanghai against a backdrop of growing global economic uncertainty, with discussions focused on openness, innovation and cooperation as the region seeks to sustain growth and deepen regional integration.
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On Friday in Shanghai, Huang Xiaowei, Vice President and First Member of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation and Chair of the 2026 APEC Women and the Economy Forum, shared with ministers a statement that reflects the commitments and way forward for APEC to advance women's economic empowerment.
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Ministers and high-level representatives from across the Asia-Pacific convened in Shanghai on Friday for the 2026 High-Level Policy Dialogue on Women and the Economy in Shanghai, reaffirming that sustainable future is not possible without women's full and equal participation in the economy.
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Representatives and food safety regulators from APEC’s member economies convened in Shanghai on Tuesday to reduce food safety risks and mitigate trade barriers through standard harmonization.
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APEC officials from 21 member economies are convening from 11 to 19 May for the Second Senior Officials’ Meeting and Related Meetings, amid evolving trade dynamics and growing economic uncertainties affecting the region.
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Media registration has opened for the 2026 APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting, as preparations advance for a key ministerial platform to address evolving global trade challenges.
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As governments across the Asia-Pacific tighten oversight of artificial intelligence, confront rising digital piracy and look for new ways to finance innovation, intellectual property (IP) policymakers have moved to place patent, trademark and copyright systems at the center of economic strategy.
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The 2026 APEC Healthy Women, Healthy Economies Research Prize (HWHE) is now open, calling for innovative, evidence-based research that strengthens understanding of how women’s health underpins economic participation across the Asia-Pacific.
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From supply chain resilience to digital investment and sustainability, economies across the Asia-Pacific are using investment policy to recalibrate growth strategies in a more fragmented global economy.
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Economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region is projected at 3.2 percent in 2025, with growth expected to hold at 3.1 percent in 2026, according to the latest APEC Regional Trends Analysis report, even as rising trade restrictions and policy uncertainty weigh on the medium-term outlook.
Growth is expected to slow to 2.9 percent in 2027 as structural constraints, trade fragmentation and geopolitical risks become more constraining.
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Oceans policy across the region is increasingly being treated as an economic resilience issue, as officials overseeing ocean and fisheries policy move to align marine protection, fisheries management and coastal livelihoods with longer-term growth and climate adaptation goals.
