The Asia Pacific Academic Consortium for Global Public Health and Medicine: Stabilizing South-South Academic Collaboration

Developmental strategies over the last 4 decades have generally tended to transfer knowledge and technology along north–south axes as trickle-down theories in development, especially in health knowledge transfers, prevailed. Limited efforts in development assistance for health (DAH) were made to promote south-south cooperation for basic health needs. Globalization with increased educational networks and development health assistance has enhanced the potential for more effective south-south partnerships for health. The stages of development in a consortium and key catalysts in the metamorphosis to a south-south partnership are identified: leadership, resources, expertise, visibility participation, and dynamism of a critical mass of young professionals.