With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to force Southeast Asian governments to impose public health restrictions that hurt their economies, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to helping ASEAN countries develop the capacity required for vaccine procurement and the needed financial management skills, said Bambang Susantono, Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development, during ADB's Southeast Asia Development Symposium (SEADS) 2021.

SEADS 2021, Innovation through Collaboration: Planning for an Inclusive Post-COVID-19 Recovery, was held on 17–18 March.