The Asian Strategic Alliance for Pneumococcal Disease Prevention (ASAP) is a working group of healthcare professionals from across Asia, formed specifically to highlight the burden of pneumococcal disease in this region and foster collaboration in the fight against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumonia. ASAP comprises of key opinion leaders in the field of pediatrics and pneumococcal disease (PD) control from across the region.

ASAP was first launched on December 14, 2007 as the first and only group of healthcare professionals in this region formed to specifically focus resources on PD in Asia Pacific. It is the only Asian group to join the growing number of expert's from international organizations like the international Vaccine Institute (IVI) in the collective effort to raise awareness of infectious diseases like PD and it's prevention.

ASAP is affiliated to the global Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE) and the Asian Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ASPID).

ASAP collaborates with other public health and pediatric groups to achieve its mission of containing and controlling pneumococcal disease in the Asia Pacific region through awareness, surveillance, advocacy and prevention.

(SOURCE: Pneumococcal Disease Conference, October 19, 2008. Organized by ASAP-India & IAP.)