In a SAM Conversation with experts from the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Sydney,  one of the world's leading academic and research institutions, Dr Anurag Sharma, Co-Director, Public Health Program, and his faculty/colleagues discuss with Tarun Basu the global public health crisis brought on by the pandemic, the need for targeted investment in this area by South Asian governments, health workforce planning and skill development,  health technology assessment and research on emerging diseases among a range of contemporary related issues.