Our work examines how effective coverage evolves in relation to the functioning of primary health care systems, with a particular focus on countries in the Asia Pacific region. The overall objective is to generate policy-relevant evidence on whether and how structural determinants and health care delivery process of PHC translate into real health gains. We pursue this through a cross-country longitudinal analyses of PHC outcomes and PHC policies and their impact on structure and process. The programme is explicitly designed to inform policy choices on PHC strengthening. It is developed through close collaboration between academic health systems researchers and regional and global policy partners, including WHO-linked initiatives and ASEAN stakeholders, to ensure scientific rigour and practical relevance.