The Covid-19 pandemic has devastated many developing countries, particularly those in East and Southeast Asia due to their heavy reliance on global economic connections and low public health capacity. Although many have managed a respectful rebound since early 2021, uncertainties in world economic recovery have left many economies in unstable positions. Our study on developing Southeast Asia has several main findings. First, government expenditure on health and economic stimulus packages to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic in developing ASEAN countries has been considerably lower than the world average due to each country’s poor fiscal conditions. Second, financial assistance from external sources is essential to enhance public health capabilities and to facilitate economic recovery.