ASEAN health ministers to gather in Hanoi for talks
Health delegates from ASEAN region, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will meet in Hanoi from September 15-19 to discuss pressing regional health matters at the 12th ASEAN Health Minister Meeting.
The event, with the theme "Better health care for the ASEAN Community," will focus the discussion on several salient topics including improvement of primary health care with the goal of universal health coverage, non-communicable disease prevention, and multi-sectoral co-operation in the prevention of newly emerging infectious diseases.
"The event will be a chance for ASEAN members to discuss health policies and share their experience with an aim to build a healthy community in the region in the coming years," said Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long at a press conference on September 11.
"The event also aims to improve peoples' health in the region by sharing our experiences in tackling pressing health issues and thereby improving co-operation with partner countries, like China, RoK, and Japan," said Long.
At the event, the ministry of health will speak about its achievements in health care and preventative policy. Long specifically mentioned the results from the successful implementation of the Millennium Development Goals like reducing maternal and infant (0-5yrs) fatality rates.
Hosted by the Ministry of Health of Vietnam for the first time, the meeting will also include four side events focusing on a range of topics such as universal health coverage by focusing on health insurance in the informal sector, emerging infectious diseases prevention and control, policy response to ageing populations, and advocacy for sustainable financing of the HIV/AIDS response in ASEAN member countries.