Da Lat hosts int'l health meetings
The 10th Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) and related events opened in Da Lat in the central highlands province of Lam Dong on September 14.
Organised by the Ministry of Health and the provincial People's Committee, the four-day event drew over 100 health experts from ASEAN, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan.
Health minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said an important task for senior health officials was to discuss and agree on an ASEAN health co-operation mechanism for 2015-20 for submission to the 13th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM).
The minister hoped participants would put forth new and effective ideas to benefit people and contribute to the building of a people-centred ASEAN community while promoting unity between nations.
Other issues under discussion include ASEAN's post-2015 health development programme highlighting 18 priority fields divided into four main groups: strengthening healthy lifestyles; addressing disease risks; enhancing medical systems and access to healthcare services; and ensuring food safety.
Delegates are also reviewing the implementation of the ASEAN strategic framework on developing medical services in 2010-2015 and increasing multi-sector collaboration.
Related events include the fifth SOMHD +3 (China, the Republic of Korea and Japan) and the fifth SOMHD +China.
Organised rotationally by ASEAN member states, the annual SOMHD plays a crucial role in proposing policies on heath co-operation in preparation for the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting in 2016.