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Health ministers of 10 ASEAN members gathered in Vietnam's capital Hanoi on Thursday to discuss heath issues in the bloc on the occasion of the 12th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM 12).
Around 200 delegates from ASEAN member countries and dialogue partners including China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Secretary General as well as representatives of international organizations attended the meeting with the theme " Better Health for ASEAN Community after 2015", which officially opened in Hanoi on Thursday.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said in the past years, ASEAN has completed over 80 percent of the targets to build the ASEAN Community with great contribution of health ministers.
The bloc's health ministers have put forward suitable directions and effective strategic plans on healthcare service supply as well as boosted cooperation with partners including China, Japan and South Korea, Dung said.
The complicated situation of emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola and H7N9 as well as diseases with high infectious level among ASEAN including dengue, hand-foot-mouth disease and rabies requires a stronger cooperation among bloc members and supports from China, Japan and South Korea.
The AHMM 12 and sideline meetings focus on issues of universal health coverage focus on health insurance in the informal sector, emerging infectious diseases, prevention and control, policy response for aging, and advocacy on sustainable financing for HIV/ AIDS response among ASEAN member states.
On Thursday, the ASEAN Secretary General and representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Healthcare Cooperation during 2014-2017 between ASEAN and WHO.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises 10 member countries, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
