KUALA LUMPUR: Asean and the United States (US) will strengthen cooperation in early detection, genomic surveillance, big data analytics and One Health approaches to enhance regional health security, says Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
He said the inaugural Asean-US Health Ministers Meeting on Friday (Sept 11) had reaffirmed this cooperation while accelerating support for Asean Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED) and Asean Public Health Emergency Coordination System (APHECS).
"The adoption of these agenda items is not the end of our work, but the beginning of our strategic execution. The true measure of our success lies in how effectively we translate this partnership into scalable, regional solutions that fortify our health systems against future threats," he said.
He said this in his closing remarks when chairing the 1st Asean-US Health Ministers' Meeting in conjunction with the 17th Asean Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) and Related Meetings here on Friday (Sept 11).
Dzulkefly said the meeting also guided the development of the successor Asean-US Health Cooperation Work Plan 2027-2030, aligning collaborative actions with the Asean Strategic Health Agenda (ASHA) 2026-2030.
Besides that, he said the meeting also acknowledged key accomplishments under the 2022-2025 Work Plan in laboratory capacity strengthening, workforce development as well as infection prevention and control.
"Through our Joint Statement of the 1st Asean-US Health Ministers Meeting, we have solidified our commitment to centering Asean unity, multiplying regional impact, and safeguarding health security across our populations," he added.
Earlier, in his opening remarks, Dzulkefly said the partnership brought together technical expertise, laboratory networks and public health capacity to strengthen regional resilience.
He said the ministerial-level goal was to anchor regional resilience in equity, protect vulnerable populations and secure long-term health security for citizens.
"As Malaysia takes on the responsibility of co-chairing this historic inaugural Asean-US Health Ministers Meeting, we do so with a profound understanding that the borders separating our nations are entirely invisible to public health threats.
"Our strategic focus for this Roundtable Discussion, 'Centering Asean, Multiplying Impact: A Multilateral Blueprint for Sustainable Health Systems and Security' directly targets the critical convergence of emerging health threats, demographic shifts, climate impacts, and rapid technological change," he said. - Bernama
