Health Ministers’ meeting: Union Minister attended 15th AHMM and related meeting

The second day of the 15th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings took place in Bali, Indonesia on May 15. The meetings were attended by Union Minister for Health Dr Thet Khaing Win, together with the Health Ministers and Deputy Health Ministers from the ASEAN countries and dialogue partners, China, South Korea, and Japan.

As the first portion of the morning session, the Union Minister spoke about the importance of the health system for every country, the need to reduce private expenditures in accessing health care for the people, adding that he hoped that South Korea would share its experience with the ASEAN countries on achieving universal health coverage using ICT in a short period.

The meeting approved the joint statement of the first ASEAN-South Korea Health Ministers’ Meeting. In the 9th ASEAN+3 Health Ministers’ Meeting, Union Minister Dr Thet Khaing Win discussed that public health emergencies are frequent and that healthcare resources such as health manpower, medicines and medical equipment, and health budgets are insufficient, adding that it is necessary to make efficient use of limited health resources.

The meeting approved the joint statement of the 9th ASEAN+3 Health Ministers’ Meeting.

In 8th ASEAN-China Health Ministers’ Meeting in the afternoon session, Union Minister Dr. Thet Khaing Win discussed the establishment of Myanmar Centre for Disease Control with the assistance of the People’s Republic of China for effective control of communicable diseases such as COVID-19, expressing words of thanks for the COVID-19 vaccines and the assistance in the establishment of the centre which will provide scientific information and services to the Ministry of Health as well as other related ministries regarding Myanmar’s communicable disease prevention and control activities.

Then, the meeting released the joint statement of the 8th ASEAN-China Health Ministers’ Meeting.

In the ASEAN-US Health Ministers’ Meeting attended by health ministers from ASEAN including Myanmar and US Department of Health and Human Services, Union Minister Dr. Thet Khaing Win discussed that strengthening the health system plays an important role in public health emergencies.

He added humanitarian assistance through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management-AHA Centre is being conducted by the government together with the Myanmar Red Cross Society. Before concluding the meeting, the joint statement of the ASEAN-US Health Ministers’ Meeting was released.