The first ASEAN Chiefs of Military Medicine Conference opened in Hanoi on May 27, under the chair of the Military Medicine Department (MMD) under the Vietnamese People’s Army.

Themed “ASEAN Military Medicine Cooperation Towards the Future”, the event aims to seek efficient mechanisms for cooperation and establish an information channel to exchange expertise, thus contributing to promoting friendship and mutual understanding among ASEAN army forces as well as to developing the military medical sector in the region.

Col. Vu Quoc Binh, Chief of the MMD said that the delegates will hear ten reports to get a broad overview of the ASEAN military medical sector and prospects for cooperation. They will discuss Vietnam’s initiative on holding exchange among ASEAN young medical military doctors.

The delegates are expected to discuss and agree on cooperative contents related to epidemic prevention, community health improvement, tackling environment problems, humanitarian activities and training and scientific research activities.

Binh added that over the past time, the Vietnamese medical corp has become an important force in dealing with the consequences of natural disasters and engaging in healthcare for the community, especially in remote and mountainous regions.

So far, the Vietnamese medical corp has teamed up with their counterparts in 30 countries, including ASEAN countries in the fight against malaria, dengue fever, HIV/AIDS, H1N1 and H5N1 flu, and the application of new technologies and the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases./.