Delegates at the event (Photo: VNA) The 10th Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) and related events opened in Da Lat city in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on September 14.
Jointly 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 one of the important tasks for the senior health officials is to jointly discuss and agree on an ASEAN health cooperation mechanism for 2015-2020 for submission to the 13 th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM).
The Minister hoped the participants would actively put forth new and effective cooperation mechanisms to bring enormous benefits for the people and contribute to the building of a people-centred ASEAN community while promoting solidarity and unity between nations.
Other important 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 cooperation in preparation for the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting in 2016.-VNA
