Guided by the ASEAN Post-2015 Health Development Agenda (APHDA) and its Governance and Implementation Mechanism (GIM), the ASEAN Health Sector Cooperation deployed and operationalized the established and existing health mechanisms for technical exchanges, information sharing, and updates on policy-related measures in responding to COVID-19.

Employing an all hazards approach through the whole-of-health-system and whole-of-government approach, the ASEAN Health Sector addressed the COVID-19 threat in the whole spectrum of preparedness, detection, mitigation, and response measures through the various health platforms. All ASEAN Member States through the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) and SOMHD Plus Three reaffirmed their commitment to further enhance coordination and cooperation to control the spread of the COVID-19.

Since health officials from China shared the first information on the disease, the ASEAN Emergency Operations Centre Network for public health emergencies (ASEAN EOC Network), led by Malaysia, and with the support of ASEAN Secretariat had been sharing daily situational updates. They also provide information on prevention, detection and response measures to the ASEAN Senior Officials for Health Development (SOMHD) of ASEAN and China, Japan and Republic of Korea (Plus Three Countries), as well as to Contact Points of the ASEAN EOC Network and the ASEAN Plus Three Field Epidemiology Training Network (ASEAN+3 FETN). This is on top of the real-time information sharing through mobile instant messaging within the ASEAN EOC Network consisting of Disease Prevention and Control officials of ASEAN Member States.

The ABVC was first established in January 2020 in Manila, the Philippines, to serve the ASEAN Region by producing regular Risk Assessment (RA) and Situational Updates Report for International Dissemination of COVID-19. To sustain the ABVC operation, in 2023, the Philippines handed over ABVC to Indonesia. As the host country, Indonesia is aligning the function, roles, and capabilities of the ABVC to support and satisfy the future work of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Disease (ACPHEED)  which will be hosted and housed by Ministry of Health Indonesia. ​

The ABVC produce series of reports, namely Situation Report (SitRep), Disease Alert, Risk Assessment Report and Focus Report that shall serve the ASEAN region. The reports will be disseminated through regional alerts to support coordinated interventions between AMS and the international health and security community​

The initiatives carried out by the ASEAN EOC Network and the ASEAN BioDiaspora Virtual Centre are part of the Mitigation of Biological Threats Programme Phase 2 implemented in cooperation with the Canada’s Weapons Threat Reduction Programme, previously known as the Global Partnership Programme.