On February 3rd, 2020, the ASEAN Plus Three SOMHD attended by all ASEAN Member States and Plus Three Countries, also World Health Organization (WHO) representatives gathered together through Video Conference platform to share the current situation in all Countries, sharing of technical expertise and lessons in detection of COVID-19, and preparedness measures undertaken by all Countries.

WHO declared the COVID-19 as the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on 30 January 2020, among others, to further strengthen Country’s health system and to establish international coordination and cooperation to mitigate the international dissemination of the COVID-19.

The ASEAN Plus Three SOMHD give credence to the existing mechanism in the ASEAN Health sector and its engagement with other regional and global platform.

1. ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials Meeting for Health Development (APT SOMHD) currently chaired by Cambodia
2. ASEAN Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) Network led by Malaysia
3. ASEAN Plus Three Field Epidemiology Training Network (ASEAN+3 FETN) currently chaired by Malaysia and coordinated by Thailand;
4. ASEAN BioDiaspora Virtual Centre for big data analytics and visualization (ABVC) led by Philippines;
5. ASEAN Risk Assessment and Risk Communication Centre (ARARC) led by Malaysia;
6. Public health laboratories network under the purview of ASEAN Health Cluster 2 on Responding to All Hazards and Emerging Threats; and,
7. Regional Public Health Laboratories Network (RPHL) led by Thailand through the Global Health Security Agenda platform

The ASEAN Plus Three SOMHD Special Video Conference was concluded with reaffirmation of the commitment reiterated in the 8th ASEAN Plus Three Health Ministers Meeting, to continue our efforts on the implementation of International Health Regulation (IHR), Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies (APSED III) to enhance AMS and Plus Three countries’ capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. In sustaining the progress made, there is further need to strengthen: (1) combating antimicrobial resistance, food safety and zoonotic disease control, (2) inter-sectoral communications and information-sharing including the regular sharing of outbreak investigation reports between human and other relevant sectors, and (3) existing inter-sectoral mechanism, which includes Development Partners, to oversee IHR core capacity development within AMS and Plus Three countries.

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