Officials of the APEC Health Working Group gather in Ho Chi Minh City on August 21 (Source: VNA)HCM City (VNA) – Officials of the APEC HealthWorking Group gathered in Ho Chi Minh City on August 21, expecting to address arange of issues in order to build a healthy Asia-Pacific region.
In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of HealthLe Quang Cuong highlighted health as a critical component of economic and tradedevelopment and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Investment in health is the key to inclusive and sustainableeconomic growth, he said, adding that better health leads to greater wealth andthat will be an essential driver of long-term economic development growth.
Cuong reviewed Vietnam’s hosting of the first Health WorkingGroup Meeting in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa, fromFebruary 23-24, with the theme of “Health system strengthening towardssustainable development” and five priorities.
The priorities include progress on universal health coveragein APEC economies towards healthy Asia-Pacific by 2020, strengtheningcommunicable disease control and antimicrobial resistance among APEC economies,integrated approach for promoting healthy aging and non-communicable diseases(NCDs), sustainable health care finance in the transitional period and healthin all policies, and multi sectoral action to achieve health related tosustainable development goals (SDGs) 2030.
The theme and priorities were highly appreciated andendorsed by 21 APEC economies as they are issues of common interest that need tobe strengthened more for all APEC economies in the coming year, he noted.
The second APEC Health Working Group Meeting will review the2017 HWG Work Plan, and discuss priorities and indicators for healthyAsia-Pacific by 2020, as well as progress reports on approved and on-goingprojects of APEC economies.
In his opening remarks, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of HealthLe Quang Cuong highlighted health as a critical component of economic and tradedevelopment and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Investment in health is the key to inclusive and sustainableeconomic growth, he said, adding that better health leads to greater wealth andthat will be an essential driver of long-term economic development growth.
Cuong reviewed Vietnam’s hosting of the first Health WorkingGroup Meeting in Nha Trang city, the central province of Khanh Hoa, fromFebruary 23-24, with the theme of “Health system strengthening towardssustainable development” and five priorities.
The priorities include progress on universal health coveragein APEC economies towards healthy Asia-Pacific by 2020, strengtheningcommunicable disease control and antimicrobial resistance among APEC economies,integrated approach for promoting healthy aging and non-communicable diseases(NCDs), sustainable health care finance in the transitional period and healthin all policies, and multi sectoral action to achieve health related tosustainable development goals (SDGs) 2030.
The theme and priorities were highly appreciated andendorsed by 21 APEC economies as they are issues of common interest that need tobe strengthened more for all APEC economies in the coming year, he noted.
The second APEC Health Working Group Meeting will review the2017 HWG Work Plan, and discuss priorities and indicators for healthyAsia-Pacific by 2020, as well as progress reports on approved and on-goingprojects of APEC economies.
New HWG concept notes for 2018 will also be introduced atthe meeting by APEC economies.
A joint session with other APEC fora and other internationalhealth bodies will be organised on August 22, which shows their interests andpotential cooperation on health in the future.
One of the most important content of this meeting is todiscuss and agree on the draft of paragraph of Leaders’ Declaration and JointStatement of Ministerial Meeting which has been developed by Vietnam.
This paragraph should be endorsed at this meeting beforesubmitting to the High Level Meeting for the ministers’ approval.
The paragraph should be condensed and reflect the fivepriorities that the first APEC Health Working Group Meeting has endorsed, Cuongsaid.
Speaking with reporters, Tran Thi Giang Huong, head of theInternational Cooperation Department under the Vietnamese Health Ministry, said the HealthMinistry is scheduled to chair seven meetings on health-related issues duringwhich relevant strategies and policies in APEC as well as action plans forspecial working groups will be scrutinised.
The events draw the participation of eight health ministersand five deputy health ministers of APEC economies, she added.
The seventh APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and Economy,slated for August 23, will take the theme of “medical financial reform forpublic health, looking towards SDGs,” which, Huong said, has received highappreciation of other APEC economies.
Under the declaration, Vietnam is expected to underline theneed for APEC to increase investments in the health sector, and call on theAPEC economies to joint hands in combating NCDs and tacking issues regardingaging population and cooperation in fighting newly emerging diseases andreoccurrence of diseases, along with health in all policies, she said.
HWG Chair Lic. Rocio Cathia Casildo Canedo, Director Generalof the General Office for Cooperationand International Affairs under the Ministry of Health of Peru, told theVietnam News Agency reporters that the topics Vietnam has promoted are relevantto both developed and developing APEC economies which have different healthsystems.
Vietnam made a good impression in the first meeting and nowthe country is doing a great job by suggesting improvements of concept notes,she said.
A joint session with other APEC fora and other internationalhealth bodies will be organised on August 22, which shows their interests andpotential cooperation on health in the future.
One of the most important content of this meeting is todiscuss and agree on the draft of paragraph of Leaders’ Declaration and JointStatement of Ministerial Meeting which has been developed by Vietnam.
This paragraph should be endorsed at this meeting beforesubmitting to the High Level Meeting for the ministers’ approval.
The paragraph should be condensed and reflect the fivepriorities that the first APEC Health Working Group Meeting has endorsed, Cuongsaid.
Speaking with reporters, Tran Thi Giang Huong, head of theInternational Cooperation Department under the Vietnamese Health Ministry, said the HealthMinistry is scheduled to chair seven meetings on health-related issues duringwhich relevant strategies and policies in APEC as well as action plans forspecial working groups will be scrutinised.
The events draw the participation of eight health ministersand five deputy health ministers of APEC economies, she added.
The seventh APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and Economy,slated for August 23, will take the theme of “medical financial reform forpublic health, looking towards SDGs,” which, Huong said, has received highappreciation of other APEC economies.
Under the declaration, Vietnam is expected to underline theneed for APEC to increase investments in the health sector, and call on theAPEC economies to joint hands in combating NCDs and tacking issues regardingaging population and cooperation in fighting newly emerging diseases andreoccurrence of diseases, along with health in all policies, she said.
HWG Chair Lic. Rocio Cathia Casildo Canedo, Director Generalof the General Office for Cooperationand International Affairs under the Ministry of Health of Peru, told theVietnam News Agency reporters that the topics Vietnam has promoted are relevantto both developed and developing APEC economies which have different healthsystems.
Vietnam made a good impression in the first meeting and nowthe country is doing a great job by suggesting improvements of concept notes,she said.
Regarding Vietnam’s health cooperation with other APECeconomies, Toru Kajiwara, Director of the Office of Global Health Cooperationunder the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan, emphasised medicalcooperation between Vietnam and Japan.
He said aging population is an urgent issue for all APECeconomies, including Vietnam, although the country has a young population.
“But the pace of aging population is very fast,” he said,suggesting the Vietnamese Government take a good care of this issue and preparegood policy measures.-VNA
He said aging population is an urgent issue for all APECeconomies, including Vietnam, although the country has a young population.
“But the pace of aging population is very fast,” he said,suggesting the Vietnamese Government take a good care of this issue and preparegood policy measures.-VNA
VNA
