This section provides a background on the Strategic Framework on Health Development (2010-2015) and its operation by relevant subsidiary bodies on healthcare.
Introduction
The ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC) Blueprint which was approved by the ASEAN Leaders at the 4th ASEAN Summit held on 1 March 2009 in Hua Hin, Thailand is now the main guiding document for ASEAN regional cooperation in the socio-cultural sector, including health.
The 5th Meeting of SOMHD held on 7-9 December 2009 in Kuala Lumpur discussed the mechanism for the implementation of the ASCC Blueprint; and observed that there are 54 actions under the following sections, namely:
- B.3: Enhancing Food Security and Safety
- B.4: Access to Healthcare and Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles
- B.5: Improving capabilities to Control Communicable Diseases
- B.7: Building disaster-resilient nations and safer communities (only action line xii)
There are now 55 health action lines under the purview of the health cooperation based from the concurrence made at the 6th SOMHD, July 2011 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. Additional action line from B.6 Ensuring a drug-free ASEAN – which is, action line iv. Sharing of drug research data among ASEAN Member States – has been made a co-responsibility of the ASEAN Mental Health Task Force (AMT). This action line will be accomplished with the working group under the Security Cooperation Division of ASEAN Political-Security Community Pillar or APSC.
ASEAN Strategic Framework on Health Development (2010-2015)
The SOMHD Planning Meeting was conducted on 17-19 March 2010 in Chiang Mai, Thailand to draft an implementation plan of Health Cooperation activities under the ASCC Blueprint. Some of the main decisions were as follows:
- Classification of proposed actions that fall under the purview of SOMHD and of other sectoral bodies
- Classification of proposed actions under section B.4 into two levels: regional and national actions
- Some un-implemented areas need to be focused including Increase Access to Health Services for ASEAN people, Maternal and Child Health, Migrants health, Healthy lifestyle and Non – Communicable Diseases, and Mental Health. As such, there was a need for an additional meeting to fully develop the work plan for those mentioned areas
The 2nd Planning Meeting to finalise the Work Plan was held on 25-27 May 2010, Manila, Philippines. The drafting team comprised the following four volunteer countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. The Meeting was of the view that due to some similarity of proposed actions under the Blueprint, it was suggested to group activities according to the focus areas in each section, as described below.
- B3. Enhancing food security and safety.
- Strategic objective: to ensure adequate access to food at all times for all ASEAN peoples and ensure food safety in ASEAN Member States.
- Five focus areas: regional standard and procedure, laboratory, capacity building on risk analysis, emergency response to foodborne diseases and food outbreaks, overall coordination.
- B4. Access to healthcare and promotion of healthy lifestyles
- Strategic objectives: to ensure access to adequate and affordable healthcare, medical services and medicine, and promote healthy lifestyles for the peoples of ASEAN.
- Six focus areas: maternal and child health, increase access to healthcare services, migrant health, promotes ASEAN healthy lifestyle (non-communicable diseases, tobacco control, and mental health), traditional medicine, and pharmaceutical development.
- B5. Improving capability to control communicable diseases
- Strategic objective: to enhance regional preparedness and capacity through integrated approaches to prevention, surveillance and timely response to communicable and emerging infectious diseases.
- Three focus areas: prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases, HIV and AIDS, and enhancing regional supportive environment.
- B7. Building disaster – resilient nations and safer communities
- Strategic objective: to strengthen effective mechanisms and capabilities to prevent and reduce disaster losses in lives, and in social, economic, and environmental assets of ASEAN Member States and to jointly respond to disaster emergencies through concerted national efforts and intensified regional and international cooperation.
- One focus area: multi-sectoral Pandemic Preparedness and Response
The ASEAN Strategic Framework on Health Development (2010-2015) was endorsed at the 10th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting, held during 19-23 July 2010, Singapore. This document will serve as a strategic framework on the implementation of ASCC Blueprint on health development. It will provide direction for relevant technical working groups to further develop their respective work plans. This will allow existing health subsidiary bodies/task forces to maintain their ownership by developing their respective work plans. In addition, elaboration of each of focus area requires specific expertise to come up with comprehensive work plans. The 10th AHMM tasked SOMHD and relevant subsidiary bodies on health to develop their specific work plan for further endorsement by SOMHD.
Health Subsidiary Bodies (Technical Working Groups/Task Forces)
As tasked by the SOMHD, health subsidiary bodies have organized planning sessions/workshop to develop their work plans in alignment with Strategic Framework on Health Development (2010-2015). The working groups/task forces also considered in their work planning the following criteria:
- plans should be focused and doable
- address regional concerns
- strengthen partnership with potential partners
- enhance ASEAN value.
Ten existing health subsidiary bodies have formulated their respective work plans as follows.
- ASEAN Task Force on AIDS (ATFOA) developed the 4th ASEAN Work Programme on AIDS (2011-2015) and updated it last November 2011 to allow implementation of some deliverables from the ASEAN Declaration on HIV/AIDS (19th ASEAN Summit, 17 Nov 2011). The original Work Plan has been approved by the SOMHD on 25 March 2011. The updated/revised Work Plan has been endorsed by the 7th SOMHD.
- ASEAN Focal Points on Tobacco Control (AFPTC) developed the ASEAN Bi-annual Work Plan for tobacco control (2011-2012). The Work Plan has been approved by SOMHD on 2 May 2011. Updated version of the Work Plan activities with extended period of accomplishment to 2015 have been agreed by the group last November 2011. The Work Plan has been endorsed by the SOMHD.
- ASEAN Expert Group on Food Safety (AEGFS) has developed the 2nd ASEAN Food Safety Improvement Plan (AFSIP II; 2011-2015). AFSIP II has been already endorsed last 6th SOMHD, July 2010.
- ASEAN Expert Group on Communicable Diseases (AEGCD)has finalized the ASEAN Medium Term Plan on Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) (2011-2015). It has 9 components comprised of:
- ASEAN Partnership Laboratories
- Risk Communication
- ASEAN Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Mechanism and EID Website
- Human and Animal Health Collaboration
- Operationalization of the Minimum Standards of Joint Multi-sectoral Outbreak Investigation and Response (MSJMOIR)
- Stockpiling of Anti-viral and Personal Protective Equipment, Field Epidemiology Training Network (FETN)
- WHO-EC Project on Highly Pathogenic Re-/Emerging Diseases particularly on cross-border collaboration
- Specific Diseases including Rabies, Dengue and Malaria
- ASEAN Expert Group on Pharmaceutical Development (AWGPD) has updated its Work Plan (2010-2015). The Work Plan has been endorsed by SOMHD.
- ASEAN Working Group on Pandemic Preparedness and Response (AWGPPR) has updated its Work Plan and included recommendations of the High Level Consultative Meeting (Singapore, February 2012) on Responding to Impacts of Pandemics. Work Plan has been endorsed by SOMHD New Health Subsidiary Bodies: (recently formed last semester of 2011)
- ASEAN Task Force on Traditional Medicine has formulated the ASEAN Work Plan on Traditional Medicine (2010-2015). Term of References of Task Force and its Work Plan has been approved by SOMHD on 15 May 2011.
- ASEAN Task Force on Maternal and Child Health has developed the Term of References and ASEAN Work Plan on Maternal and Child Health (2011-2015). An ASEAN Framework of Care for MCH has just been developed last January 2012 that guided the core activities of the MCH task force. SOMHD has endorsed its Work Plan and Terms of Reference.
- ASEAN Task Force on Non – Communicable diseases has formulated the Term of References and ASEAN Work Plan on Non – Communicable Diseases (2011-2015). The critical points of the ASEAN Position Paper on NCD (presented in the UN High Level Meeting on NCD last September 2011) have been incorporated in the Work Plan. SOMHD has endorsed its TOR and Work Plan.
- ASEAN Task Force on Mental Health has finalized its Term of References and ASEAN Work Plan on Mental Health (2011-2015). These documents have been endorsed by SOMHD.
Reference
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), ASEAN Secretariat: ASEAN Cooperation on Health Development. 2012.
