Malaysia chairs Asean health meeting after 22 years

Malaysia has returned as host to the Asian Health Ministers' Conference (AHMM) for the first time in 22 years, from September 7 to 11 in Kuala Lumpur. The 17th AHMM meeting, themed "Asean Healthy: Towards a Better and Prepared Health System and Ready for the Future," brought together health ministers, deputy ministers, and international partners to translate health cooperation discussions into action. Malaysia last hosted the twinning AHMM in 2004, with Myanmar taking over the chairmanship this time.

The health ministry emphasized that the AHMM marks a new phase in Malaysia's health diplomacy, with a greater focus on implementation and results-oriented initiatives. Public health activist Dr. Sean Thum said the importance of AHMM lies in Asean's ability to coordinate actions against health threats that are challenging for a single country to handle effectively.

Thum noted that joint efforts can create shared standards, synchronize monitoring, facilitate information sharing, combine expertise and assets, and establish regional protocols.

The broader diplomatic platform of this meeting also included the Health Ministers' Meeting with ASEAN and Japan, making it the first of its kind. The ministerial meeting was held alongside China, South Korea, and the World Health Organization (WHO). The health ministry said the meeting would strengthen technical cooperation and open up more investment opportunities in the regional health sector.

The meeting took place at a time when the need for cross-border cooperation is increasingly crucial, particularly in aspects of health security, new diseases, and health system resilience.

One of the key achievements this week was the launch of the Asean Strategic Health Agenda (ASHA) 2026-2030, which will serve as the region's health vision for the next five years. Another priority was accelerating the implementation of the Asean Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases to enhance the region's preparedness for future pandemics and new disease threats. The meeting also discussed a tailored approach to addressing the dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases in Asean.