The 6th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting (AHMM) was hosted by the Lao People’s Democratic Republic from 14 to 15 March 2002 in Vientiane under the theme “Promoting Healthy ASEAN Lifestyles”. The Meeting was attended by Their Excellencies, the Ministers of Health from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. (See attached list). The Meeting was preceded by a Preparatory Senior Officials Meeting on 11-12 March 2002.
2. H.E. Bounnhang Vorachith, Prime Minister of the Lao PDR opened the 6th AHMM in Vientiane on 14 March 2002. The Prime Minister, in his Keynote Address, extended, on behalf of the Lao Government, his warmest welcome to the ASEAN Ministers of Health, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN, all ASEAN delegates and guests. He said that the Lao PDR and its people take it as a privilege to have the opportunity to fulfil its duty and responsibilities to host this Meeting and that his Government will spare no efforts to make this Meeting a successful one.
3. Prime Minister Bounnhang Vorachith expressed great pleasure to learn that the Meeting has selected “Healthy ASEAN Lifestyles” as the theme for discussion. He stated that the theme is consistent with the current situation of ASEAN since it is comprehensive and a key to socio-economic development of ASEAN. He expressed confidence that the 6th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting would be able to make substantive contributions to the promotion of healthy ASEAN lifestyles and expressed hope that this meeting will enhance the comprehensive cooperation amongst ASEAN Member Countries and contribute to maintaining peace and enhancing cooperation and development in the region and the world.
4. The ASEAN Ministers of Health, on 15 March 2002, paid a courtesy visit to H.E. Choummmaly Xayasone, Vice-President of the Lao PDR who welcomed the Ministers to the Lao PDR and expressed his appreciation for the good collaboration in the health sector among the ASEAN Countries over the years. The Vice President also acknowledged that the ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meetings have played a significant role in the development of the health sector in the ASEAN region and said that he is convinced that the 6th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting will be successful and that ASEAN health cooperation activities will bear fruitful outcomes.
Vientiane Declaration of Healthy ASEAN Lifestyles
5. At the 6th AHMM, the ASEAN Health Ministers adopted a Declaration on Healthy ASEAN Lifestyles, which provided a Framework for ASEAN to work together towards realising the Ministers’ vision that by 2020, ASEAN citizens will lead healthy lifestyles consistent with their values, beliefs and culture in a supportive environment. Recognizing that socio-economic changes such as demographic transition, urbanisation, industrialisation and globalisation have had an adverse impact on health and on efforts to promote healthy lifestyles, the Ministers agreed that it would be important to reduce health risks, particularly by reducing tobacco consumption, controlling alcohol and substance abuse, reducing the incidence of communicable and non-communicable diseases and promoting physical activity.
6. To implement the Regional Action Plan of the Framework for Promoting Healthy ASEAN Lifestyles, the ASEAN Health Ministers agreed that the Regional Action Plan be implemented through a continuing programme of activities with assistance from the ASEAN Dialogue Partners, international and national organizations, and other partners.
Achievements of ASEAN Cooperation on Health since the 5th ASEAN Health Minister Meeting (April 2000, Yogjakarta)
7. The 6th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting also had an opportunity to review past cooperation among the ASEAN Member Countries, particularly the implementation of the Yogyakarta Declaration on Healthy ASEAN 2020 adopted by the 5th AHMM in Yogjakarta in April 2000. The Ministers noted with satisfaction the achievements accomplished by the Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) and its subsidiary bodies in implementing the Declaration on Healthy ASEAN 2020.
8. The Ministers noted with appreciation that, as a result of their recommendation at the 5th AHMM, the 7th ASEAN Summit in Brunei Darussalam on 5 November 2001 had convened a Summit Session on HIV/AIDS, which entailed the adoption of the Declaration and the second phase of the ASEAN Work Programme on HIV/AIDS (AWP II). They expressed satisfaction that the preparatory process was inclusive, involving NGOs, the private sector and people living with HIV/AIDS, at both the country and inter-country levels.
9. The Ministers endorsed the elevation of the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Health & Nutrition (ASCH&N) into the Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) which held its first meeting in October 2001 in Ha Noi. They expressed satisfaction that two workshops have been organised to look into the impact of Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on health care and traditional medicine, which aimed to address the impact of globalization on health. Another workshop to study the impact of GATS on health care has been scheduled at the end of March 2002.
10. The Ministers also noted the initiation of a program of activities to promote the mainstreaming of health concerns into the national development agenda of ASEAN Member Countries by the ASEAN Secretariat, in cooperation with the World Bank.
Possible Cooperation with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea
11. The Ministers also agreed to consider the possibility of forging closer cooperation in the health sector with the +3 countries (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), in response to the initiative of the Informal ASEAN+3 Summit held in Manila in November 1999. They believed that ASEAN Member Countries would stand to benefit from this new cooperation approach, particularly in such areas as traditional and western medicines as well as networking on infectious diseases. In this regard, the Ministers tasked the ASEAN Secretariat and the SOMHD to prepare a draft Terms of Reference for cooperation on health matters with China, Japan and ROK, for consideration of the 2nd SOMHD in 2003.
12. The 7th AHMM will be held in Malaysia in 2004. Detailed date and venue will be announced later.
13. All Ministers expressed their sincere appreciation to the Government and people of the Lao PDR for the warm hospitality and the excellent arrangements made for the Meeting.
Vientiane, 15 March 2002
