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Joint Communique of The Third ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting
Pattaya, 9 March 1984 |
1. The Third Meeting of the ASEAN Health Ministers was held in Pattaya, Thailand on 9 March 1984. The Meeting was formally opened by His Excellency General Prachuab Suntraongkoon, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand.
2. The Meeting was attended by His Excellency Pehin Dato Haji Abdul Aziz, Education and Health Minister of Negara Brunei Darussalam; His Excellency Dr. Suwardjono Surjaningrat, Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia; His Excellency Datuk Chin Hon Ngian, Minister of Health of Malaysia; His Excellency Dr. Jesus Azurin, Minister of Health of the Republic of the Philippines; His Excellency Mr. Wan Hussin Zoohri, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Culture of the Republic of Singapore; His Excellency Mr. Marut Bunnag, Minister of Public Health of Thailand and their respective officials.
3. His Excellency Mr. Chan Kai Yau, Secretary-General of the ASEAN Secretariat and Mr. Djoko Soejono, Director of Social and Cultural Affairs Bureau of the ASEAN Secretariat were also present at the Meeting.
4. The Meeting elected His Excellency Mr. Marut Bunnag, Minister of Public Health of Thailand and His Excellency Datuk Chin Hon Ngian, Minister of Health of Malaysia as Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively.
5. In his Opening Address, His Excellency General Prachuab Suntraongkoon, Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand stressed the importance of health as an integral part of the overall socio- economic development in the ASEAN region. He stated that the basis for ASEAN Cooperation in Health was already implicit in the Bangkok Declaration in 1967 and the Declaration of ASEAN Concord in 1976. ASEAN cooperation in this particular field was subsequently strengthened by the Declaration of the ASEAN Health Ministers on Collaboration in Health as adopted at their Second Meeting in Manila on 24 July 1980. He observed that the Declaration strengthened the programme of action as stipulated in the Declaration of ASEAN Concord which placed emphasis on the well being of the low income group and of the rural population.
6. The Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that the problem of malnutrition among rural population in ASEAN countries cannot be ignored. He hoped that the Meeting of ASEAN Health Ministers would explore how regional technical collaboration could be used to help alleviate this problem.
7. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed his support for promotion of regional collaboration on pharmaceuticals, development of health manpower and primary health care. In this regard, he expressed his sincere hope that the programme areas of technical collaboration in health can be further developed and translated into concrete results for the benefit of the under-privileged population in the ASEAN region.
8. The Meeting, reviewed the policies and strategies agreed at the Second Meeting of ASEAN Health Ministers, Manila, 24 July 1980 and assessed the progress of ASEAN health and nutrition activities since the last Meeting. The Meeting was satisfied at the progress made in regional collaboration in health development, namely Primary Health Care, Health Manpower Development, Communicable Disease Control. Environmental Health, Health information System, Research and Pharmaceutical projects.
9. The Meeting took note of country reports of each ASEAN Delegation. All ASEAN countries reported to have participated in regional collaboration in health among ASEAN countries either through ASEAN's set up on bilateral basis, or as activities under various international organizations. Most reported activities concerned collaboration in the areas of primary health care, pharmaceuticals and nutrition.
10. The Meeting agreed that ASEAN Member Countries should intensify their concerted efforts to translate the areas of collaboration as adopted by the Second Meeting of the ASEAN Health Ministers in Manila in 1980 into action-oriented programmes.
11. The Meeting adopted the Resolution which called for the strengthening of the existing ASEAN mechanism for health collaboration. In this regard, the Meeting agreed that existing ASEAN mechanism for collaboration in health be studied and further strengthened by changing the concept of the Expert Group on Health and Nutrition into a more effective Regional Development Board for Health and Nutrition.
12. The Delegations of Negara Brunei Darussalam Republic of Indonesia, Malaysia, Republic of the Philippines and Republic of Singapore expressed their sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Thailand for the arm and generous hospitality accorded to them, excellent facilities provided for and efficient arrangements made for the Meeting.
13. The Meeting was held in the traditional spirit of ASEAN cordiality and solidarity.
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