The ASEAN Health Ministers launched the ASEAN Strategic Health Agenda (ASHA) 2026–2030, a five-year regional health roadmap focused on healthy lifestyles and NCD prevention, threat preparedness, stronger health systems, equitable access to quality care and medicines, and food safety.

Alongside ASHA, the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases was operationalized to bolster pandemic preparedness and regional readiness.

Japan’s Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno attended the meeting as the Japanese representative.

Experts underscored regional cooperation as crucial for cross-border health issues like haze-related risks and drew lessons from COVID-19 on information sharing and resilient supply chains.

The AHMM agenda includes thematic sessions and side events on rare diseases, eye health (MySPECS), DNDi research, lung health, behavioural insights, and medical device regulation.

The AHMM will expand international engagement beyond ASEAN, marking first ASEAN–US and ASEAN–Japan health ministers meetings and dialogues with China, South Korea, and the WHO to deepen technical cooperation and regional health investment.

Enhanced engagement with Global Dialogue Partners (Japan, South Korea, US, China) will advance technology transfer, digital health, elderly care, and other health capabilities, including inaugural AHMM meetings with the US and Japan and informal WHO WPRO sessions.

Datuk Seri Dzulkefly Ahmad emphasized leveraging ASEAN and Japan’s strengths to share practical solutions for healthy ageing and universal health coverage.

He urged turning shared intent into concrete action within a formal framework to advance longevity, dignity, healthy ageing, and sustainable universal health coverage across ASEAN and Japan.

ASEAN aims to strengthen cross-border health cooperation through real-time data sharing, early warning systems, border controls, and harmonised food safety standards for safe, high-quality products.

Malaysia chairs the 17th ASEAN Health Ministers’ Meeting (AHMM) and related meetings, coordinating efforts to strengthen regional health cooperation for over 670 million residents.

The 17th AHMM is taking place in Kuala Lumpur from early September, with Myanmar as vice-chair, marking Malaysia’s return as host for the first time since 2004.