September 10, 2026
H.E. Prof. Chheang Ra, Minister of Health, emphasized that the ultimate goal is to build an “integrated ASEAN Health Security Network” that is fully connected with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the architecture of global health security. ASEAN must shift from “delay to decision,” from “fragmentation to coordination,” and from “reacting to crises to anticipation and preparedness.”
Kuala Lumpur: On Wednesday, 9 September 2026, during the 17th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (17th AHMM) in Malaysia, H.E. Prof. Chheang Ra, Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Cambodia, attended a Closed Side Meeting on strengthening resilience, preparedness, and response to public health emergencies (PPR).
The meeting aimed to address delays in finalizing the Establishment Agreement (EA) for the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED) and to reaffirm political commitment to accelerate the operationalization of the Centre.
In the intervention, H.E. Prof. Chheang Ra encouraged ASEAN to use this period to learn from past experiences and build a system that is sustainable, outlining three priorities:
• Clear Purpose: Focus on core priority functions, including communicable disease surveillance, early warning, information sharing, and capacity building, recognizing that ACPHEED functions are distributed across the three host countries (Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam).
• Trusted and Effective Governance: Combining political ownership with technical and scientific guidance, respect national sovereignty, and strengthen (rather than replace) existing national health systems of Member States.
• Leveraging Existing ASEAN Mechanisms: Connect ACPHEED with ASEAN disaster management and emergency response mechanisms by applying the principle of “One ASEAN, One Response” and the “One Health” approach (human, animal, and environmental health).
