Health & Life Sciences Update: 6th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting Held in Brunei

6th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting Held in Brunei

On September 6, the 13^th biennial ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) began in Brunei as health ministers from ASEAN countries came together to discuss ways to strengthen the health systems. They reaffirmed their commitment to the vision, “A Health, Caring and Sustainable ASEAN Community”, which identified four clusters to achieve the goals of the ASEAN Post-2015 Health Development Agenda. The four clusters are promoting a healthy lifestyle, responding to all hazards and emerging threats, strengthening the health system and access to care, and ensuring food safety. In the opening remarks of the AHMM, current Chairman Dato Seri Setia Dr. Awang Haji Zulkarnain outlined some of the challenges facing the ASEAN community, including “aging populations, increasing rates of non-communicable diseases and the need to meet the ever greater demand for healthcare sustainably, when financial resources are stretched and the funding pool becomes more limited.” He also called for action across sectors, increased societal engagement, and shifting thinking from focusing exclusively on sickness treatment to including wellness maintenance in the national healthcare systems. The 7^th ASEAN Plus Three Health Ministers Meeting and the 6^th ASEAN-China Health Ministers Meeting were held in conjunction with the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting.

The Rise of NCDs in ASEAN

ASEAN is facing the scourge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The four main types of NCDs are cancer, cardiovascular diseases (such as heart attacks and strokes) and diabetes and respiratory diseases. It accounts for the majority of deaths in most ASEAN countries, and the prevalence is rising. According to recent statistics, NCDs account for more than 60% of deaths in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

As such, NCDs have remained on the agenda across several health-related meetings in the region. During the 12^th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) in April this year, Brunei highlighted the insufficiency of the traditional approach of health education and emphasized the need for actual behavioural changes. At the 13^th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHHM) in September, Brunei’s Minister of Health reiterated this emphasis, outlining how his ministry is targeting healthy individuals to change their lifestyles.

ASEAN countries have made efforts to tackle the rising threat of NCDs. Since 2016, Brunei’s Ministry of Health has been promoting a culture of prevention with the aim of moving away from the sickness model which focuses on delivering services to the sick. This year, Singapore extended subsidized screening for NCDs to younger Singaporeans between 18 and 39 to facilitate early detection.

Among the CLMV countries, Cambodia and Vietnam have developed national health action plans for the prevention and control of NCDs (English translations are available here for Cambodia and here for Vietnam). This September, Myanmar launched its first national health campaign on oral cancer. It aims to reduce betel nut chewing among its citizens. This is a shift away from the prohibition approach, which it adopted in 2016 when it instructed ministries to reduce betel usage among government employees.

Therefore, it is clear that the severity of the issue has resulted in strong governmental commitment to address it. This opens up significant opportunities for public-private partnerships, as noted in the 2013 Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on Non-Communicable Diseases. This is especially relevant to less developed member states who are facing the double burden of NCDs and communicable diseases.

ASEAN Faces Rapidly Aging Populations

The 1^st ASEAN Conference on Health Ageing is set to take place this year from October 10-12 in Sarawak, Malaysia. In 2016, ASEAN Plus Three released a statement (here) acknowledging aging populations as a major issue facing the region. The proportion of aging population will rapidly expand in the ASEAN region in the next two decades, from 7.73% in 2015 to 15.49% in 2030 according to the World Population Prospect. Singapore and Thailand will have the largest portion of aging population 31.74% and 23.39% respectively. Aging populations will impact the demand for healthcare services and products, social organization, and national healthcare budgets in the years to come. This is an opportunity to engage with ASEAN nations on managing the health challenges that come with aging populations and utilize the industry opportunities of an expanding market.

The Health & Life Sciences Quarterly Call took place on September 19/20, 2017 and covered topics including Halal law, the recent Myanmar HLS mission,  MOU with Vietnam MOH and HLS Mission to the Philippines.  To access the committee call notes, please click here . 

ASEAN Conference to help address issues and challenges of ageing in the region ITCM - Incentive Travel & Corporate Meetings 19th Sep 2017
The 1st ASEAN Conference on Healthy Ageing is set to take place this 10th-12th October in Sarawak, Malaysia. Themed Ageing - Challenges, Successes and the Journey Ahead, the conference is aimed to help address the issues and challenges of rapidly ageing populations in the region. The conference is organised by the Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society (MHAS) in collaboration with the Sarawak Convention Bureau.

Ministers to work for haze-free Asean Borneo Bulletin Online 15th Sep 2017
The 14th Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (14th AMME) and the 13th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Asean Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) concluded yesterday with ministers from Asean member states (AMS) responsible for the environment, land, forest fires and haze coming together in agreement on a number of issues.

See elderly as valuable resource Borneo Bulletin Online 10th Sep 2017
The Minister of Health, Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, in his opening remarks as the Chairman of the 7th Asean Plus Three (APT) Health Ministers Meeting, voiced concerns on how the regional bloc should meet the health needs of an increasingly aging population, whom he described as ‘assets’ to their respective nations.

Asean and China together raising health standards Borneo Bulletin Online 8th Sep 2017
The 6th Asean-China Health Ministers Meeting was opened by the Minister of Health, Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi at the Musyawarah Hall of the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Berakas yesterday. The minister in his opening remarks said this year marks the 26th year of Asean-China dialogue relations and the health sector has benefited immensely from the partnership.

Health ministers discuss cooperation Borneo Bulletin Online 11th Sep 2017
The Ministry of Health (MoH), Brunei Darussalam held separate bilateral with its counterpart ministries from Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Singapore during the 13th Asean Health Ministers Meeting and other meetings, from September 3-7. Brunei Darussalam was represented by Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, Minister of Health, while Japan was represented by Michiyo Takagi, State Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; the Republic of Korea by Kwon Deok Cheol, Vice Minister of Health and Welfare; and Gan Kim Yong, Minister of Health, represented the Republic of Singapore.

Minister stresses on preventive model Borneo Bulletin Online 8th Sep 2017
The Minister of Health, Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Zulkarnain bin Haji Hanafi, as Chairman of the 13th Asean Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM) and Other Related Meetings yesterday in a press conference reiterated the importance of health literacy to become aware that health is everyone’s concern as one of three priorities of the ministry in tackling non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Brunei Darussalam.

Cambodia and Laos eliminate trachoma as a public health problem Cision 19th Sep 2017
The ministries of health of Laos and Cambodia have eliminated trachoma as a public health problem according to a recent announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO). Only three trachoma endemic countries achieved elimination before Laos and Cambodia. Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection that can cause the eyelids to scar and, ultimately, turn eyelashes inwards leading to trichiasis, the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide.

70% of the Indonesian Population Joins Universal Healthcare Program Indonesia Investments 18th Sep 2017
Nopi Hidayat, Head of Public Relations at BPJS, confirmed that a total of 181,210,694 people are now covered by the government's mandatory universal healthcare program per 8 September 2017 (roughly 70 percent of the Indonesian population). The latest data also imply that this year's target is almost achieved. Before the end of 2017 the government targets to have 185.1 million people subscribed to the JKN program. In order to boost numbers, the government will continue to enlarge channels for the local population to subscribe, for example by opening new branches in the regions, providing more information booths at local districts and villages, more information at local banks and insurance companies, more attention on websites, etc.

Developing Upstream Facilities in Indonesia's Pharmaceutical Industry Indonesia Investments 12th Sep 2017
Vincent Harijanto, Head of the Indonesian Pharmaceutical Association (GP Farmasi) business development committee, said about 95 percent of raw materials used in Indonesia's pharmaceutical industry need to be imported from abroad. This dependence on imports causes several problems, for example prices of pharmaceutical products are relatively high on the Indonesian market, while Indonesian pharmaceutical companies (and Indonesian consumers) can suddenly face rising prices in times of rupiah depreciation.

Jakarta to require all hospitals to partner with BPJS The Jakarta Post 12th Sep 2017
The Jakarta administration plans to require all hospitals in the capital to become partners of the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan). The administration is considering making a partnership a requirement for the extension of hospital permits and accreditation.

Government will fund ICU treatment at all hospitals: Official The Jakarta Post 11th Sep 2017
The Jakarta Health Agency has urged hospitals in the city to treat critically ill patients who are registered with the Healthcare and Social Security Agency (BPJS Kesehatan) and require intensive care unit treatment without requiring them to make an initial payment.

Laos to reduce stunting, low weight in infants Xinhua 12th Sep 2017
The Lao government is aiming to reduce the number of underweight children under the age of five to 21 percent and the proportion of stunted children in the same age group to 33.2 percent by the end of 2018. Underweight children aged less than five years accounted for 27 percent of all children nationwide in the first six months of this year, the country's Minister of Planning and Investment Souphanh Keomixay was quoted by state-run media Vientiane Times as saying on Tuesday.

‘Our business model can keep healthcare costs lower’ The Edge Markets 18th Sep 2017
As concerns grow over the continued rise in inflation in healthcare — projected to go up by 12% this year — one player believes its “small hospital” business model can help keep costs lower. Columbia Asia Sdn Bhd said its hospitals are smaller than traditional hospitals and designed for short lengths of inpatient stay. “By industry definition, our hospitals are not big,” said Kelvin Tan, the company’s chief executive officer for Southeast Asia. “We generally provide around 85 beds. Other hospitals have around 200 or more beds.”

Boost for medical tourism The Star Online 16th Sep 2017
Medical and health tourism is the next big thing coming up in Miri that is expected to generate huge revenue for Sarawak. Two new private specialist centres would set up operations in the city next year and they were likely to attract a big number of foreign clientele, especially from Brunei, said Miri mayor Adam Yii. “We already have two private specialist hospitals operating in Miri. “Next year, two more of such hospitals will start operations here. “We expect to see a surge in arrivals of foreigners on health and medical trips in Miri, apart from tourism,” he said when launching Miri Pullman Hotel’s first anniversary celebration. Yii said the latest development in medical and health tourism in Miri and Sarawak, in general, was in tandem with a surge in demand for such services.

Malaysia Grants Compulsory Licence For Generic Sofosbuvir Despite Gilead Licence Intellectual Property Watch 15th Sep 2017
A much cheaper version of a groundbreaking hepatitis C medicine is expected to be available soon for the hundreds of thousands of hepatitis C patients in Malaysia, as it decided to grant a compulsory licence to sofosbuvir, according to sources. The decision comes right after the medicine originator decided to expand its voluntary licensing scheme to four more countries, including Malaysia. The Malaysian government on 20 September confirmed that it approved “the use of Rights of Government under Patent Act 1983 (Act 291) by exploiting the patented invention of Sofosbuvir tablet 400mg.” According to a press release, “the last time Malaysia instigated the Rights of Government was in 2003 for anti-retroviral drugs (treatment for HIV infection). This sets Malaysia to be the first country to initiate such move in the world.

Time for separation of roles in dispensing medicine, pharmacists say Malay Mail Online 15th Sep 2017
Medicine dispensation must be separated between doctors and pharmacists as the latter now plays a more proactive role in caring for patients, the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society (MPS) said. In a statement, MPS president Amrahi Buang said that almost three quarters of the healthcare system practises separation of dispensing medicine except for the quarter that does not, namely the primary healthcare clinics.

Malaysia ageing fast, government to prepare society changes, needs The Sun Daily 14th Sep 2017
The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry will focus on strengthening its social support system to encourage older persons to be more productive in life and towards society, says minister, Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim. She said the government needed to be well prepared for the ageing needs and changes in all aspects, including society, economy, policies as well as the institutional structure.

Massive drop in nation's HIV rates NST Online 11th Sep 2017
Malaysia has been praised for its efforts to end the spread of HIV/AIDS, efforts that have borne positive results. Such is the success culled from the programmes and campaigns carried out that the number of new HIV infections dropped to 5,700 cases last year, a dip of 34 per cent from six years ago. Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) regional support team for Asia and the Pacific region director Eamonn Murphy said Malaysia had made significant progress in the fight against the epidemic.

Combating obesity with an open, multi-stakeholder dialogue Malay Mail Online 8th Sep 2017
The obesity epidemic is rapidly escalating in Southeast Asia. Particularly in Malaysia, where a recent report by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) highlighted that the country has the highest obesity and overweight prevalence in the region — 13.3 per cent and 38.5 per cent of the population respectively. This is leading to a huge economic burden, with the cost of obesity in Malaysia spiralling to US$1-2 billion (RM4.19-RM8.39 billion) in 2016 — equivalent to 10 - 19 per cent of Malaysia’s healthcare spending. This makes the country the second highest spender in Asean for obesity-related problems, according to the report commissioned by the Asia Roundtable on Food Innovation for Improved Nutrition (ARoFIIN).

H1N1 flu cases fall sharply in August The Myanmar Times 14th Sep 2017
Seasonal influenza H1N1 infection is significantly going down since August 15, according to health officials.The Ministry of Health and Sports mentions that the current infection rate has caused very few fatalities.

Government launches anti-betel nut campaign The Myanmar Times 12th Sep 2017
Chewing betel nut and using tobacco has become a leading cause of death in the country, the government warned on Monday, as it launched nationwide campaign to stem the social menace.

DOH to journos: help spread awareness SunStar 19th Sep 2017
Medical experts are calling on local media practitioners to help spread public awareness on the increasing number of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases in Central Visayas. Dr. Helen Madamba of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), said journalists play an important role in helping educate the public on the growing epidemic.

PhilHealth gets bulk of gov’t subsidy in July Inquirer 18th Sep 2017
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), a government-owned and/or -controlled corporation (GOCC) that administers the state’s health insurance program, cornered the bulk of subsidies given away by the national government in July. The latest Bureau of Treasury data showed that of the P16.867 billion in subsidies granted to GOCCs in July, P15.114 billion or 89.6 percent was received by PhilHealth.

Doctors warn of substandard, fake vaccines vs Japanese Encephalitis News5 - InterAksyon 17th Sep 2017
The Philippine Pediatric Society, Pediatric Infectious Society of the Philippines, and the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases have warned the public against purchasing vaccines supposedly for Japanese Encephalitis, as these could be counterfeit and substandard. They also stressed the importance of the cold chain for vaccines, which keeps vaccines at a specific temperature until it is administered to the patient.

Physicians’ skills in diabetes diagnosis, management enhanced with continuing medical education BusinessMirror 17th Sep 2017
Seeing the importance of continuing medical education (CME), various health-care organizations have bonded together to enhance the skills of local primary-care physicians in the diagnosis and management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)—one of the leading causes of sickness and death in the Philippines.

House passes bill giving all Filipinos health insurance Rappler 11th Sep 2017
By a vote of 222-7, the House of Representatives on Wednesday, September 6, passed on 3rd and final reading a bill seeking to give all Filipino citizens health care and insurance. The passage of House Bill Number 5784 or the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) bill is a “golden opportunity for change for a better health system,” said Kabayan Representative Harry Roque, deputy minority leader and sponsor of the measure.

Philippines: Japanese encephalitis a looming threat during monsoon, warns govt Asian Correspondent 8th Sep 2017
The Phillipines’ Department of Health has pressed the alarm bell on a deadly, lesser-known mosquito-borne disease known as Japanese encephalitis (JE) following nine deaths this year as the country is still in the midst of the rainy season. The warning issued by health authorities against JE came as the country continues to battle other deadly mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya that have long plagued this typhoon-prone nation home to more than 100 million people.

Harnessing innovation in public health The Straits Times 15th Sep 2017
The second Raffles Dialogue, hosted last week by the National University of Singapore schools of medicine, public health and public policy along with the National University Health System (NUHS), focused on "The Critical Role of Innovation" in the context of the broader theme of "Human Well-being and Security in 2030". It was attended by more than 100 global health experts and international participants. In his opening address looking forward to 2030, Professor John Wong, chief executive of NUHS, urged the audience to consider Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection, published in the mid-1800s, which emphasised that neither intelligence nor physical strength was the critical factor for survival.

Old and frail, and taking care of an elderly loved one The Straits Times 12th Sep 2017
In Singapore, with its rapidly ageing population, many of those caring for elderly family members are themselves old and frail. According to a new study, nearly half of all caregivers are aged 55 and older. About two in three of these older caregivers have at least one chronic disease - like arthritis, diabetes or heart problems - and about one in three described his or her health as poor or fair. Some 20.3 per cent of the older caregivers show clinically significant symptoms of depression, compared with 15.8 per cent of caregivers aged between 21 and 54

$5 subsidised health screening available for younger Singaporeans found at risk of diabetes The Straits Times 19th Sep 2017
Younger Singaporeans can now qualify for subsidised health screening if they are deemed to be at risk of diabetes in an online questionnaire available since the start of September.

Singapore comes up tops on progress in health-related UN goals The Straits Times 13th Sep 2017
Singapore is No. 1 for progress made on a set of United Nations (UN) goals to build a better future, based on health-related indicators, according to a paper published in prestigious journal The Lancet on Tuesday (Sept 12). It scored 86.6 on an index created to see how close countries are to achieving the UN's sustainable development goals. This was the highest score among all 188 countries studied - ahead of the Scandinavian nations, Switzerland and Britain.

Thailand seeks to boost market share of Medical tourism in Asia Thailand Business News 12th Sep 2017
Asia continues to be the top medical destination in medical travel, as Asian medical destinations continue to offer better and cheaper medical procedures and care than most other medical destinations. In countries such as Singapore and Thailand, government agencies have been set up to help market their expertise globally. Thailand accounts for maximum share of the Asia medical tourism market, being followed by India and Singapore. South Korea stands at the fourth spot in the year 2016 and is likely to almost double its market share by the year 2022.

Gov’t Proposes 6 Months Paid Maternity Leave, Debate Ensues Khaosod English 18th Sep 2017
Paid maternity leave of 180 days could be passed early next year if it wins approval from several ministerial departments including public health and labor welfare. The measure, which would double the current period and has drawn proponents and detractors alike, is being proposed as a way to encourage mothers to breastfeed infants and follows a recent act which banned marketing of artificial breastmilk substitutes.

UNAIDS applauds Thai strategy to end AIDS epidemic by 2030 The Nation 13th Sep 2017
New HIV infections in Thailand have dropped 50 per cent in six years – the biggest decline in Asia and the Pacific, according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).And UNAIDS has applauded Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health for its bold new national AIDS strategy, which provides a roadmap for ending the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat in Thailand by 2030.

Pharmedi Vietnam 2017 opens in HCM City VOV 20th Sep 2017
The 12th Pharmed & Healthcare Vietnam (Pharmedi Vietnam) opened at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City on September 20. The 12th Vietnam International Exhibition on Products, Equipments, Supplies for Medical, Pharmaceutical, Hospital & Rehabilitation features more than 600 pavilions of 400 exhibitors from 25 nations including the UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, Singapore and Taiwan.

Antibiotic overuse worsens digestive diseases: experts Vietnamnews 20th Sep 2017
The over-prescription of antibiotics caused a common gastrointestinal bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance, experts said at a conference on digestion held by Bạch Mai Hospital and the Japanese Nagoya University in Hà Nội last Saturday. A recent study in Hà Nội showed that about 70 per cent of Vietnamese are infected with H. pylori (Helicobacter pylori), a type of bacteria that can increase the risk of cancer, especially gastric cancer. The bacteria were also found in 90 per cent of patients with gastritis in HCM City, according to research.

Vietnam to produce own avian influenza vaccine from 2018 VOV 18th Sep 2017
Vietnam will produce its own vaccine against avian influenza A/H5N1 from 2018 to replace imported vaccines, according to the National Veterinary JSC, Navetco. The inactivated oil-emulsion vaccine was developed by Navetco Deputy Director-General Dr. Tran Xuan Hanh, able to protect poultry against different avian influenza viruses, including H5N1 and H5N6.

New dengue fever cases decline in past month Vietnamnews 15th Sep 2017
The number of new dengue cases has declined nearly 24 per cent nationwide over the past four weeks, the health ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department director Trần Đắc Phu said on Thursday. From September 4 to 10, the health sector reported more than 5,600 new dengue fever cases and no fatality, a decline of 23.9 per cent compared with the previous week. Phu, however, warned that dengue fever seems like it will continue to develop complications in the coming weeks as the disease is still at its peak.

Authorities warn of growing paracetamol abuse VOV 13th Sep 2017
Vietnam’s Poison Control Centre at Bach Mai Hospital has issued a warning about paracetamol poisoning. In Vietnam, many people worry about the burden of going to hospital, so they often self-medicate in case of mild symptoms, such as fever or pain. As a result, paracetamol, a pain and fever killer, is very popular and can be brought at all drugstores without doctor’s prescription.

Diabetes on the rise among Vietnamese children VOV 13th Sep 2017
The number of diabetes cases in Vietnam has increased over the past decade, with the disease growing especially quickly among young people, doctors are warning. Type 1 diabetes has become a childhood health problem, said Dr Le Thanh Hai, Director of the Central Pediatrics Hospital. About 40 to 50 children have been diagnosed annually in recent years at the hospital, compared to only five to 20 patients per year previously, he said.

Vietnam prepares to support aging population VOV 10th Sep 2017
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Vietnam is among the countries with the fastest aging rate in the world, which has widespread and long-term impacts on the country, requiring comprehensive proactive policies for the elderly. In 2017, Vietnam has an estimated 10 million elderly adults. This number is expected to rise to 19 million by 2030 and 28 million by 2050, according to information made available at a workshop held earlier this month on the implementation of the national action plan on health care for the elderly.

Experts sound the alarm over counterfeit drugs in Vietnam VOV 9th Sep 2017
No report exists about the scale of the counterfeit drug market in Vietnam, but experts believe that the market is large and that many drugs are easily faked. A 12-year prison sentence has been handed down by a court for the top managers of VN Pharma, the importer of H-Capita, a drug for cancer treatment. However, Ministry of Health (MOH) and experts continue to argue if the products imported by VN Pharma are ‘low-quality drugs’ or ‘counterfeit drugs’.