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Health Working Group (Health Task Force) |
The emergence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the Asia Pacific Region and avian influenza H5N1 in 2004 has shown the impact that health challenges can have across a broad range of sectors, including public health, agriculture, trade, tourism, transportation, and business. APEC's leadership in the region and its wide-ranging economic work program make it uniquely suited to address the multi-sectoral impact of today's health threats.
In October 2003 APEC established the Health Task Force (HTF) to address health-related threats to economies' trade and security, focusing mainly on emerging infectious diseases, including naturally occurring and man-made diseases.
The HTF was tasked to implement APEC's health-related activities as directed by Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials, including activities contained in the 2003 Health Security Initiative and in the 2005 "Enhancement of APEC Work on Preventing, Preparing for and Mitigating the Effects of Avian Influenza and Influenza Pandemic" initiative.
In 2006 the Senior Officials' Steering Committee on ECOTECH (SCE) conducted a review of APEC working groups and task forces and recommended that the HTF be transformed into the Health Working Group(HWG).. The establishment of the HWG was endorsed by APEC Ministers in September 2007. The first meeting of the HWG was held in Lima, Peru on 21-22 February 2008 and new terms of reference and a 2008 work plan were approved.
Achievements
In 2006, the HTF focused on health pandemics and developed the APEC Action Plan on the Prevention and Response to Avian and Influenza Pandemics which was endorsed at the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Avian and Influenza Pandemics held in Da Nang, Viet Nam on 4-6 May 2006. Implementation and capacity building workshops were then undertaken.
In 2007, two sets of guidelines developed by the HTF; the APEC Functioning Economies in Times of Pandemic Guidelines and the Guidelines for Creating an Enabling Environment for Employers to Implement Effective Workplace Practice for People Living with HIV/AIDS were endorsed in the APEC Economic Leaders' Declaration in Sydney.
Economy Leaders also agreed to support the sharing of influenza specimens in a timely manner and to promote transparent, fair and equitable access to vaccines and other benefits that derive from them.
Current Activities
In the first meeting in Lima on 21-22 February, the HWG agreed on the following areas as priorities for 2008:
- preparedness for and response to public health threats, including avian and human pandemic influenza and vector borne diseases;
- fighting against HIV/AIDS in the APEC region; and
- improving health outcomes through advances in health information technology.
A virtual symposium on Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Partnerships and Continuity Planning for Critical Systems organized by APEC EINet took place in May. Representatives from 17 APEC member economies presented details of public-private collaborations on pandemic preparedness in their individual economies. This information sharing is envisaged to enhance the preparedness of the region as a whole.
In June, the APEC Workshop for the Control Practice of Dengue Fever was held in Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei. The workshop attracted health workers and policy makers who discussed vector control practices, risk communication and community mobilization. Experts in the field presented on the application of the latest information technology for dengue control, and on interdepartmental cooperation. It is hoped that dengue control capacity in the region will strengthen as a consequence.
The Canadian proposed workshop on "Animal Health, Human Health and the Environment. Exploring the 'One Health, One World' Concept and Applying it to Risk Communication" took place in Lima in August. The workshop emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement and cross disciplinary cooperation in controlling infectious diseases. Participants benefitted from insights presented by a range of animal, human and environmental health and communications experts.
Also in August, on the occasion of the second APEC HWG meeting, the revised Terms of Reference and the Medium Term Workplan, which include a specific reference to the International Health Regulations, were officially endorsed.
At the same meeting, HWG member economies endorsed a process for future management of project assessment and prioritization consistent with the APEC Quality Assessment Framework Guidelines and agreed that this process would be reviewed after twelve months.
Health Working Group - Key Contacts
Chair
Ms. Jane Halton
Secretary,
Department of Health and Ageing, Australia
Central Office postal address
GPO Box 9848,
Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
Tel: 02 6289 3861
Fax: 02 6289 7087
email: hwg.chair@health.gov.au
APEC Secretariat
Mr Vincent Liu
Director (Program)
E-mail: jyl@apec.org