Philippine Consulate General in Sydney attends Annual ASEAN Forum Focusing on Women and Health

The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney’s Acting Head of Post, Consul Marford Angeles (5^th from left), and Consul Melanie Diano (rightmost) with Associate Professor Kirsty Foster (3rd from right), Associate Dean International and Head of Office for Global Health of the University of Sydney, Professor Michele Ford, Director of Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC), (4^th from right). The speakers included Ms. Evita Ricafort, Regional Coordinator for Asia, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer (4^th from left) as well as Professor Khin Maung Lwin, Rector University of Medicine in Myanmar (leftmost), Indonesian Consul Silvia Julian Malau (2^nd from left), and Professor Ova Emilia, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Gadjah Mada in Indonesia (3^rd from left)

12 October 2017 SYDNEY - The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney headed by Acting Head of Post Marford Angeles, Consul Melanie Diano, and Gender and Development (GAD) Officer Reggie Perol, attended the Women and Health: Celebrating 50 Years of ASEAN Women, a Forum organized by the Office of Global Health and Sydney Southeast Asia Centre of the University of Sydney in celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of ASEAN on October 05.

The event was held at the University of Sydney and attended by representatives of the ASEAN Consulates General in Sydney including Vietnam Consul General Hoang Minh Son, Indonesian Consul Silvia Juliana Malau as well as international students of ASEAN member countries studying in the University of Sydney, the academe and the Filipino professionals working at the campus.

Filipina resource speaker, Ms. Evita Ricafort, Regional Coordinator for Asia, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer presented her study, “Women and tobacco: Addressing gender-specific risks and enhancing women’s leadership in tobacco control in Asia”, which discussed the harmful effects of tobacco and the risks it poses to the health of women and young girls in Asia. She said that the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recognizes the need for full participation of women at all levels of policymaking and implementation, and the need for gender-specific tobacco control strategies.

Other topics discussed include “Improving health and medical education for future health professionals in Myanmar, regardless of gender” which was discussed by Professor Khin Maung Lwin, Rector of the University of Medicine, Mandalay, Myanmar. While, Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Thuy Hanh of the Department of Population, Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi University discussed the sex ratio of birth imbalance: effects in Health, Society and Culture in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. Professor Ova Emilia tackled the strategic approach to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths in Indonesia.

Consul Angeles acknowledged the importance of women’s health among ASEAN countries and congratulated Associate Professor Kirsty Foster, Associate Dean - International and Head of Office for Global Health of the University of Sydney, and Professor Michele Ford, Director of Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC) for the success of the Forum, lauding the efforts of Mr. Esmond Esguerra, Manager, International Relations for the Office for Global Health. He discussed with them the continuing efforts in the Philippines in promoting women’s welfare including health. END

For more information, visit www.sydneypcg.dfa.gov.ph

Ms. Evita Ricafort, Regional Coordinator for Asia, McCabe Centre for Law and Cancer presenting her topic, “Women and Tobacco: Addressing gender-specific risks and enhancing women’s leadership in tobacco control in Asia”

Consul Angeles, Consul Diano and Ms. Ricafort with Mr. Esmond Esguerra, Manager, International Relations for the Office for Global Health, University of Sydney with Filipino international students Mr. John Paul delos Trinos and Mr. James Pang