PH Pushes for Effective Vaccine, Logistics Management during the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies
DFA Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Daniel R. Espiritu delivered the Philippines’ omnibus intervention at the 8th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies (ACCWG-PHE) held on 20 April 2022 via videoconference.
PASAY CITY 26 April 2022 – The Philippines, represented by DFA Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Daniel R. Espiritu, participated in the 8th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies (ACCWG-PHE) via video conference on 20 April 2022.
Assistant Secretary Espiritu reiterated the importance of accelerating effective vaccine and logistics management in ASEAN towards the road to COVID-19 recovery; and underscored the need to allocate funds for research and development, genome sequencing, zoonotics, vaccine development, and capacity building activities for medical and health professionals to prepare against future public health emergencies.
“Our nations cannot move on unless we strengthen cooperation among Member States and external partners to enable collective, coordinated, and comprehensive [COVID-19] responses,” Assistant Secretary Espiritu stated.
Other items discussed include the progress of ASEAN’s key initiatives on COVID-19 response, status and updates on pandemic recovery efforts, the prioritization of the remaining allocation for the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund (CARF), implementation of the ASEAN Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies (RRMS) for Public Health Emergencies, and the establishment and operation of the ASEAN Centre on Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases (ACPHEED).
The Progress Report of the Work of the ACCWG-PHE on ASEAN’s collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be submitted in the forthcoming 31st ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting. END
The Philippines joins the ASEAN Secretariat and other ASEAN Member States in the 8th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies (ACCWG-PHE).