보건복지부 영문홈페이지

APEC Advances Discussions on Future Health Cooperation

 

- APEC 2025 Korea SOM1 HWG Meeting Held Under the Theme

“Ensuring Health for All for a Sustainable Tomorrow” -

 

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Cho KyooHong) and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA, Commissioner Jee YoungMee) announced that the “Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 Korea” First Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM1) Health Working Group (HWG) meeting will take place from Tuesday, March 4 to Thursday, March 6 at Lahan Select in Gyeongju, under the theme “Ensuring Health for All for a Sustainable Future.”

 

This year’s HWG meeting will bring together delegations from 18 APEC member economies, including the United States, Japan, and China, along with representatives from academia, businesses, and civil society—totaling approximately 180 participants. Discussions will focus on achieving the three key priorities for “APEC 2025 Korea”: Connectivity, Innovation, and Prosperity—by addressing key challenges: Strengthening Global Cooperation for Health Crises, Improving Universal Health through Digital Technology, and Achieving Shared Prosperity through Overcoming Health Challenges.

 

* (Asia) South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, (America) United States, Canada, Chile, Peru, (Oceania and Others) Australia, Papua New Guinea, Russia

 

The HWG meeting will consist of a plenary session and welcome reception on the first day, a second plenary session on the second day, and a policy dialogue followed by a farewell reception on the third day. The MOHW plans to facilitate close communication between APEC member economy representatives and corporate stakeholders, ensuring meaningful opportunities for practical cooperation.

 

On the first day, on the topic of “Advancing R&D Collaboration and Regulatory Harmonization for Emerging Health Threats”, the importance of innovation in research and development is discussed while sharing the progress made in regulatory alignment among member economies(Session 4). In the meantime, for “Pandemic Preparedness and Response,” collaborative efforts in pandemic surveillance using AI and big data, accelerating vaccine and therapeutic development, and strengthening supply chains are to be explored(Session 5).

 

Additionally, on the topic of “Digital Health for Universal Health Coverage,” the role of digital technologies in improving healthcare accessibility and efficiency and managing chronic diseases amid aging populations is highlighted(Session 6). Strategies for ensuring the right to health for persons with disabilities and fostering their economic and social participation through digital technology are also discussed on the topic of “Promoting Social Inclusion through Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities.”(Session 7)

 

On the second day, efficient funding mechanisms and cooperative strategies are discussed among member economies for “Sustainable Health Financing Amid Demographic Shifts”(Session 4). For “Addressing Low Birth Rates and Population Aging,” policy responses to demographic transitions are to be shared while exploring sustainable solutions. On the topic of “Life-Course Immunization,” the value of vaccinations, the economic evaluation of vaccine introduction, and multi-sectoral collaboration strategies to strengthen immunization programs are also covered.

 

On the third day, the policy dialogue session will be dedicated to “Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness and Response Capacity.” Member economies will share their health crisis response capabilities and discuss strategies to strengthen National Public Health Agencies (NPHAs), establishing a solid foundation for future health emergency responses.

 

* NPHA refers to institutions responsible for national-level public health crisis management, infectious disease and chronic disease prevention, surveillance, and response. In Korea, the KDCA serves this role.

Minister Cho KyooHong stated, “As the APEC chair this year, Korea aims to lead focused discussions on key areas where we can make significant contributions to improving public health in the Asia-Pacific region, including digital health and health crisis response. Leading up to the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) in October, we will maintain continuous engagement with member economies to achieve shared outcomes and fulfill its role as a responsible partner in the Asia-Pacific region.” ///