APEC Health Cooperation for Ensuring Health for All

- APEC Health Working Group (HWG) Meeting held August 5–8 -

- Discussions on health cooperation including digital health, community-based integrated care, and the One Health approach -

The Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Jeong Eun Kyeong) and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA, Commissioner Lim Seung-kwan) announced that they will jointly host the APEC Health Working Group (HWG) Meeting, a sub-meeting under the Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2025 Korea from Tuesday, August 5 to Friday, August 8 at Songdo Convensia in Incheon. This four day meeting will bring together 21 member economies* of the APEC to discuss key health issues and strengthen cooperation.

* APEC uses the term “member economies” as participants join in that capacity rather than as countries.

* Asia: Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei

Americas: United States, Canada, Chile, Peru

Oceania and others: Australia, Papua New Guinea, Russia

This meeting, the second of its kind following the March gathering in Gyeongju, will be held under the theme “Ensuring Health for All, a Sustainable Tomorrow.” The member economies will share their experiences and efforts to address a wide range of health challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region and to explore collaborative solutions.

The event will comprise two days of policy dialogues followed by two days of plenary sessions, with speakers and panelists from international organizations, academia, industry, and research institutions, engaging in in-depth discussions on key health issues.

On Day 1 (Aug. 5), the policy dialogue* will be held under the theme of “One Health Multi-sectoral approach,” focusing on the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. This dialogue will address the status of One Health governance structures across member economies and the roles of various sectors (Session 3); inter-ministerial and cross-border cooperation and communication (Session 4); and capacity-building initiatives and best practices (Session 5).

* Policy dialogues are designed to facilitate the sharing of experiences and to explore opportunities for cooperation on specific policy issues.

On Day 2 (Aug. 6), the policy dialogue will focus on digital health, including topics including the development and application of AI and digital health innovation (Session 2); digital health collaboration among healthcare institutions and the promotion of self-directed, personalized health management using digital health technologies (Session 3); and the establishment of a framework to advance the digital transformation of the healthcare sector, with attention to cybersecurity and technology safety (Session 4).

On Day 3 (Aug. 7), the plenary session* will cover key issues such as building comprehensive regional healthcare systems to respond to demographic changes and ensure universal health coverage (Session 4); strengthening community-based integrated care to support aging in place (Session 5); policies supporting pregnancy, childbirth, and reproductive health to address low birth rates and promote family-friendly environments (Session 6); and the One Health strategies and implementation plans in response to ongoing health threats including emerging zoonotic diseases (Session 7).

* Plenary sessions are formal meetings for reporting project progress, developing roadmaps, and discussing related policies.

On the final day (Aug. 8), the morning sessions will focus on enhancing chronic disease management systems, including disease surveillance and research frameworks, and the implications of technological advancements such as AI (Session 2); as well as policies for integrated cancer management across the full continuum, from improving access to cancer screening to supporting cancer survivors and their families (Session 3).

In the afternoon, discussions will center on updating the Cervical Cancer Roadmap (2026–2030) to strengthen women’s health rights (Session 4); life-course-based mental health support strategies tailored to the specific challenges faced by each age group (Session 6); and promoting health equity in the face of climate threats through disease impact assessments, research, and surveillance systems for extreme weather events (Session 7).

Outcomes from the both Health Working Group (HWG) meetings held in March and August will be incorporated into a joint declaration at the High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy (HLMHE), which will take place in Seoul on Monday, September 15 and Tuesday, September 16.

Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun Kyeong stated, “We hope that the outcomes of this APEC HWG Meeting will lay the groundwork for ensuring health for all and a sustainable tomorrow, through the upcoming APEC High-Level Meeting on Health and the Economy in September and the APEC Summit in October.” She also added, “The Ministry of Health and Welfare will actively support tangible progress in APEC health cooperation.” ///