Asean steps up push for diagnostic security, self-reliance

Asean health ministers said the bloc is stepping up efforts to become more self-reliant in diagnostic security – the manufacture, regulation and distribution of essential medical diagnostic tests.

In a joint statement, the health ministers said that Asean, China, Japan and South Korea have identified diagnostic security as one of 12 priority areas for health cooperation in 2027 and 2028.

Other areas that Asean health ministers agreed to collaborate on were vaccines and therapeutics as well as access to them.

“This would be carried out through Asean’s existing vaccine and drug security and self-reliance strategies, as well as the development and implementation of the regional framework for Asean diagnostic security and self-reliance.”

The Asean health ministers said they will work with China to strengthen the adoption of new technologies to improve diagnostic capabilities and treatment of infectious diseases, among others.

Japan will support Asean’s efforts to strengthen national and regional capacities for the prevention, preparedness, early detection and response to public health emergencies, while South Korea committed to continued cooperation with Asean on laboratory and diagnostic capacity as part of efforts to strengthen regional health security.

The US, on the other hand, will work with Asean to strengthen laboratory systems and diagnostic capacity across the region. The cooperation will include technical support in “laboratory quality management systems, genomic surveillance, antimicrobial resistance mitigation, and biosafety and biosecurity”.

The push for greater self-reliance among Asean comes as the bloc rolls out its new five-year regional health plan, the Asean strategic health agenda 2026-2030, launched during the Asean health ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur last week.