Strengthening Health Security and Building Resilience: Learning and Improving from the COVID-19 Pandemic, 24-25 August 2022, Seoul, Republic of Korea: meeting report

Overview

The Sixth Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health (the Forum) was convened in Seoul, Republic of Korea from 24 to 25 August 2022. The meeting was chaired by Honourable Chounsook Jung, Chairperson of the Health and Welfare Committee, National Assembly of the Republic of Korea, and the Honourable Minseok Kim, President of the Korean Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health, with support from the Korean Parliamentarian Forum on Global Health and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific.

The meeting aimed to enhance the role of parliamentarians in strengthening health security and building resilient health systems, and was attended by 30 parliamentarians from 15 countries. Parliamentarians received an update on the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) situation globally and in the Region, and how the Region has benefited from over 16 years of investment in health security systems through the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases and Public Health Emergencies (APSED). Parliamentarians shared their country’s experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, lessons that could be drawn, and parliamentary actions taken to strengthen health security systems. Several parliaments supported actions to increase investment in health to advance health priorities and aid social and economic recovery, reflecting the interdependency between health and the economy. Participating Countries: Cambodia, Fiji, Japan, Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Mongolia, Palau, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Viet Nam.