ASEAN Academic Conference on Disaster Health Management

Title: ASEAN Academic Conference on Disaster Health Management
Date: 1 December 2021 - 2 December 2021
Sponsors: JICA - Project for Strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management
Location: Online conference

Flavio SALIO PhD, Network Lead, Emergency Medical Teams, World Health Organization
Flt.Lt. Atchariya Pangma, MD, MPH, ARCH Project Director, Secretary-General of the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, Thailand
Ms. Rodora Turalde-Babaran, Director of Human Development, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department, ASEAN Secretariat
Dr. Tatsuro Kai, Chairman of Japan Advisory Committee, ARCH Project
Yuichi Koido, MD, PhD, Secretary-General of the DMAT of the National Hospital Organization Headquarters
Tatsuhiko Kubo, MD, PhD, Professor, Hiroshima University, Japan
Yoshiki Toyokuni, PhD, Chief of Disaster Medical Coordination Unit for Japan DMAT Secretariat
Yasuhiro Otomo, MD, PhD, Chairman, the Board Directors of the Japanese Association for Disaster Medicine (JADM)
Shinichi Egawa, MD, PhD, FACS, Professor, International Cooperation for Disaster Medicine Lab., International Research Institute of Disaster Science (IRIDeS), Tohoku University, Japan
Ryoma Kayano, MD, PhD, Technical Officer, World Health Organization Centre for Health Development

The 1st ASEAN Academic Conference on Disaster Health Management (DHM) was held online on December 1 - 2, 2021, with around 120 participants from 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS), ASEAN Secretariat, AHA Centre, and Japan. The purpose of the conference was to enhance the academic network on DHM among the ASEAN member states (AMS).

The conference was launched with speeches by Dr. Atchariya Pangma, the Chairman of the Conference, the ARCH Project Director, and Secretary-General of the National Institute for Emergency Medicine, Thailand, and Dr Tatsuro Kai, the Chairperson of the Japan Advisory Committee on the Project for Strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH Project), and Ms. Rodora Turalde-Babaran, Director of Human Development, ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Department, ASEAN Secretariat.

Dr. Flavio SALIO, Network Lead, Emergency Medical Teams, World Health Organization (WHO) gave the keynote speech on the current status and future prospects of the WHO EMT Initiative and expectations for the ARCH Project. Active discussions were exchanged in four sessions and panel discussions.

- Session 1: ARCH, ASEAN regional mechanism, and Global Initiatives for EMT

Discussions were held on the outcomes of the ARCH project, especially its impact and contributions to policies and capacity development on DHM within and outside of ASEAN and globally, as well as issues to be addressed through ASEAN plus Japan in the future.

- Session 2: Impact of ARCH on national capacities and policies in DHM in AMS and Japan

Experiences were shared on the impact of the ARCH Project in ASEAN member states (AMS), and whether the participation of 5 countries (*) including Thailand and Japan in the ARCH Project, especially in hosting the Regional Collaboration Drill (RCD), has resulted in any positive changes in national capacities and policies on DHM.

(*) 4 AMS countries, that have hosted the RCD: Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam, plus Japan

- Session 3: Experiences of DHM in actual disasters in AMS and Japan

The experience of 10 AMS countries and Japan on emergency medical response to actual large-scale disasters or public health emergencies that have occurred since the beginning of the ARCH Project implementation in 2016 were shared.

- Session 4: Academic network of DHM

The vision and strategic direction of the ASEAN Academic Network on DHM, which is being established with the support of the ARCH Project, and the launch of the ASEAN Academic Journal on DHM were discussed referring to the experiences and current status of the Japanese Association of Disaster Medicine (JADM), the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM), and the Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Research Network (Health EDRM RN), as well as other relevant networks in ASEAN.

- Panel Discussion: How can ASEAN realize "One ASEAN One Response in the field of disaster health management (DHM)?

Discussions were held on how the Phase 2 Project for strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH 2) shall contribute to capacity development of each AMS on DHM, and how to respond to public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.