4th Joint Project Working Group (PWG) Meeting Held on July 18–19, 2024 — Discussing Key Activities for FY2024 and Policy Recommendations Beyond 2025 —
The 4th Joint Project Working Group (PWG) Meeting was successfully held on July 18–19, 2024, at the Ministry of Public Health in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand, with representatives from all 10 ASEAN Member States in attendance.
The meeting was co-chaired by; Dr. Jirot from the Ministry of Public Health, Thailand (Chair of PWG1); and Dr. Pisit from the National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM) (Chair of PWG2).
As the first in-person PWG meeting since the previous online session in March 2023, this gathering provided a vital platform for sharing progress updates across all components of the ARCH Project.
Key agenda items included:
- Updates from the ASEAN Secretariat,
- Reports from the Regional Coordination Committee on Disaster Health Management (RCCDHM),
- Progress and institutional developments at the ASEAN Institute for Disaster Health Management (AIDHM).
Participants also engaged in in-depth discussions on:
- The strategic direction for FY2024, including the implementation of key activities such as the 6th Regional Collaboration Drill (RCD), this year’s Knowledge Co-creation Programme on DHM, and ongoing Knowledge Management outputs, and
- Other major proposals relevant to sustaining and scaling the achievements of the ARCH Project.
This meeting reinforced the importance of continued regional cooperation and laid the groundwork for policy recommendations and operational transitions beyond 2025.
In particular, the discussion on the next Phase of Action (POA) was one of the key agenda at this PWG meeting. We reviewed the implementation and achievements of each member country and exchanged recommendations for the upcoming POA. Moving forward, the inputs submitted by each country will be consolidated as we proceed to draft the final proposal.
Reviewing and discussing previous and upcoming POA (Brunei and Singapore)
We are ARCH Family from 10 AMS and ASEAN regional organizations!
On the following day, a Mentor Meeting was convened, hosted by Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Thailand. This session brought together core members from previous RCD host countries—Indonesia, and Malaysia, and the Philippines —who were officially invited as mentors to share their expertise and lessons learned. As the final RCD under the ARCH Project, this drill holds special significance and is being designed as the most comprehensive to date. According to the presentation by the MOPH Thailand and the National Institute for Emergency Medicine (NIEM), the drill is scheduled for February 9–14, 2025, and will simulate a large-scale flood disaster affecting Bangkok and its surrounding areas.
Key features of the planned exercise include:
- Multi-site deployment of EMTs,
- Testing of domestic coordination mechanisms both in national and regional, including wide-area operational control and inter-agency collaboration,
- Real-time simulation of EMT coordination and patient transport logistics, especially in urban flood settings.
Given Thailand’s direct experience with the devastating 2011 floods, which lasted over three months, this RCD represents a meaningful opportunity to apply lessons learned, validate updated systems, and demonstrate national and regional readiness. With strong commitment from Thai stakeholders and continued collaboration through the ARCH Project, preparations for this milestone exercise are gaining momentum. It promises to be a powerful reflection of “One ASEAN, One Response” in action.
Mentor Meeting for the 6th RCD (in MOPH Thailand)