ASEAN Secretariat, 17 June 2008

A new web-based Information Centre on Emerging Infectious Diseases in the ASEAN Plus Three Countries was launched today. The website was launched by Dr. dr. Siti Fadilah Supari Sp.JP(K), Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia and Dr. Soeung Rathchavy, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN at the Ministry of Health of Indonesia.

The new website (www.aseanplus3-eid.info) is designed to facilitate information exchange on emerging infectious diseases and to provide policymakers, health programme managers, and stakeholders with the necessary information to help improve health interventions and raise awareness on health-related issues and concerns. It is also intended to provide a venue for discussion on pressing issues related to emerging infectious diseases.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. Rathchavy said that the website would serve as an important vehicle for providing outbreak and surveillance data to the ASEAN Member States and Plus Three Countries. “I would encourage our colleagues and partners in the region to make use of the communication and information exchange mechanism by participating in the discussions and proactively sharing information that would be beneficial to our work on emerging infectious diseases,” she said.

The website is coordinated by the Ministry of Health of Indonesia. It will be maintained jointly by the ASEAN Experts Group on Communicable Diseases and the ASEAN Plus Three Focal Points for Communication and Information Sharing.

The website development is carried out under the auspices of the ASEAN Plus Three Emerging Infectious Diseases Programme which is managed by the ASEAN Secretariat, and financially supported by the Australian Agency for International Development.