Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong, center, speaks during the 18th Tripartite Health Ministers’ Meeting in Seoul, Sunday. Courtesy of Ministry of Health and Welfare
Heads of health authorities from Korea, China and Japan have agreed to strengthen trilateral cooperation on universal health coverage and mental health by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies, Seoul’s health ministry said Sunday, amid recent diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan.
The agreement was reached during the two-day 18th Trilateral Health Ministers’ Meeting held in Seoul, attended by Korean Health Minister Jeong Eun-kyeong, Japanese Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno and Feng Yong, director general for international cooperation at China’s National Health Commission.
The trilateral dialogue was launched in 2007 following cooperation among the three nations on pandemic influenza preparedness.
During the meeting, the three sides agreed to make joint effort to expand access to essential medical services by utilizing AI and digital technologies and to share their ways of using technologies in accordance with each country’s infrastructure and institutional frameworks.
To address the challenge of rapid population aging, they also agreed to support the development of integrated care systems that provide coordinated medical and care services.
On mental health, the three nations agreed to prioritize life cycle-based suicide prevention strategies, early identification of high-risk groups and proper intervention systems by expanding the use of digital tools.
“Through the course of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, we reaffirmed the importance of sustainable and resilient health systems. Beyond infectious disease control, we emphasized the importance of further cooperation on broader health agendas, including universal health coverage (UHC), healthy and active ageing, and mental health promotion,” their joint statement said.
“The three countries will continue to share policies and innovative practices in the field of mental health, and are determined to generate tangible synergies for mental health promotion and suicide prevention across East Asia through evidence-based policy cooperation,” it said.
For the goals, the three countries will maximize the use of telemedicine, mobile health and AI-based diagnostic support systems, among other tools, “to overcome geographical and socio-economic barriers,” according to the statement.
They will also focus on expanding preventive approaches as health promotion and the prevention of non-communicable diseases are “key pillars of healthy aging,” and they vowed to work jointly to address anxiety, depression, loneliness and social isolation, it said.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Jeong held bilateral talks with delegations from China, Japan and the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific Regional Office.
The next round of meetings will be held in China next year, according to the ministry.
AloJapan.com