About 3rd ASEAN Academic Conference
Rationale & Background
The ASEAN is committed to strengthening disaster health management in the region through the articulation of a set of priorities in the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Disaster Health Management (ALD-DHM) that was adopted at the 31st ASEAN Summit on 13 November 2017. One of the priorities includes establishing the collaboration mechanism for comprehensive capacity strengthening on disaster health management at national and regional levels. The priorities include education and academic activities which the Declaration aims to “Strengthen the cooperation and enhancement of active Academic Network among DHM Programme to conduct research and extract lessons learned from DHM in multiple events and countries, in support of the development of new solutions and innovation”.
The promotion of academic activities is a component of Priority Area 5 on Knowledge Management (KM) on DHM in the POA which will be implemented through two broad activities: “Support participation in regional academic conferences on DHM” (5.1.1), and “Strengthen the cooperation between active academic networks among DHM programmes” (5.1.2). Furthermore, the POA outlines that “A Regional Conference on Disaster Health Management is organized every two years” as one of the 21 Targets which are to be achieved by 2025, which also include a target on “A network of national academic institutions is established to organize training activities at the national level.”
Thailand is enthusiastic about the opportunity to host the Third AAC on DHM with a more interactive approach. This conference will showcase the achievements resulting from a decade of development and efforts of the AMSs and the Project for Strengthening the ASEAN Regional Capacity on Disaster Health Management (ARCH Project), which is set to conclude in 2026. It is highly preferable and symbolically significant that this final conference of the ARCH Project be held in Thailand where as the leading country of the Project. Hosting the conference in Thailand will ensure continuity and provide a fitting conclusion to the Project’s objectives, reflecting on the progress made and setting the stage for future endeavors.
Theme
Building the Disaster Health Management for a Resilient ASEAN
Objective
General Objective
Reflect on the ten-year journey of the ARCH Project and tracing the development of DHM in ASEAN and to evaluate current regional achievements aiming for autonomous and continuous capacity development.
Spesific Objectives
| 1. To provide a platform for academics, practitioners, and policymakers to share research findings, innovative practices, and case studies in DHM; |
| 2. To engage policymakers in discussions on effective policies and frameworks for DHM, and to provide recommendations for policy development and implementation; |
| 3. To review and reflect on the achievements and impact on the capacity development on DHM, and to discuss the future direction of DHM initiatives in the ASEAN region. |
| 4. To foster stronger collaborations and build networks among ASEAN countries, including government agencies, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders involved in DHM; |
Date Event
Conference Session, November 2025
| Opening session will include the opening ceremony with the representatives of the host organizations and a few honorable guests. The session will be followed by two keynote speeches of invited speakers. |
| Session 1: The Track of the Decade for Strengthening the Capacity Development on DHM in ASEAN |
| Session 2: Where we are heading to: The Strategies for Achieving the Regional Target in DHM |
| Session 3: ASEAN Knowledge and Wisdom from Past Disaster Response to Strengthen the Regional Collaboration |
| Session 4: New Dialogue for Future: Use of Technology and Innovation in Disaster Health Management |