Kuala lumpur: Malaysia and Indonesia are advancing their health cooperation by exploring new areas, including digital health, traditional and complementary medicine, healthy ageing, and environmental health. These efforts are aimed at tackling emerging health challenges such as zoonotic diseases and dengue, as revealed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr Dzulkefly highlighted that these topics were discussed during a bilateral meeting with the Indonesian delegation on the sidelines of the 17th ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting (AHMM). The meeting also focused on expanding the implementation of the health Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was signed in Jakarta on July 29 of the previous year.

Dr Dzulkefly further mentioned that the meeting underscored the appreciation for Malaysia's status as a leading health tourism destination, which significantly contributed to the economy with over RM2.2 billion in revenue through 968,706 visits by 2025. He noted that the meeting aimed to explore strategic aspects of health cooperation between the two neighboring countries.

He emphasized that the MADANI Government is committed to adopting strategic and proactive measures to fortify the resilience of Malaysia's health system. This includes engaging in regional bilateral cooperation to ensure the sustainability, continuity, and quality of public health services for the well-being of the populace.

The 17th AHMM, which is being held in Kuala Lumpur from September 7 to 11, is chaired by Malaysia with Myanmar serving as Vice Chair. The meeting is conducted under the theme 'Healthy ASEAN: Together Towards Equitable, Future-Ready Health Systems.'