Representatives from the Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste joined the representative from ASEAN member States from July 1st to 5th in Vientiane, Laos, to share and discuss expanded and intensified national disease prevention, preparedness, detection and response measures. 
The 18th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) focussed on the outstanding issues that need to be agreed between the ASEAN countries, ASEAN Plus Three and ASEAN-China.
Rapid growth and change in ASEAN pose challenges to the health system of Member States, including overpopulation , pollution and environmental health problems. Poverty also remains a major determinant of health status, specially for marginalised and vulnerable groups, including those living in remote, isolated, mountainous and insular communities or in areas with few resources. 
The leaders reached consensus on convening a conference of the ASEAN Ministries of Health to outline policies and strategic guidelines that will enable the region to respond effectively to new developments and possible scenarios. They also emphasized the importance of international cooperation.