Foreign ministers at the 16th East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting have endorsed a joint action plan on mental health and pledged stronger regional cooperation to improve public health resilience.

In a chair’s statement released Thursday, the ministers, led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, recognized mental health as a critical public health issue worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic and called for closer regional collaboration.

The meeting welcomed the development of the EAS Joint Action Plan on Mental Health Cooperation, which will serve as the framework for implementing the EAS Leaders’ Statement on Mental Health Cooperation adopted in October 2021.

The ministers also agreed to integrate mental health and well-being into the region’s long-term human development agenda, including education initiatives that support students’ mental health alongside technical and vocational training, digital literacy and academic exchanges.

They underscored the links between climate change, environmental degradation and public health, committing to strengthen cooperation on early warning systems, disaster preparedness and risk reduction to mitigate the impacts of El Niño and other climate-related threats.

The meeting also backed a One Health approach to address environmental health challenges, including air pollution, transboundary haze, marine pollution and biodiversity conservation.

On global developments, the ministers acknowledged that external uncertainties, including conflicts in the Middle East, continue to affect healthcare access and basic services, particularly for vulnerable populations.

They reaffirmed support for timely and targeted responses to address these challenges.

The EAS comprises the ASEAN member states and dialogue partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States. (PNA)