2023 APEC Workshop on Public-Private Collaboration in Supporting of Containing Measures During and Beyond Pandemic
The “APEC Workshop on Public-Private Collaboration in Supporting of Containing Measures During and Beyond Pandemic” was organized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Chinese Taipei. This workshop was held in Chinese Taipei on 12-13 September 2023 (GMT+8) via a Hybrid meeting (events with a mix of both physical and remote access participation). The event engaged 17 speakers/experts and attracted around 100 participants from 11 APEC economies, including Canada; Indonesia; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; The Philippines; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand and Viet Nam.
During the presentation, speakers introduced and shared their experiences with digital health models and discussed the transformation of their economy from the past to the future. They focused on innovative care or delivery models, principles of health data management, and healthcare cases. Additionally, they addressed the aspects involving public-private collaboration.
Many speakers noted that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation in healthcare. This acceleration encompassed expanded access to telemedicine, virtual consultations, wearable devices, and apps, among other innovations. Additionally, speakers emphasized that the digital systems and apps developed during COVID-19 would not only continue to serve their initial purposes but also expand their functions to further enhance the development of an integrated healthcare system. They also stressed the necessity of establishing a public-private partnership for quickly responding to public health emergencies.
Many speakers emphasized that, beyond system development, various components such as empowering people's knowledge, integrating existing systems, ensuring data security, and enhancing manpower development, are crucial aspects to be addressed in the process of digital transformation for both the public and private sectors.
In the future, member economy should continue to focus on the development of digitalized healthcare infrastructures, including integrated data platforms, systems, and service delivery. This will enhance our capacity to address future health threats and pave the way for a brighter future for the next generation.