Kolon Group said on the 27th that at the fourth meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) held in Busan, the Bio-Healthcare Working Group (BHWG) finalized a "smart and inclusive healthcare roadmap." Vice Chairman Lee Gyu-ho of Kolon served as chair of the BHWG.
As chair of the BHWG, which was newly established at ABAC this year, Vice Chairman Lee has led healthcare-related discussions. The BHWG set and discussed multiple agendas in four areas in the roadmap: accelerating biotech innovation, consolidation of health networks, closing inclusive health gaps, and public-private partnerships. The roadmap contains public-private cooperation plans to address complex health issues in the APEC region, such as population aging and the rise of chronic diseases, disparities in access to care, and fiscal sustainability.
The roadmap centers on seven strategies: evidence-based policymaking based on health data; expansion of precision medicine through biotechnology; improving healthcare efficiency using artificial intelligence; strengthening supply chain resilience; securing sustainable health financing; responding to the brain health crisis; and regulatory improvements to expand access to care. The specifics are set to be discussed as a key agenda item at the APEC leaders' summit in Gyeongju.
The BHWG also proposed public sharing of health data through the adoption of common international standards across APEC, a joint research platform and talent training programs for the commercialization of genome-based diagnostics and treatments, and strengthening the capabilities of medical professionals. It also proposed building real-time monitoring systems for the production of pharmaceuticals and medical devices to bolster supply chain resilience, expanding community-based long-term care systems, and addressing aging through enhanced digital inclusion.
Vice Chairman Lee said, "It is very important to continue sustained dialogue with health policymakers in the phase after completing the roadmap," and added, "I am confident that the newly formed momentum around APEC health care agendas can continue to strengthen."
The BHWG meeting held that day at Ananti Cove in Busan was attended by global bio-healthcare experts, including Ted Chang, BHWG vice chair, Taiwan ABAC Commissioner and chief technology officer of Quanta Computer; Suzuki Jun, ABAC Japan Commissioner and special advisor at Teijin; Julia Torreblanca, ABAC Peru Commissioner; Monica Whaley, head of the U.S. APEC Center; and Nicole Boconich, policy director at the U.S. APEC Center.