The ASEAN Subcommittee on Biotechnology – Philippines is holding a consultative meeting of the ASEAN member countries for the proposal development on impact of climate change on emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases on October 20, 2011 at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City.

The meeting aims to discuss the challenges to climate and ecosystem change, share information on ongoing program/projects, researches and initiatives, and identify a priority area for joint research collaboration that will address the ASEAN region’s need to study the impact of climate on vector-borne disease outbreaks.

A collaborative research proposal is expected to be developed addressing the ASEAN region’s need to study the impact of climate change on vector-borne disease outbreaks through the use of modern day predictive technologies and to find a long-term regional solution to the climate change problem.

Expected participants are the delegates from the ASEAN Member States, namely: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

This initiative is spearheaded by Dr. Jaime C. Montoya, National Focal Person for the Philippines of the ASEAN Sub Committee on Biotechnology, and the Executive Director of the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCHRD-DOST).

Funding for the whole day activity will come from the International Commitment Fund (ICF) administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).