YANGON, June 19 (Xinhua) -- Health ministers from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as from China, Japan and South Korea will gather here Wednesday to explore enhanced regional cooperation in health.

    Issue of emerging infectious disease will top the agenda of the first day meeting, which will be the eighth of the ASEAN health ministers, an official of the Directorate of Health told Xinhua Monday.

    The official, who is the director of the directorate, also said the regional cooperation in containing avian influenza as well as traditional medicine integration will also be discussed at the meeting.

    These issues will be carried through to the Second ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and South Korea) Health Ministers Meeting to be followed on Thursday when a joint declaration will be issued at the end of the meeting, she said.

    As a follow-up, the First ASEAN+China Health Ministers on Friday will cover policy design on social safeness in health, the official added.

    The ASEAN+3 health ministers meeting is held biennially. The first ASEAN+3 health ministers meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur in April 2004.

    In December 2005, ASEAN health officials also met in Jakarta to forge a concerted effort against bird flu outbreak which has claimed dozens of human lives in the region.

    Human casualties caused by bird flu have been confirmed in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and China. Enditem