7-9 April 2025 | Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic
Background and Overview
Fostering regional cooperation can facilitate dialogue and knowledge exchange, leverage economies of scale, harmonize regulations and standards, and develop joint regional approaches and mechanisms to address health challenges. To this end, the CAREC Working Group on Health (WGH) was established in March 2021 to guide CAREC health cooperation and implement the CAREC Health Strategy 2030 and the Regional Investment Framework for Health 2022-2027 (RIF). The strategy adopted during the CAREC Ministerial Conference in November 2021 focuses on regional health security through cooperation.
The 5th meeting of the WGH in November 2023 highlighted the importance of linking climate and health actions with regional health security, the need for closer regional cooperation and opportunities to leverage the CAREC platform. The CAREC country delegates discussed steps to implement the RIF and reached an agreement on joint priorities for health and climate change.
Building on the 5th WGH meeting, ADB’s Climate and Health Initiative and aligned with CAREC Climate Change Action Plan, the 6th WGH meeting focused on health system resilience in the context of climate change. On the second day (8 April) a joint meeting was held with the Working Group on Climate Change to discuss how to build climate resilient and low carbon health systems.
Country delegates further explored how to achieve health outcomes and regional health security through multisectoral collaboration. Proactively integrating health components into regional transport, trade, and economic corridor investments in CAREC can create co-benefits and synergies for all.
The Kyrgyz Republic was the Chair and Host of this meeting.
Objectives
- Discuss two deliverables on climate and health jointly with the Working Group on Climate Change.
- Explore how to achieve health outcomes through multisectoral collaboration and include health components in regional non-health sector investments in CAREC.
- Review implementation of the CAREC Health Strategy 2023 and Regional Investment Framework (RIF) 2022-2027, including
- Review CAREC Sub-Working Group (SWG) health activities,
- Endorse the CAREC health workplan, and
- Discuss coordination and communication mechanisms for the WGH.
Event Materials
Day 1 – 7 April
Session 0 – Opening (ENG, RUS)
Session 2 – Case Study Material (ENG, RUS)
Session 3 – 6th WGH Meeting (ENG, RUS)
Pre-meeting Presentation
1.0. Intro to CAREC Health (ENG, RUS)
2.0 Pre meeting WGH (ENG, RUS)
4.0 CAREC WGH Pre-Meeting – Issue Revised (ENG, RUS)
5.0 Pre meeting – Min Requirements – Issue (ENG, RUS)
Pre-meeting Package
1. Info Note – Country Participants (ENG, RUS)
2. Questions for Countries – Session 3 (ENG, RUS)
3. Deliverable Min Req (ENG, RUS)
4. Draft CAREC Healthcare Decarbonization Strategy (ENG, RUS)
