HONOLULU, Hawaii -- U.S. Indo Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF) cohosted the Military Health Security Summit June 16-17 at the University of Sydney, Australia. This event is the first multilateral military to military event on global health security, and the first one to include a robust focus on a regional approach to global health security for island nations.

During opening remarks USINDOPACOM Surgeon, Rear Adm. Louis C. Tripoli spoke about how U.S. military mission sets align with and contribute to shared Global Health Security goals.

“USINDPACOM is committed to working with all nations, particularly those of Oceania, to develop and strengthen a robust and resilient capability to prevent, detect, and respond to health security threats, humanitarian crises, and natural disasters,” said Tripoli.

The meeting aims to advance global norms on the role of militaries and military-civilian collaboration in Global Health Security, engage regional leaders, and increase information sharing and participation in future events. These discussions are extremely timely given the May release of the U.S. National Global Health Security Strategy. The strategy outlines the United States’ approach to strengthen global health security to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

“A robust approach to health security not only contributes to regional stability but minimizes the risk to public health to all countries, including Australia, the US and our Pacific neighbors,” said Air Vice-Marshal Tracy Smart, ADF Surgeon General.

Representatives from the World Health Organization were also in attendance and discussed National Collaboration frameworks as well as regional challenges and opportunities.

“A multisectoral approach is central to the International Health Regulation, which aim for collaboration among all relevant national sectors to detect, assess and respond to a variety of potential public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC),” said Ludy Suryantoro, team leader Strategic Partnership for International Health Regulations (IHR 2005) and Health Security (SPH) at the World Health Organization.

The meeting preludes the Global Health Security Conference also taking place in Sydney later in the week where Rear Adm. Tripoli along with others from the meeting will also be participating.