HHS Deputy Secretary Meets with Malaysian Minister of Health on Pandemic-Influenza Preparedness and Other Issues

June 5, 2006 – The Honorable Alex M. Azar II, Deputy Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), met with a senior delegation from Malaysia led by the Honorable Dato' Dr. Chua Soi Lek, Minister of Health.

The Minister and Deputy Secretary Azar discussed the outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza among humans and birds in Southeast Asia, and the Deputy Secretary expressed appreciation for the Government of Malaysia's regional leadership role in influenza preparedness and response.  Deputy Secretary Azar emphasized the importance of continued vigilance and transparent reporting of all cases, and noted that U.S. experts in Bangkok, Hanoi and the United States are available to provide assistance as needed.

Joining Minister Chua in the meeting were senior Malaysian Ministry of Health officials including Dr. Mohammed Ismail Merican, Director-General for Research and Technical Support; Dr. M.S. Pillay, Deputy Director-General for Research and Technical Support; and Dr. Nor Shahiday Khairullah, Director of the National Institute for Natural Products, Vaccines and Biologicals.

Minister Chua also traveled to the HHS National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, and visited several HHS/NIH components, including the Fogarty International Center, the Vaccine Research Center, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

The United States and Malaysia are preparing to begin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in Kuala Lumpur the week of June 12, 2006, to be followed by further FTA negotiations in July 2006 in Washington, D.C. Deputy Secretary Azar expressed his support for the FTA and for a new Science and Technology agreement with Malaysia, currently the subject of discussions in parallel with the FTA negotiations.

Last revised: November 09, 2007