Summary: The political commitments outlined in the ASEAN Leadership Declaration on Disaster Health Management (ALD on DHM) have been translated into strategic initiatives. To support the Regional Coordination Committee on DHM (RCCDHM) in implementing the Plan of Action (PoA) for 2019–2025 and beyond, the ASEAN Institute for DHM (AIDHM) was officially launched in October 2023. The AIDHM plays a crucial role in facilitating the academic components of the PoA, encompassing research, training, and knowledge sharing, while also serving as the Secretariat for the ASEAN Academic Network on DHM (AANDHM). This report critically evaluates the organizational and operational dimensions of the AIDHM over its inaugural year (October 2023 to October 2024). Data collection involved a comprehensive review of official documents. The review results indicated that the AIDHM operates under the coordination of the ASEAN Health Cluster 2 alongside the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Health Development. The AIDHM Board of Directors consists of designated representatives of the RCC-DHM of the ten ASEAN Member States, with the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing at Universitas Gadjah Mada (FoM-PHN UGM) serving as the head of the AIDHM Secretariat. The AIDHM is structured into four divisions: (1) Training, (2) Research Development, (3) IT innovation, and (4) Administrative. Currently, AIDHM’s operationalization is bolstered by the Project for Strengthening ASEAN Regional Capacity on DHM (ARCH Project) and RCCDHM to meet regional PoA targets. Successful activities include the 2nd ASEAN Academic Conference on DHM in October 2023, two joint research projects focusing on emergency medical teams and safe hospitals, and the establishment of the ASEAN Journal of DHM (AJDHM). It is recommended to conduct a thorough review of the organizational structure to assess effectiveness. Furthermore, the establishment of an advisory working group for each division is essential for providing guidance and upholding standards.
Ariani et al. (Sun,) studied this question.