Focus on Capacity-Building for the ASEAN Community
Jakarta, Indonesia -- November 26, 2012 -- The ASEAN Foundation and General Electric (NYSE:GE), today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote the use of advanced technology to expand access to quality healthcare in rural areas in ASEAN.
Under the MoU, GE and the ASEAN Foundation will collaborate to provide capacity building programs for doctors, nurses, and midwives to create awareness of the various technology and solutions that are specifically designed to provide better healthcare services in rural clinics and hospitals. In addition, GE and the ASEAN Foundation will also partner with the ministries of health in the ASEAN countries on the design of healthcare policies and programs particularly those which impact rural healthcare.
Dr Makarim Wibisono, Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation and Stuart Dean, CEO GE ASEAN signed the MOU here today.
Dr. Makarim Wibisono pointed out, "In some ASEAN countries, where more than half of the populations still live in poor conditions, health issues remain a prevalent problem. These health issues are encountered from birth, through infancy, childhood, adolescence, adult life, and old age. Often the importance of addressing them are overlooked or given low priority. It is important that we pay attention to bring solutions to the problems faced. All stakeholders in ASEAN need to work together in helping to provide good quality and affordable healthcare in the rural areas."
Health is one of the activities stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding on the Establishment of the ASEAN Foundation, which was signed by the ASEAN Leaders in December 1997. To establish the ASEAN Community by 2015, the ASEAN Foundation is mandated to collaborate with various stakeholders, including the private sector, as demonstrated by this new partnership with the GE, to help improve the quality of lives of the people in the ASEAN region.
Based on a study by ASEAN in 2011, in the region, 44 women die each day from pregnancy related causes. The use of technology to detect abnormalities during pregnancy will significantly reduce maternal mortality rate, particularly in the rural areas. This collaboration is part of effort to support ASEAN countries to achieve one of the Millennium Development Goals of improving maternal health.
Stuart Dean said, "This partnership with the ASEAN Foundation is timely as it will help us deepen our commitment to provide advanced technology and solutions to enhance access to good quality and affordable healthcare, particularly in rural and remote areas. We will also be involved in contributing to human resources development in the ASEAN region through capacity-building and assist in public policy and strategy development. We see great potential to develop new opportunities for healthcare in ASEAN."
Mr. Dean also added that this MoU will also pave the way for GE to contribute more to the development of other areas in the region, such as energy, transportation, and infrastructure.
GE Healthcare has been actively introducing its Healthymagination initiative across the region, a global campaign that focuses on increasing access to quality and affordable healthcare.
An example of GE's commitment to improve rural healthcare, in late September, GE Healthcare launched the Vscan version 1.3 (Vscan 1.3) in Indonesia, a handheld, pocket-sized screening device with ultrasound technologies, adapted locally with a user interface in Bahasa Indonesia for use by medical general practitioners (GPs). Vscan fulfills a healthcare need for rural areas and helping national efforts to lower maternal infant mortality rates as ultrasound technology enables the GP to take a non-invasive look inside the body for immediate visualization of what he or she feels or hears. With more information at the point of care, the GP is able to determine the optimized course of treatment and provide fast, efficient and personalized care.
About the ASEAN Foundation
The ASEAN Foundation is an inter-governmental, non-profit organisation established by the ASEAN Leaders in December 1997 based in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Foundation aims to enhance ASEAN awareness and identity, promote greater interaction among the peoples of ASEAN, develop quality human resources, and address socio-economic disparities in the region. The ASEAN Foundation places great importance in improving the quality of life of the people of ASEAN. The strengthening of ASEAN regional cooperation in socio-economic development contributes to the eradication of poverty which is an indispensible requirement for sustainable development. Furthermore, the ASEAN Charter, in Article 15, mandates the ASEAN Foundation to collaborate with the relevant ASEAN bodies to support ASEAN community building by promoting greater awareness of the ASEAN identity, people-to-people interaction, and close collaboration among the business sector, civil society, academia and other stakeholders in ASEAN.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
GE works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 300,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.
About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.
Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.
Media Contacts:
GE Indonesia
Ariavita Purnamasari
[email protected]
+628111588685
GE Healthcare
Khor Jiak Woen
[email protected]
+6012 2030 188
ASEAN Foundation contact
Niko Atmadja
[email protected]
+6221-3192 4833 ext: 119
Cognito Communications Counsellors
Andina Rosfita
[email protected]
+628128865218
Ariavita Purnamasari
[email protected]
business unit
tags