The ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information adopted the Joint Statement to Minimize the Negative Effects of COVID-19 to combat fake news and misinformation related to the pandemic, and enhance effective public communication through media and information cooperation. The Statement noted that fake news and misinformation could undermine effective regional preparedness, resiliency, and responsiveness toward addressing the outbreak if left unchecked. The Joint Statement made several resolutions, including (i) promotion of regular exchanges of official updates and information, (ii) development of regional guidelines and a common platform for timely sharing of information, (iii) enhancement of media and information literacy and digital competencies, and (iv) promotion of risk and/or crisis communication initiatives and projects.  

The GMS Health Security Project is working to strengthen national disease surveillance and outbreak response systems. This includes boosting web-based reporting and improving risk analysis and risk communication capacity.