20 nations pledge to bolster regional crisis response at Indo-Pacific health security summit in Malaysia

Military, civilian, and non-governmental leaders from 20 countries convened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 7–8 for the 3rd Summit of the Indo-Pacific Health Alliance for Security (IPhas), hosted by the Malaysian Armed Forces ahead of the Global Health Security Conference. The gathering aimed to strengthen regional collaboration and advance shared approaches to health security under the theme, “Civil-Military Collaboration for Whole-of-Society Resilience.”

Co-chaired by Lt. Gen. Dato’ Zulkeffeli bin Mat Jusoh, director general of Health Services Division, Malaysian Armed Forces, Rear Adm. Sonya Bennett, commander joint health and surgeon general, Australian Defence Force, and Capt. Peter Roberts, command surgeon, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the two-day event focused on the intersection of national security and health security. “Health Security underlies medical readiness, and that medical readiness is the foundation of a resilient self-defense capability for all nations,” said Capt. Roberts.

Participants discussed biosurveillance, planning factors for impactful civil-military health engagements, and the mental health impacts of disasters on military readiness. The alliance also reviewed its expanding regional impact with insights from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, which joined in 2025. “We are here to strengthen a collective approach to health security – one that ensures when the next crisis emerges, we are prepared, coordinated, and able to respond together effectively and decisively,” said Rear Adm. Bennett.

The summit concluded with a multinational functional exercise that tested responses to two complex, fictional scenarios: a severe natural disaster complicated by a simultaneous infectious disease outbreak, and a catastrophic radiological incident at a major regional shipping hub. The drills identified and bridged coordination gaps to help ensure defense forces can support civilian authorities during large-scale emergencies without compromising primary national security missions. Participants set actionable health security goals to implement within their home agencies.

Building on momentum from an open IPhas session at the Indo-Pacific Military Health Exchange in Yokohama, Japan, in December 2025, the event featured a comprehensive evaluation plan to align future activities with regional stakeholder priorities and to demonstrate strategic and technical impact. As the only comprehensive military-civilian health security framework in the region, IPhas seeks to foster sustained coordination between defense forces and civilian health authorities to mitigate global health security threats and enhance regional resilience.

This seventh regional event since the alliance’s founding underscored an international commitment to developing country-owned health security capabilities for a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. “I am confident that the engagements, deliberations and partnerships forged during this conference will contribute meaningfully to advancing regional health security and resilience,” said Lt. Gen. Dato’ Zulkeffeli bin Mat Jusoh, director general of health services, Malaysian Armed Forces.

Founded in 2022 by the Australian Defence Force and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in partnership with regional stakeholders, IPhas serves as a sustained voice and professional network for the defense community within civilian-led health security efforts.