Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1600 GMT, July 3

VIENTIANE -- Representatives from member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting to share scaled-up and intensified national disease prevention, preparedness, detection and response measures.

They gathered in Lao capital Vientiane for the 18th ASEAN Senior Officials' Meeting on Health Development (SOMHD) on July 1-5, according to a report from the Center of Information and Edu