As globalisation accelerates the international movement of organisms that are capable of carrying infectious diseases, it is becoming clear that global infectious disease management is an issue that demands concerted international action in order to be managed effectively. Health security has, in recent times, featured ever more prominently on the APEC agenda. However, there has been little study done on what specific contribution APEC can make to international infectious disease management. Accordingly, this paper considers how the APEC process, given its institutional characteristics, can help the World Health Organisation in its international infectious disease management efforts.