*********************************************************
The first tripartite meeting of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Expert Group on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Atypical Pneumonia was attended by health and medical professionals from the three places on May 29 and 30 in Hong Kong.
During the meeting, experts from the three sides briefed their counterparts on their work and experience in the prevention of Infectious Atypical Pneumonia. They also conducted in-depth discussion on areas including public health administration, clinical treatment and epidemiological investigations and pathological studies on the disease. Guangdong and Macau experts, accompanied by their Hong Kong health professionals, visited local medical and laboratory institutions to see for themselves the progress made on the clinical treatment and tracing of the source of infection.
In the two-day meeting, the three parties agreed to extend the present notification mechanism on Infectious Atypical Pneumonia between Hong Kong Guangdong and Hong Kong to Macau. The existing point-to-point information exchange set-up between certain health units of Hong Kong and Guangdong will further be expanded to health administrative structures, disease surveillance and control as well as medical sectors of the three places.
Noting that effective tracing of cases and source of infection is paramount to the surveillance and control of disease, the three sides agreed to strengthen the network of information flow on infectious diseases and arrange experts' visits to each other.
Experts of the three sides will continue to actively explore and study the characteristics of infectious diseases. This will serve as the basis and reference to the setting up of a medical facility for admission and treatment of patients with infectious diseases.
On infection control and clinical treatment of Infectious Atypical Pneumonia, the three places saw the need for further enhancing the exchange of information and co-operation, in particular, information interflow on infection control in hospitals, data analysis on epidemic situation and clinical treatment. This will enable the three places to have more complete information on the prevention and treatment of the disease.
To safeguard public health and contain the spread of infectious diseases, the three places agreed to expand the list of notifiable infectious diseases including AIDS, dengue fever, influenza, tuberculosis, cholera and malaria. The information includes cumulative case reports, the number of deaths and patients discharged. The three places will also notify each other the latest situation under special circumstances. The three places agreed to discuss in the next meeting the prevention and control of seasonal infectious diseases, like dengue fever.
The three places agreed to further enhance co-operation on scientific research and set up mutual visit programme for professionals and technical staff. The programme covers professionals and technical staff engaged in different scope of works including epidemiological investigations, pathological studies and clinical treatment. Information exchange and co-operation on blending the merits of Western and Chinese medicines will also be enhanced.
The meeting was attended by 40 representatives of medical and health departments of Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong. Members include the Deputy Director-General of the Health Department of Guangdong Province, Ms Wang Zhi Qiong; Assistant Director-General of the Health Department of Guangdong Province, Mr He Zhao fu; the Director of the Department of Health of the Macau SAR Government, Dr Koi Kuok-leng; Deputy Director of Health of the Hong Kong SAR Government, Dr Leung Pak-yin, and Director (Professional Services and Public Affairs) of the Hospital Authority, Dr Ko Wing-man.
The second meeting of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Expert Group on Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Atypical Pneumonia will be held in Macau.
End/Friday, May 30, 2003
NNNN
