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The health authorities of Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong have agreed to further strengthen communication and co-operation in combating infectious diseases and to step up prevention and control measures against scarlet fever and measles.
The consensus was reached at the Eleventh Tripartite Meeting of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases held in Macao yesterday and today (September 8 and 9).
During the two-day meeting, public health and medical experts of the three places reviewed the communicable disease situation in the past few months and collaborated on the surveillance, prevention and control of infectious diseases.
They also had in-depth discussions on the maintenance of the poliomyelitis free status; the progress in measles elimination and its challenges; prevention and control of scarlet fever; surveillance of anti-microbial resistance; laboratory surveillance of infectious diseases; and the protection of public health during large-scale events and the training of public health personnels. Members also discussed in detail their experience in the management of adverse events after immunisation.
After thorough discussion, consensus on the following subjects was reached:
* to continue strengthening co-operation in tackling infectious diseases and public health emergencies among the three places by holding the Tripartite Meeting of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao regularly and implementing the tripartite agreement of cooperation on measures to tackle public health incidents and to enhance the emergency response system;
* to continue to enhance the early alert mechanism for communicable diseases;
* to continue co-operation in measles elimination with a view to achieving the WHO's objective to eliminate measles in Western Pacific region;
* to maintain poliomyelitis free status and promote further exchanges on joint response plans;
* to further enhance exchanges and cooperation on laboratory surveillance of infectious diseases, epidemiology and public health measures on scarlet fever and the surveillance of anti-microbial resistance; and
* to foster co-operation on training of public health personnel, including experience- and resource-sharing.
Members agreed that the Department of Health of Guangdong Province would organise the twelfth tripartite meeting.
Participating at the meeting were the Associate Director of the Department of Health of Guangdong Province, Mr Huang Fei; the Director of the Health Bureau of Macao SAR, Dr Lei Chin Ion; the Director of Health of Hong Kong SAR, Dr P Y Lam and about 60 experts on infectious diseases from the three places.
Ends/Friday, September 9, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:09
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