Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Email this article news.gov.hk
WHO Working Group meets in Hong Kong to discuss traditional medicine strategy (with photo)
************************************************************

     The World Health Organization (WHO) today (November 27) convened a four-day meeting in Hong Kong to further discuss and develop the next WHO traditional medicine global strategy.

     The meeting, which aims to get an update on participating countries' progress in the development of traditional medicine and seek expert views on devising the next global strategy to meet new challenges, is supported by the Chinese Medicine Division of the Department of Health (DH).   

     Addressing the opening ceremony, the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan, said, "Traditional medicine has been part of the cultural heritage in Hong Kong and many parts of the world and remains to be a precious resource. Traditional medicine deserves to be a public health priority because it has contributed to protecting and maintaining people's health for over thousand years of history and is still gaining popularity.

     "Traditional medicine is part and parcel of national health care systems, albeit there may exist different modes of integration."

     Dr Chan said that the Chinese Medicine Division of the DH, which is the designated WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine, would continue to support the WHO's initiatives in traditional medicine and assume an effective bridging role among countries to facilitate better co-operation and co-ordination with the WHO in promoting the global development of traditional medicine.
     
     Dr Chan expressed her profound gratitude to the WHO for its leadership and efforts in co-ordinating member countries and regions in formulating traditional medicine policies and strategies.

     The meeting is being attended by about 30 international experts from the WHO's six regions, namely Africa, the Americas, South-East Asia, Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Western Pacific, as well as local experts.

Ends/Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:46

NNNN

Photo
Print this page