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Secretary for Health attends 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva (with photos)
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     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, attended the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 19, Geneva time).

     Professor Lo and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, attended the Assembly as members of the Chinese delegation. The theme of this year's Assembly is "One World for Health", and the discussions cover a wide range of issues, including universal health coverage, prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance, health emergency preparedness and response, mental health and social connection, standardisation of medical devices nomenclature and the International Health Regulations. The Minister of the National Health Commission (NHC), Mr Lei Haichao, delivered a speech about healthcare developments of the Mainland at the plenary session.

     In addition to attending the plenary session, Professor Lo and Dr Lam also attended a side meeting with the Director of the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes of the WHO, Dr Meg Doherty, to exchange views on the work on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), syphilis and hepatitis B (also known as "triple elimination"). Professor Lo said, "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is committed to promoting and safeguarding maternal and child health and accords high priority to the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. We have performed preliminary assessment on the progress and outcome of our work on 'triple elimination' according to the guidance issued by the WHO and are contemplating the submission of a request for validation of 'triple elimination' to the WHO this year. We will maintain close communication with the Regional Office for the Western Pacific Regional Validation Secretariat to push forward the relevant progress."

     During the meeting with the Assistant Director-General, Antimicrobial Resistance ad interim of the WHO, Dr Yukiko Nakatani, Professor Lo said that the HKSAR Government has long been attaching great importance to the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance and has launched two editions of the Hong Kong Strategy and Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance in 2017 and 2022 respectively. A series of corresponding prevention and control measures have been implemented across different sectors to curb the spread of antimicrobial resistance under the framework of "One Health", including surveillance, optimising the use of antimicrobials, health education and training.

     Professor Lo and Dr Lam also met with the Permanent Secretary (Policy and Development) of the Ministry of Health of Singapore, Ms Lai Wei Lin, to exchange views on communicable diseases prevention and surveillance, epidemiological investigation, response to communicable diseases with significant public health impacts, actions to combat antimicrobial resistance, and regulation of drugs and medical devices. Professor Lo said, "We eagerly anticipate further synergising the efforts and sharing the best practices of the two places to bolster public health protection and promote medical innovation to deepen the reform of the medical and healthcare system."

     In the evening, Professor Lo and Dr Lam also attended a thematic side event cohosted by the NHC and health authorities of Ethiopia, Peru, Tanzania and Thailand. The side event, themed "Empowering Primary Health Care with Digital Intelligence for Universal Health Coverage", was moderated by the Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health of the Tsinghua University, Professor Margaret Chan. Mr Lei delivered a keynote speech at the side event.

     After arriving in Geneva on May 18 (Geneva time), Professor Lo and Dr Lam met with Mr Lei and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, Mr Chen Xu, to discuss the latest healthcare developments of the Mainland and Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's participation in WHO-related work.

     Professor Lo and Dr Lam will continue to attend the WHA today (May 20, Geneva time).
 
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The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, met with the Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organisations in Switzerland, Mr Chen Xu, in Geneva, Switzerland on May 18 (Geneva time) to talk about the latest healthcare developments of the Mainland and Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's participation in World Health Organization-related work. Photo shows Mr Lei (Centre); Mr Chen (fourth right); the Commissioner of the National Healthcare Security Administration, Mr Zhang Ke (fourth left); Professor Lo (third right); the Director of the Health Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Dr Lo Iek-long (third left); the Commissioner of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Professor Yu Yanhong (second right); and the Deputy Director of the National Administration of Disease Prevention and Control, Mr Xia Gang (second left).
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, met with the Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, Mr Chen Xu, in Geneva, Switzerland on May 18 (Geneva time). Photo shows Mr Lei (sixth left); Mr Chen (sixth right); Professor Lo (fifth right); the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (fifth left) and other members of the Hong Kong delegation.
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, attended the 78th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization as members of the Chinese delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 19, Geneva time). Photo shows Professor Lo (second right) and Dr Lam (first right), the Director of the Health Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, Dr Lo Iek-long (first left) and the Executive Director of the Charities and Community, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Dr Gabriel Leung (second left).
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, attended the 78th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization as members of the Chinese delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 19, Geneva time). Photo shows Professor Lo (centre) and Dr Lam (right) taking picture with the Supervisor of the Department of Health Science, Technology and Education of the National Health Commission, Mr Zheng Zhongwei (left).
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, attended the 78th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) as members of the Chinese delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 19, Geneva time). Photo shows Professor Lo (first right) and Dr Lam (second right) listening to the speech made by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, Mr Chen Xu.
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau (second left) and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (second right) met with the Director of the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes of the World Health Organization, Dr Meg Doherty (first left), in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 19, Geneva time) to exchange views on the work on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), syphilis and hepatitis B (also known as "triple elimination").
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau (right) met with the Director of the Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections Programmes of the World Health Organization, Dr Meg Doherty (left), in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 19, Geneva time) to exchange views on the work on the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), syphilis and hepatitis B (also known as "triple elimination").
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau (second right) and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (first right), met with the Assistant Director-General, Antimicrobial Resistance ad interim of the World Health Organization, Dr Yukiko Nakatani (first left), in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 19, Geneva time) to introduce to her the measures taken by Hong Kong to curb the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau (first right) and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (second right) met with the Permanent Secretary (Policy and Development) of the Ministry of Health of Singapore, Ms Lai Wei Lin (first left), in Geneva, Switzerland, yesterday (May 19, Geneva time) to exchange views on communicable diseases prevention and surveillance, epidemiological investigation, response to communicable diseases with significant public health impacts, actions to combat antimicrobial resistance, and regulation of drugs and medical devices.
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, attended the 78th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization as members of the Chinese delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, and also attended the thematic side event "Empowering Primary Health Care with Digital Intelligence for Universal Health Coverage" cohosted by the National Health Commission (NHC) and health authorities of Ethiopia, Peru, Tanzania and Thailand yesterday evening (May 19, Geneva time). Photo shows Professor Lo (first left) listening to the keynote speech delivered by the Minister of the NHC, Mr Lei Haichao, at the side event.
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, attended the 78th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) as members of the Chinese delegation in Geneva, Switzerland, and also attended the thematic side event "Empowering Primary Health Care with Digital Intelligence for Universal Health Coverage" cohosted by the National Health Commission (NHC) and health authorities of Ethiopia, Peru, Tanzania and Thailand yesterday evening (May 19, Geneva time). Photo shows Professor Lo (centre) , Dr Lam (right) and the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala (left) taking a photo before the side event.