The 22nd Tripartite Meeting on Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases convened in Hong Kong today (September 22). Senior representatives from the health authorities of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao gathered to review the tripartite area's collaborative capabilities and preparedness against communicable diseases. The goal is to further strengthen the existing co-operation mechanisms in order to better safeguard the health and well-being of residents in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
      
     The tripartite meeting was hosted by Department of Health (DH) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR). It was co-chaired by the Deputy Director-General of the Guangdong Provincial Health Commission and Director of the Guangdong Provincial Disease Control and Prevention Administration, Dr Song Tie; the Director of Health of Hong Kong, Dr Ronald Lam; and the Acting Deputy Director of the Health Bureau of Macao, Dr Tai Wa Hou.
      
     In addition to reviewing the progress of co-operation since the last meeting in areas such as emergency response, communicable disease surveillance and prevention, and information exchange, participants also exchanged views on current public health issues of mutual concern, including:
      

• Overview of key communicable diseases in the tripartite area;
• Prevention and control of seasonal influenza and other vaccine-preventable diseases;
• Current situation, and prevention and control of chikungunya fever (CF) and dengue fever (DF); and
• Infection control in healthcare institutions, and prevention and surveillance of antimicrobial resistance.

 
     In his address, Mr Song noted that since the beginning of the year, the three places have achieved seamless coordination in epidemic surveillance, risk assessment, information sharing and emergency response. In preparation for the 15th National Games (15th NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG), the three places conducted a public health exercise, code-named "Jingfeng". The exercise advanced the construction of a multi-tiered public health safety net in the GBA characterised by "integrated defense and multi-disease prevention". Facing threats from mosquito-borne diseases such as CF, the three places swiftly shared the latest epidemic developments, conducted multiple technical exchanges on prevention and control, and strengthened joint efforts in epidemic prevention. The newly revised Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Responding to Public Health Emergencies, which came into effect this year, provided further insights and inspiration for the joint prevention and control of communicable diseases in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
      
     Address the meeting, Dr Lam said, "Due to factors such as climate change and increased travel, recent months have seen a peak in mosquito-borne diseases. Guangdong Province and the Macao SAR have demonstrated outstanding response capabilities in addressing the CF outbreak. Their successful experiences provide valuable references and insights for Hong Kong. Furthermore, the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme and measures to prevent and control various infectious diseases through vaccination have set an exemplary standard. Additionally, monitoring antimicrobial resistance remains a significant long-term challenge in the management of healthcare institutions. We must rigorously implement infection prevention and control measures to curb the spread of drug-resistant bacteria, align with the national 'Healthcare Institution Infection Control Action' and strengthen collaborative surveillance of resistant bacterial strains through the laboratory networks in the tripartite area."
      
     In his video address, the Director of the Health Bureau of Macao, Dr Lo Iek-long, stated that co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in communicable disease prevention and control has continuously deepened. Since July this year, the effective implementation of the joint prevention and control mechanism has significantly contained CF and DF. Facing global communicable disease challenges, this meeting was significant in strengthening regional co-operation, enhancing the effectiveness of prevention and control measures, and safeguarding public health. The three places will continue to leverage the development opportunities presented by the national strategy of building the GBA to continuously work toward a "Healthy Bay Area" and a "Healthy China".
      
     The meeting was attended by approximately seventy people from the health departments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao (including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Huizhou, Zhaoqing, Hong Kong SAR and Macao SAR), as well as the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. The meeting successfully reached a consensus on the eight areas listed in the annex.
      
     Dr Lam added that the three places have long shared the philosophy of "joint prevention and control" and "information sharing". This meeting further advanced regional health integration. Exploring the introduction of technologies, such as artificial intelligence and big data analysis, will optimise the current notification mechanism and build a more robust health defense for residents in the GBA.
      
     Macao will host the next Tripartite Meeting on Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases.     
 

Ends/Monday, September 22, 2025
Issued at HKT 20:17

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