The Department of Health (DH) today (September 23), in collaboration with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, participated in the annual large-scale table-top exercise, Exercise Crystal, organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO). The exercise aimed to enhance emergency response mechanisms and cross-sectoral collaboration capabilities between Hong Kong, China, the WHO and neighbouring regions in addressing public health emergencies.
      
     This exercise simulated a scenario in which suspected food contamination caused illnesses among a number of residents, in order to test relevant government departments' response plan, prevention and control measures and co-ordination efforts on foodborne diseases, as well as to share the information swiftly with the WHO through the established mechanism.
      
     Since 2008, WHO WPRO has conducted the Exercise Crystal annually to strengthen the coordination capabilities of member countries and regions in preventing and responding to cross-regional public health emergencies. Meanwhile, the WPRO ensures that different focal points responsible for enforcing the International Health Regulations maintain close communication with each other, and are familiar with the response mechanism to public health emergencies. The WHO WPRO debriefed participants after the exercise and gave recognition for the participants' emergency response and collaboration mechanisms.
      
     Being one of the focal points between Hong Kong, China and the WHO, the Centre for Health Protection of the DH has actively participated in the exercise for years to strengthen communication and information sharing mechanisms between Hong Kong, China and the WHO WPRO, and the respective focal points in other regions, in order to continuously optimise Hong Kong’s inter-departmental coordination mechanisms for responding to different public health emergencies.
      
     The DH will consolidate the experience gained from this exercise and, in collaboration with other departments, review the current response mechanisms for interdepartmental co-ordination and preventive measures in a timely manner, so as to make more forward-looking arrangements to comprehensively safeguard public health.

Ends/Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:48

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