HK, Guangdong bolster ties on disease control
( 2003-09-09 10:38) (Xinhua)
Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will consider an exercise to test the effectiveness of the cross-boundary notification mechanism, and infectious disease control and prevention measures, in view of the increasing population flowin the region and the possibility of a SARS recurrence.
This was the consensus reached on Monday at a meeting between Hong Kong's Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Yeoh Eng-kiong and Guangdong Health Department Director-General Yao Zhibin.
They discussed ways to further enhance strategies to prevent and control infectious disease in the region.
Building on the foundation laid by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Expert Group on the regular exchange of information on statutory noticeable infectious diseases, Yeoh and Yao further discussed details of the communication mechanism.
Yeoh said the meeting laid a solid foundation for strengtheningcollaboration between the two places in infectious disease prevention.
"With increasingly frequent travel between Guangdong and Hong Kong, we must join hands in the prevention and control of infectious diseases because diseases know no physical boundary," he said.
Both sides agreed to maintain the frequency of reporting SARS cases on a weekly basis. For other infectious diseases, the frequency will be once a month, and on the 15th day of each month,with point-to-point communication via mail, email or fax.
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