Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau met participants and World Health Organization (WHO) officials yesterday as he attended the WHO’s 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland.

As members of the Chinese delegation, Prof Lo and Director of Health Dr Ronald Lam attended the plenary session on the second day of the assembly, during which Vice-minister of the National Health Commission Cao Xuetao gave an address on healthcare development in the Mainland.

Professor Lo and Dr Lam also met First Deputy Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan Timur Sultangaziyev. They exchanged views and compared experiences on matters including the promotion of traditional medicine, the nurturing healthcare talent and primary healthcare development.

Prof Lo gifted the delegation from the Republic of Kazakhstan two books published by the Department of Health, namely Hong Kong Characteristic Medicinal Plants and Compendium on Identification of Easily Confused Species of Chinese Materia Medica in Hong Kong by Macroscopic & Microscopic Characteristics.

He said: “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is moving full steam ahead to promote the development of two flagship organisations – the Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong and the Government Chinese Medicines Testing Institute.”

He added that Hong Kong SAR Government is working with the Chinese medicine (CM) sector to formulate a CM Development Blueprint that will contribute to the overall development of CM in China and assisting the national drive for CM to go global.

Prof Lo and Dr Lam also took the opportunity to exchange views with WHO senior officials on various public health-related issues.

At a meeting with WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala, Prof Lo stressed that the Hong Kong SAR Government contributes to the safeguarding of global public health by acting in step with the health strategies of the Mainland. He added that it acts in concert with the WHO and the Mainland in tackling various public health challenges.

Prof Lo said: “Dr Saia Ma'u Piukala was impressed by the Hong Kong SAR Government’s efforts in promoting tobacco control and the development of primary healthcare.

“Our target is to further lower the smoking prevalence to 7.8% by 2025. To achieve this target, we are examining the implementation of different tobacco control measures in phases.”

In a meeting with the Unit Head of the WHO’s Global Influenza Programme Zhang Wenqing, Prof Lo spoke about the measures taken by Hong Kong in combating influenza.

Attendees of the meeting agreed that strengthening surveillance of influenza viruses, conducting clinical investigations, developing and manufacturing vaccines, and rolling out publicity and education activities are all vital moves in combating influenza.

At a meeting with the WHO’s Director for Regulation & Prequalification Rogério Gaspar, Prof Lo outlined Hong Kong’s enhancement of its regulatory, approval and registration mechanism for drugs, and the latest developments in promoting the research and development, as well as clinical trials, in relation to drugs and medical devices, both in Hong Kong and in collaboration with other parts of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The two sides exchanged views on strengthening the regulatory regime for drugs and medical devices, as well as the WHO Global Benchmarking Tool for evaluating regulatory systems for medical products.

Prof Lo will proceed to Basel today.