In agreeance: Guangdong Department of Health Associate Director Huang Fei, Hong Kong Director of Health Dr Lam Ping-yan and Macau Centre for Disease Control Director Tong Ka-io sign the agreement.

Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau have agreed to enhance infectious disease analysis and upload the data to a designated website.

The move was agreed at the fourth tripartite meeting of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Expert Group on the Prevention & Control of Infectious Diseases which ended today.

During the two-day meeting, members shared experience on a host of issues, including disease prevention and control measures, and attachments and training of medical professionals.

They said the existing communication channel on infectious disease outbreaks is working well. They agreed to further strengthen co-operation on the notification mechanism, experience sharing in infection control measures, admission and treatment of patients and the planning of joint exercises to better respond to outbreaks.

Members examined disease trends and presented strategies against illnesses such as atypical pneumonia, Japanese encephalitis, Dengue fever and viral gastroenteritis.

Good progress

The three parties were satisfied with the progress of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau AIDS epidemiological study. They will also launch projects studying the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases such as Japanese encephalitis and Dengue fever, and the surveillance and control of influenza in the area.

They exchanged views on clinical treatment, admission measures and the set-up of isolation facilities for infectious disease patients.

Members explored the possibility of arranging joint diagnoses by experts of the three jurisdictions if necessary, and the co-operation of Western medical professionals and Chinese medicine practitioners in clinical treatment.

The fifth tripartite meeting will be held in Macau.