2004-09-28
The SARS crisis was a reminder to health authorities around the world of the need for a strong commitment in enhancing public health infrastructure and a closer international co-operation against communicable diseases.
The remark was made by CHP's Controller, Dr Leung Pak-yin while addressing the opening ceremony of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm yesterday (September 27, Sweden time).
"Medical professionals need to strengthen their capabilities for a quick and co-ordinated response since communicable and emerging diseases could wage a war against humankind anytime in the 21st century," Dr Leung said.
"The setting up of the European CDC is a timely manifestation of the European Commission's determination to play a central role in the protection and promotion of public health in European Union countries, and to lead its people to win this war."
Dr Leung said Hong Kong was also making every effort to improve its public health system.
"With the support and approval of the legislature, the Hong Kong Government has allocated funding for investment in both the hardware and software needed to fortify public health infrastructure to prepare for the resurgence of SARS and other potential public health threats," he said.
Dr Leung told his overseas counterparts that in view of the galloping pace of globalisation that transformed the world into a truly global village, a close international co-operation was also essential in the detection, prevention and control of communicable diseases.
"Our experience from SARS and avian influenza shows that, apart from commitment in investing in healthcare infrastructure, effective prevention and control of communicable diseases requires first and foremost an efficient and sensitive disease surveillance system," he said.
Dr Leung said that Hong Kong has taken proactive efforts in forging strategic partnerships with international health organisations and centres for diseases control in other countries.
"Our vision for the CHP is to develop it as a centre for excellence with a vast network of international collaboration in order to strengthen the disease surveillance capacity.
"I am sure that, in this aspect, a strong strategic alliance can be formed among the new European CDC, the CHP, as well as other CDC counterparts and the World Health Organisation.
"We can explore plenty of exciting co-operation opportunities on experience sharing as well as staff secondments and exchange," Dr Leung said.
Quoting a WHO expert as saying that the world would continue to depend on Hong Kong to play an important neighbourly role in regional and global public health, Dr Leung said the CHP would certainly make the firmest pledge to live up to the expectation of the global community.
Others attending the opening ceremony included Swedish Minister for Health and Social Affairs, Mr Morgan Johansson, European Commissioner for Health, Mr David Byrne, Director General, Swedish Institute of Infectious Disease Control, Professor Ragnar Norrby, Minister of State for Health, Canada, Mrs Carolyn Bennet, Director, Department of Communicable Disease Surveillance and Response, World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Guenael Rodier.
Ends/Tuesday, September 28, 2004