Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau met National Health Commission Vice-minister Cao Xuetao and Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland Chen Xu yesterday.

Prof Lo briefed Mr Cao and Mr Chen on the latest healthcare-related developments in Hong Kong, including the progressive implementation of the Primary Healthcare Blueprint, published last December, which sets out a series of reform initiatives to strengthen the primary healthcare system in Hong Kong.
 
He added that the Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address stated that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to enhance public hospital services, increase the supply of healthcare manpower, drive further the development of Chinese medicine, and push forward healthcare co-operation between Hong Kong and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
 
Apart from highlighting Hong Kong's participation in World Health Organization (WHO)-related work, Prof Lo pointed out to Mr Cao and Mr Chen that major programmes include the setting up of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Traditional Medicine and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation & Treatment of Tobacco Dependence since 2012.
 
Moreover, the Centre for Health Protection’s Public Health Laboratory Services Branch has been designated as WHO reference laboratories for years.
 
Prof Lo is scheduled to attend the 76th World Health Assembly as a member of the Chinese delegation on May 21 and 22.