Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao
The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to attend the 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao hosted by the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government in Macao today (January 15).
The annual Joint Meeting has long been a platform for senior medical and health officials as well as experts from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to exchange views and share experiences on present-day medical and public health issues, as well as to promote healthcare service development. The Joint Meeting is hosted by the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in rotation.
The Minister of the National Health Commission, Mr Lei Haichao, and the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ms O Lam, led senior health officials from the Mainland and the Macao SAR Government respectively to participate in the meeting. Members of the delegations of the three places today engaged in sharing and discussions over three major topics, namely nurturing interdisciplinary and composite talent in clinical management, disease prevention and control, and medical administration; strengthening primary healthcare services to safeguard community health, and the application of smart healthcare in the health sector.
Professor Lo said, "The Recommendations of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, features the term 'reform' 23 times, unequivocally underscoring the nation's steadfast commitment to deepening reforms. Hong Kong has consistently been playing an active role in the course of the country's reform and opening up. Serving as a 'super connector' between the Mainland and the world, Hong Kong also functions as an indispensable 'super value-adder', facilitating the nation's effort in going global while attracting foreign investment to the Mainland market.
"The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has consistently emphasised in the Policy Addresses of the past three years the HKSAR Government's full commitment to developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub, and to vigorously foster new quality productive forces. To achieve this significant objective, the HKSAR Government is actively advancing various initiatives, including the setting up of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation within this year, with a view to establishing the Centre as an internationally recognised regulatory authority for medical products as soon as possible; the official launch of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform last month, enabling pharmaceutical companies to conduct trials simultaneously in Hong Kong and Shenzhen; as well as the commissioning of the Real-World Study and Application Centre to promote the standardisation of clinical data across the GBA."
The Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority (HA), Dr Libby Lee, and the Director of Cluster Services of the HA, Dr Wong Yiu-chung, moderated a discussion and gave a presentation on the application of smart healthcare in the health sector respectively. Meanwhile, the acting Deputy Director of Health, Dr Jackie Leung, and the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Pang Fei-chau, delivered presentations on the topic of nurturing interdisciplinary and composite talent in clinical management, disease prevention and control, and medical administration; as well as on the topic of strengthening primary healthcare services to safeguard community health respectively.
Members of the HKSAR Government delegation included the Chairman of the HA, Mr Henry Fan, and the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, who concluded the discussion at the meeting.
Professor Lo will return to Hong Kong in the evening. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, is the Acting Secretary for Health.
Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Secretary for Health attends 20th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in Macao Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Update on chikungunya fever
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health announced that, as of 5pm today (January 28), no new cases of chikungunya fever (CF) had been recorded.
Latest surveillance data
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Hong Kong has recorded a total of 82 confirmed CF cases last year. Among them, 11 were local cases, and the rest were imported cases.
Since the beginning of 2025, and as of December 10, 2025, a total of 502 264 CF cases and 186 CF-related deaths have been reported in over 40 countries/territories. Cases have been reported in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Although the northern hemisphere has entered the winter season, temperatures in subtropical and some temperate regions remain elevated due to climate change, creating favourable conditions for mosquito breeding. In addition, CF outbreaks continue to occur in many countries worldwide. The risk of imported cases persists. Members of the public should check the situation of the destinations before travelling abroad, especially when travelling to Southeast Asian countries.
Continuously strengthening prevention and control
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Given that some local cases of CF have visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails or the surrounding area in November last year, the trails are currently closed until further notice. Relevant government departments (including the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), Kwai Tsing District Office, Lands Department, Drainage Services Department, and Civil Engineering and Development Department) have been continuously conducting comprehensive mosquito control and environmental remediation work along the trails. Since the confirmation on December 10, 2025, of a case involving a person who had visited the Tsing Yi Nature Trails on November 30, 2025, no further local cases have been recorded to date.
The FEHD and relevant departments have comprehensively enhanced the mosquito control operations in Hong Kong since July last year, and this has continued. Among these, the FEHD has conducted vector investigations and targeted mosquito control operations against the imported and local cases. In light of the local cases, the FEHD has immediately conducted follow-up actions, including:
carrying out intensive fogging in scrubby areas within a 250-metre radius of the relevant locations to kill adult mosquitoes;
carrying out inspections of the locations, removing stagnant water, applying insecticides and disposing of abandoned water containers every week with a view to preventing mosquito breeding; and
enhancing public education efforts through organising health talks, setting up mobile education stations, and distributing publicity leaflets.
The abovementioned measures will be continued. Furthermore, the Government will further enhance the mosquito control efforts in addition to the existing measures.
Preventive measures to be taken by the public
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Members of the public should use DEET-containing insect repellents or other effective active ingredients properly to prevent mosquito bites, but the following precautions should be taken when using them:
read the label instructions carefully first;
apply right before entering an area with a risk of mosquito bites;
apply on exposed skin and clothing;
use DEET of up to 30 per cent for pregnant women and up to 10 per cent for children (for children who travel to countries or areas where mosquito-borne diseases are endemic or epidemic and where exposure is likely, those aged 2 months or above can use DEET-containing insect repellents with a DEET concentration of up to 30 per cent);
apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent;
reapply only when needed and follow the instructions; and
in addition to DEET, there are other insect repellents available on the market containing different active ingredients, such as IR3535 and picaridin. When using any insect repellent, the public should follow the usage instructions and precautions on the product label.
The FEHD also appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces, removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, and properly disposing of containers such as empty cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management agencies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems, and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of theCHPand theTravel Health Service, the latestTravel Health News,tips for using insect repellents, and the CHPFacebook Page,Instagram AccountandYouTube Channel, and also theMosquito Prevention and Control dedicated pageof the FEHD.
Source: AI-found images
