6 Aug 2008
The health quarantine authorities of Hong Kong and the Mainland today (August 6) signed an agreement in Beijing to further enhance their cooperation on health quarantine measures at the boundary control points to reduce the risk of communicable diseases.
The Cooperation Agreement was signed by the Director of Health, Dr PY Lam, and the Director General of the Department of Supervision on Health Quarantine of the General Administration on Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), Ms Chen Xiaofeng.
The agreement is formulated in accordance with the cooperation arrangement signed between AQSIQ and the then Health, Welfare and Food Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the International Health Regulations (2005) of the World Health Organisation and relevant laws of both places.
The agreement came into effect immediately.
In the agreement, both parties agreed to:
* strengthen the notification system and communication channel on disease outbreaks and public health incidents;
* develop core capacity at Points of Entry and strengthen relevant prevention and control measures as required by the International Health Regulations;
* enhance prevention and control of disease vectors at Points of Entry, including vector surveillance on cross-boundary conveyances;
* step up contingency response to public health incidents; and
* strengthen the cooperation in technology and skill development in health quarantine measures including public health risk assessment; enhance surveillance and laboratory examination of major or emerging infectious diseases and the training of public health professionals.