26 Nov 2009
More than 30 representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Western Pacific, drug regulatory authorities and research institutions in the region attended a meeting in Hong Kong on harmonisation of herbal medicines today (November 26).
Organised by the Department of Health, the Seventh Standing Committee Meeting of the Western Pacific Regional Forum for the Harmonization of Herbal Medicines (FHH), is being held for two days.
The latest progress on regulation of herbal medicines among members of the FHH are discussed and reviewed at the meeting.
Members of FHH include Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Vietnam. Canada also takes part as a special member.
The major objective of the forum is to protect and promote public health by recognising and developing standards and technical guidelines that aimed at improve the quality, safety and efficacy of herbal medicines.
Tomorrow ,the subcommittees under the Standing Committee will report their work on standardisation; quality assurance and information; and adverse drug reaction of herbal medicines respectively.
The Meeting is chaired by Hong Kong’s Director of Health, Dr PY Lam; and Dr Narantuya Samdan, Regional Adviser in Traditional Medicine, represents the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific in the Meeting.