Press Release

Health Chief to attend European CDC opening ceremony

24 September, 2004

The Controller of the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health, Dr Leung Pak-yin will depart for Stockholm tomorrow (September 25) to attend the opening ceremony of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The ECDC, set up by the European Parliament and Council, will enable its member countries to pool their scientific knowledge and respond promptly to emerging health threats.

Attending the opening ceremony on September 27 will include 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 Organization (WHO), Dr Guenael Rodier.

Dr Leung is the sole representative from Asia to attend the ceremony.

Apart from delivering a statement at the ceremony, he will also meet WHO experts and other overseas disease fighters to discuss issues on the prevention and control of communicable diseases during his sojourn in Sweden.