The 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) opened on Monday in Geneva, with Macau Health Bureau (SSM) Director Alvis Lo Iek Long leading a local delegation as part of the national delegation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the bureau announced in a statement on Monday.
This year’s WHA, themed “One World for Health,” focuses on reforming global health systems. The meeting ends next Tuesday.
Addressing the opening session of this year’s WHA, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted three major global health challenges – the fragility of global health systems exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the worsening crisis of noncommunicable diseases and antimicrobial resistance, and a US$1.7 billion budget shortfall facing the WHO. He called on nations to support the global “Pandemic Agreement”* to ensure equitable distribution of medical resources, the SSM statement said.
The Macau delegation met with Lei Hai Chao, director of the National Health Commission and Ambassador Chen Xu, China’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Chen particularly commended Macau’s contributions to emergency medical services, noting that the China Emergency Medical Team (Macau), deployed to Myanmar in April, received high praise from the WHO, demonstrating Macau’s commitment to global responsibility.
During the meeting, Dr Lo spoke about Macau’s practices in health governance, outlining three key priorities: integrating health elements into all policies through the local government’s “Healthy Macau Blueprint”**, establishing a family medicine training base to enhance chronic disease management, and implementing the “Healthy Community” initiative to incorporate health measures into residents’ daily lives.
In order to address Macau’s ageing population, the local government will strengthen its “whole-person care” family medicine model, develop a smart health management platform, and train interdisciplinary elderly care teams, according to the statement. Macau is also building a Greater Bay Area hub for family medicine talents, leveraging its “internal connectivity and external outreach” advantages, the statement added.
The nine-day meeting will end next Tuesday, addressing critical issues such as antimicrobial resistance and the health impacts of climate change, the statement pointed out.
*The “International Treaty on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response” (also simply called the “Pandemic Agreement”) is a proposed legally binding agreement by the WHO to strengthen global cooperation in preventing, preparing for, and responding to pandemics. - DeepSeek
**The “Healthy Macau Blueprint” is a strategic plan developed by Macau Health Bureau to promote public health, prevent diseases, and improve healthcare services in Macau. It focuses on enhancing health education, ensuring sustainable medical systems, and addressing key health challenges to build a healthier community. -DeepSeek
This undated handout photo recently provided by the Health Bureau (SSM) shows the local delegation at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva on Monday. SSM Director Alvis Lo Iek Long (second from left); Tai Wa Hou, one of the three clinical directors of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre ( left); Leong Veng Hang , advisor to the Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture (second from right); and Leong Iek Hou, director of the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.
