The Macau Special Administrative Region has participated in the virtual opening session of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA), the Macau Government Information Bureau (GCS) said in a statement yesterday.
This two-day WHA ended yesterday.
The statement quoted Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U as saying that Macau’s participation by video link in the opening session of the Geneva-based WHA had provided the special administrative region “with new insights regarding ways to optimise its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Ao Ieong, alongside senior officials of the Macau Health Bureau (SSM), participated on Monday in the opening session of the 73rd WHA, an event which was held online. The MSAR representatives took part in the session as members of the delegation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the WHO.
As reported by The Macau Post Daily on its front page yesterday, during the opening ceremony, President Xi Jinping delivered an address by video link from Beijing to detail the nation’s proposed measures to boost the global fight against COVID-19.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s WHA switched to virtual format. During the event, representatives of the WHO’s 194 member states participated in online conference sessions, sharing information on their efforts in fighting COVID-19.
The WHA is the forum through which the WHO is governed by its 194 member states. It is the world’s highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers or other officials from its member states. Macau and Hong Kong participate in the WHA annually as members of the Chinese WHO delegation. Taiwan’s pro-independence government has refused to participate in the WHA as a member of the Chinese delegation.
Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U (second from right), flanked by senior officials from the Health Bureau (SSM), watches President Xi Jinping’s address delivered by video link from Beijing on Monday to the virtual opening session of the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Geneva. Photo: GCS
