Macao to attend the 59th World Health Assembly

The Secretary of Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Chui Sai On, with an official delegation from the health sector, will participate in the 59th World Health Assembly to be held in Geneva from 22 to 27 May. Macao's delegation will attend as members of the delegation from the People's Republic of China, and will be there from 22 to 24 May. In Geneva, Mr Chui will meet with the Assistant Director-General - Communicable Diseases, Mrs Margaret Chan, to exchange view on how to combat avian influenza. He is also expected to brief the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, Dr Shigeru Omi, on the latest prevention measures taken for pandemic diseases under the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body for WHO. It generally meets in Geneva in May each year and is attended by delegations from all 192 member states. The main function of the Assembly is to determine the policies of the WHO.
Issues to be discussed at the upcoming meeting include: strengthening pandemic-influenza preparedness and responses including the application of the International Health Regulations 2005; infant and young child nutrition; HIV/AIDS; polio eradication; sickle-cell anaemia; smallpox eradication and the destruction of variola virus stocks; prevention of avoidable blindness; international trade and health; tobacco control; and intellectual property rights.