Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will consider an exercise to test the effectiveness of the cross-boundary notification mechanism, and infectious disease control and prevention measures, in view of the increasing population flow in the region and the possibility of a SARS recurrence.

This was the consensus reached on Monday at a meeting between Hong Kong's Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Yeoh Eng-kiong and Guangdong Health Department Director-General Yao Zhibin.

They discussed ways to further enhance strategies to prevent and control infectious disease in the region.

Building on the foundation laid by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Expert Group on the regular exchange of information on statutory notifiable infectious diseases, Yeoh and Yao further discussed details of the communication mechanism.

Yeoh said the meeting laid a solid foundation for strengthening collaboration between the two places in infectious disease prevention.

"With increasingly frequent travel between Guangdong and Hong Kong, we must join hands in the prevention and control of infectious diseases because diseases know no physical boundary," he said.

Both sides agreed to maintain the frequency of reporting SARS cases on a weekly basis. For other infectious diseases, the frequency will be once a month, and on the 15th day of each month, with point-to-point communication via mail, email or fax.

To enhance professional communication and experience-sharing of infectious disease control and prevention among public health officers in the two places, officials will be invited to take part in short-term attachment programs.

Subjects suggested by Hong Kong to be covered are HIV voluntary counseling and testing, field epidemiology, microbiological laboratory service, and a methadone treatment program for HIV. Moreover, Guangdong and Hong Kong will jointly hold an annual conference on infectious disease to share professional experience.

On enhancing scientific and academic collaboration, Hong Kong initiated a collaborative research and surveillance project among HIV experts for disease control and prevention in major cities in the Pearl River Delta to enhance understanding of the HIV situation.

Looking forward to more frequent exchanges with mainland counterparts, Yeoh said it will be conducive to enhancing understanding of the overall strategies in the prevention and control of communicable diseases, thus to the overall health and well being of people.

(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2003)