Press Releases
First official visit to Europe by SHWF
The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, will leave Hong Kong
on Sunday (May 15) for Geneva, Switzerland, to attend the World Health
Organisation's 58th World Health Assembly (WHA). He will participate as a member
of the Chinese delegation.
The World Health Assembly will run from May 16 to 25.
Following his attendance at the WHA meetings, Dr Chow will pay his first
official visit to Sweden and Belgium.
He will arrive in Stockholm, Sweden on May 18, where he will meet officials from
the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs to establish network with the ministry
and to learn from the Swedish experience in health and elderly care services
delivery.
During his stay in Stockholm, he will visit a community-based primary health
care facility, a group living home for people with dementia diseases and a home
help service centre for elderly people.
On May 19, Dr Chow will visit a national resource centre on assistive technology
for people with disabilities.
Dr Chow will then meet with the Swedish Minister for Health and Elderly Care, Ms
Ylva Johansson, to discuss issues on health and elderly care of mutual concern.
After the meeting, Dr Chow will proceed to Belgium. In the evening, he will
officiate at the Opening of the Hong Kong Film Night 2005 in Antwerp Film
Museum. He will have dinner with board members of the Belgium Hong Kong Society
and other celebrities.
Dr Chow will end his itinerary by visiting the Port of Antwerp on May 20. The
port is the designated first points of entry of all imports of fruit from
outside the European Union (EU). He will obtain first-hand information on how
the import of fruit and plants to the EU is being dealt with in the context of
plant pests and assess their implications for Hong Kong where the existing
regulatory framework may need to be reviewed.
He will return to Hong Kong on May 23.
Ends/Wednesday, May 11, 2005
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