Press Releases
Laboratory designated as WHO's Supranational TB Reference Laboratory (with photos)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) formally designated a laboratory of the
Department of Health as a Supranational Tuberculosis (TB) Reference Laboratory
to monitor the global TB control and treatment programmes.
Speaking at the designation ceremony today (February 18), the Secretary for
Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, said the honour reaffirmed the
laboratory's proficiency in performing anti-TB drug susceptibility testing.
It also recognised the laboratory's participation in projects organised by WHO
and worldwide healthcare partners in the fight against TB, and its contribution
to providing supervision, in terms of quality control and training, to TB
laboratories of other countries, he added.
During the ceremony, the Director, Combating Communicable Diseases of WHO's
Western Pacific Regional Office, Dato' Dr Tee Ah Sian presented the designation
document to the Director of Health, Dr PY Lam. In her speech, Dr Tee said that
drug resistant forms of TB, especially multi-drug-resistant TB, were a
significant public health challenge in many areas of the world.
Dr Tee was pleased to note that the Department of Health's TB Reference
Laboratory, as a supranational laboratory, would continue to take part in global
projects on anti-TB drug resistance surveillance and to offer technical, as well
as training, support to other places and countries.
With today's designation, there are now 25 Supranational TB Reference
Laboratories in the world. Four are in the Western Pacific Region -- Japan,
South Korea, Australia and Hong Kong.
This network of laboratories is associated with the WHO and the International
Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (IUATLD) Global Project on
Anti-Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Surveillance.
Its objective is to monitor the threat of drug resistant forms of TB so that
strategic planning of disease control could be formulated.
The laboratory supports the TB control programme and provides quality services
for the clinical management, surveillance and epidemiological investigations of
the disease in Hong Kong. An average of 400-500 specimens, mostly from the
Department of Heath's chest clinics and others from hospitals, are processed by
the laboratory daily.
It has also been providing technical assistance, including supervision and
proficiency testing, to TB laboratories on the Mainland and in Laos. Training
for laboratory technicians and various Mainland provinces on the technical
aspects of TB laboratory testing are also offered.
Also attending today's event were representative from Global Alliance for TB
Drug Development, Dr Melvin Spigelman; and overseas experts Dr William Burman
and Prof Verapol Chandeying. Other Department of Health representatives included
the Controller of the Centre for Health Protection, Dr PY Leung; and Head of the
Public Health Laboratory Services Branch, Dr Wilina Lim.
Ends/Saturday, February 18, 2006
Issued at HKT 16:37
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(Photo 1)
(Photo 2)