SFH to attend Ministerial Conference on Diabetes in Singapore

     At the invitation of the Minister of Health of Singapore, the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, will lead a delegation to Singapore tomorrow afternoon (November 25) to attend the Ministerial Conference on Diabetes to be held on November 26 and 27.

     The conference, organised by the Singapore Ministry of Health, will seek to place the importance and benefits of proper prevention and management of diabetes high on the global agenda. It will also share international best practices, experience and innovation aimed at addressing the common modifiable risk factors for diabetes, as well as building capacity in the populations to make healthier choices and follow lifestyle patterns that foster good health.

     Professor Chan said, "Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major cause of death in Hong Kong. Cardiovascular diseases including heart diseases and stroke, cancers, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases accounted for about 58 per cent of all registered deaths in 2017.

     "To combat the threat posed by NCDs and in line with World Health Organization's Global Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013-2020, the Government earlier this year launched Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control NCDs in Hong Kong, which sets out nine local targets to be achieved by 2025, including halting the rise in diabetes and obesity.

     "I believe that the Ministerial Conference on Diabetes will give us useful and valuable insights, and provide a platform for us to exchange views with other health officials regarding effective ways to combat diabetes."

     The delegation, comprising representatives from the Food and Health Bureau, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority, will also meet with members of the Health Promotion Board and visit a polyclinic before returning to Hong Kong on November 27.

     During Professor Chan's absence from Hong Kong, the Under Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, will be the Acting Secretary for Food and Health.