The local Health Bureau’s (SSM) Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) has officially become a member of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), strengthening Macau’s public health emergency response capabilities and international cooperation, according to a WHO statement yesterday.
The statement said that the centre officially joined GOARN last Wednesday after receiving confirmation from the WHO.
Established by the WHO in 2000, GOARN is a global public health technical collaboration network comprising more than 360 public health institutions, laboratories, academic centres and emergency response organisations, the statement noted, adding that mission is to quickly detect, assess and respond to public health events with the potential for international spread or pandemics by mobilising experts and resources when needed.
According to the bureau, its membership will enable Macau to obtain more timely information on global public health risks and technological developments while strengthening cooperation with the WHO and public health institutions worldwide.
The statement said that joining the network will also enhance Macau’s capabilities in disease surveillance, risk assessment, emergency preparedness and outbreak response, while creating more opportunities for local public health professionals to participate in international training and exchanges, adding that the move aligns with the whole country’s efforts to strengthen its public health system by improving disease surveillance, early warning mechanisms, risk assessment and emergency response capabilities, while actively participating in global public health governance.
The bureau said it will continue to uphold its principle of “prevention first and proper medical care” by strengthening its public health workforce, deepening cooperation with international and regional public health organisations, closely monitoring global public health risks, and enhancing emergency preparedness to safeguard residents’ health and public health security.
Macau is not a member of the WHO, as full membership is reserved for sovereign states. Instead, it participates under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of which it is an inalienable part. Within the WHO framework, it is officially classified as an Associate Member, designated as Macao Special Administrative Region (China) within the 38-member Western Pacific Region. This status allows Macau to maintain its own technical relationship with the organisation, attend regional committee meetings, and access WHO resources directly through its local Health Bureau (SSM), while its international representation is tethered to the PRC. While the Hong Kong SAR is also an Associate Member of the WHO Western Pacific Region, China’s Taiwan region is not.
This image downloaded from the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) website depicts its official logo.
