Asia Launch cum Seminar of the Report

Recommendations of the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future, March 13th, 2016

In order to cope with the risk of major outbreak of infectious diseases around the globe, the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine released its report "The Neglected Dimension of Global Security: A Framework to Counter Infectious Disease Crises" in january 2016 and recommended an investment of $4.5 billion per year to strengthen national public health systems, improve global response coordination and capabilities, and accelerate R&D. Professor Gabriel Leung, Commissioner and Dean of Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKU), said, “Hong Kong and neighbouring Asian countries have experienced epidemics of infectious diseases, such as SARS, H1N1, H3N2, H7N9, etc. With the recent outbreak of seasonal influenza, both public and private medical services were overwhelmed due to the excessive demand for medical care, revealing deficiencies in global defenses against potential pandemics. It is most timely that we can have an in-depth discussion at this important occasion and offer recommendations to combat infectious diseases.”

In collaboration with the Centre for Medical Ethics and Law of HKU, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre, the WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Control at the School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine of HKU hosted the Asia Launch cum Seminar of the Report Recommendations of the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future at HKU on March 13, 2016 and presented the report in Asia for the first time.

For more details, please read the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine press release.

(From left) Mr Terry Kaan, Director of Centre for Medical Ethics and Law, HKU, Professor Gabriel Leung, Dean of Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, HKU, Dr Donald Li, Chairman of Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre, Mr Lau Ming-wai, Commission Funder and Vice Chairman of Bauhinia Foundation Research Centre, Dr Victor Dzau, President of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, Professor Peter Mathieson, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKU, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, President of National University of Singapore, Professor Lawrence Gostin, Director of WHO Collaborating Centre on Public Health Law and Human Rights, Mr Peter Sands, Former Group CEO of Standard Chartered PLC and Professor Michael Hor, Dean of the Faculty of Law, HKU took a group photo at the Asia Launch cum Seminar of the Report Recommendations of the Commission on a Global Health Risk Framework for the Future.