The 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) opened in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 18. On the same day, the GX Foundation, a Hong Kong-based charitable institution, held a side event themed "Keep It Simple – No Mosquitoes, No Dengue". Senior representatives from health ministries of multiple countries, experts and scholars engaged in in-depth exchanges with the GX Foundation and members of the Chinese delegation attending the WHA on dengue prevention and control.

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the GX Foundation, and Shen Hongbing, vice-minister of the National Health Commission of China and head of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, delivered keynote speeches.

Leung said in his address that the foundation's dengue prevention and control projects have covered multiple countries. He noted that the successful experiences in using physical means to control mosquitoes and curb the spread of dengue have been covered twice in the past 14 months in The Lancet, an authoritative international medical journal. He said that it is his belief that these practical experiences are worthy of further promotion and reference.

Shen said that global collaboration is essential for dengue prevention and control. He noted that China has consistently participated in the formulation of global control strategies and has actively promoted building international exchange platforms. He said that China will continue to strengthen dengue prevention and control under the coordination of the World Health Organization (WHO), support the role of civil entities such as the GX Foundation, and promote appropriate, efficient and economical dengue prevention and control technologies to benefit more countries and regions in need. This, he added, will contribute strength and wisdom to enhancing the health and well-being of people around the world and building a global community of health for all.

During the side event, Jose Ramos-Horta, president of Timor-Leste, delivered a video address. In addition, health officials and public health experts from over 10 countries and experts from the WHO discussed the "China solution" to addressing the threat of vector-borne diseases.