GUANGZHOU -- Local governments in the Greater Bay area in southern China signed documents on Jan 9 to step up cooperation in hygiene and health.

The Greater Bay area covers Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and nine cities in Guangdong province, including the first-tier cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Song Tie, deputy director of Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said Guangdong would cooperate more with Hong Kong and Macao in the fight against epidemic diseases, exchanging information, sharing technology, holding conferences and organizing more training and exchanges with health workers in the two regions.

Song said the three areas would join hands to prevent and curb epidemic diseases such as dengue fever and flu.

Chan Siu-chee, secretary for food and health of the Hong Kong regional government, said the three areas were strengthening exchanges in the fight against tuberculosis.

The three governments signed a framework agreement on hygiene and health cooperation. They also signed documents to cooperate on 26 projects, including on drinking water supervision, the training of doctors, first-aid and public medical training.