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HEALTH4h agoSpirit of Hong Kong Awards: mental health advocate who saved suicidal teenHongkongers can be struggling with severe mental health problems but still not be considered urgent cases, according to mental health advocate Minal Mahtani, who wants community groups to play a bigger role before individual cases reach crisis point. Mahtani, founder of OCD & Anxiety Support Hong Kong, said better referrals between hospitals, community mental health services and specialist charities could help people receive timely support while they wait for formal treatment. Her work has...South China Morning Post
HEALTH1d agoTherapy dogs in high demand: Hong Kong programme booked out until February 2027A Hong Kong therapy-dog programme run by one staff member and 65 volunteers with their dogs is fully booked until February 2027, as demand from schools, hospitals and elderly homes continues to outstrip the available visiting slots. Animals Asia’s Dr Dog and Professor Paws programmes rely on volunteers who give up their time, shoulder much of the cost of transporting their dogs and return regularly to venues across the city. “None of it would be possible without the volunteers,” said Karina...South China Morning Post
HEALTH1d agoHong Kong steps up Russia arrival checks after Siberian lab worker’s deathHong Kong will step up health surveillance measures for arrivals after a laboratory worker at an anti-plague research institute in Russia died from pneumonia, but authorities have stressed the risk to residents remains low. According to World Health Organization (WHO) information provided by Russian authorities, there was no evidence of ongoing transmission, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Monday. Russian authorities previously stated ‌that the worker at the Irkutsk Antiplague...South China Morning Post
HEALTH3d agoHong Kong records 21 mpox cases since August, high-risk groups urged to get jabsHong Kong has recorded 21 cases of mpox since August, accounting for 70 per cent of this year’s total, prompting health authorities to urge people who engage in high-risk sexual contact to take protective measures and get vaccinated to reduce their risk of infection. The latest case, involving a 29-year-old man, brought the total number recorded in Hong Kong this year to 30, comprising 23 local cases and seven imported ones, the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Saturday. Twenty-one...South China Morning Post
HEALTH5d agoSpirit of Hong Kong Awards: youth-led charity supports young cancer patientsTimothy Chan Chi-fung was 19 when a testicular tumour sent him into a Hong Kong hospital system largely designed for children or much older adults. Neither door quite fitted. His experience eventually led him to found Youth Cancer Hong Kong, a contribution that has earned him a place as a finalist in the community category of this year’s Spirit of Hong Kong Awards. The awards, co-organised by Sino Group and the South China Morning Post, were launched in 2013 to recognise individuals and...South China Morning Post
HEALTH6d ago60% of Hong Kong’s suspected student suicides involved children aged 15 or belowHong Kong education authorities have revealed that at least 60 per cent of suspected student suicide cases in the last three academic years involved children aged 15 or below, urging schools to avoid giving excessive homework so pupils can lead a balanced lifestyle. The Education Bureau also told lawmakers on Wednesday that school principals had directly referred 547 students at high risk of suicide to the public health system over the past 2½ years. On average, principals had referred about 17...South China Morning Post
HEALTHOct 5Hong Kong IVF clinic cleared to resume all services after embryo specimen mix-upA Hong Kong fertility clinic that had most of its services suspended for mishandling embryo biopsy specimens from two patients has been cleared to fully resume all treatments after implementing improvement measures. The Council on Human Reproductive Technology said on Monday that Heal Fertility in Central could resume all 17 treatment services covered by its licence from Tuesday, after members reviewed the findings of a follow-up inspection and confirmed the clinic had properly implemented the...South China Morning Post
HEALTHOct 4TCM or Western medicine for sports injuries? Why this Hong Kong athlete chose bothIn the third instalment of a four-part Health Matters series on traditional Chinese medicine, Aidyn Fitzpatrick speaks to a Hong Kong fencer studying TCM and local practitioners to see how athletes, both elite and amateur, are using TCM alongside Western medicine for smarter injury recovery. Fresh off helping Hong Kong clinch a bronze medal in the women’s foil team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, fencer Janelle Leung Ya-lei – ranked 53rd in the world – knows the fine margin between peak...South China Morning Post
HEALTHOct 466% of Hong Kong’s 8-year-olds could be short-sighted by 2028, experts warnMore than 60 per cent of Hong Kong’s eight-year-olds could be short-sighted by 2028, optometrists have predicted, citing a shrinking “hyperopic reserve” that normally helps delay nearsightedness. The Hong Kong Association of Private Practice Optometrists released the findings on Sunday from a screening of more than 3,500 pupils at eight primary schools conducted between November and May, urging parents to begin comprehensive eye checks when children turned three. The association found that 67...South China Morning Post
HEALTHOct 4Hong Kong’s cancer research drawing global attention, says leading body’s chiefHong Kong is playing a central role as part of a broader regional hub for research breakthroughs, the head of a leading global cancer organisation has said, adding that the city’s success in reducing its smoking rate has set an example for others to follow. Cary Adams, CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control, praised the city’s tobacco control efforts as the organisation held the World Cancer Congress in Hong Kong last month for the first time. “We’ve all become aware globally that the...South China Morning Post
HEALTHOct 3‘Cancer saved me’: Hong Kong survivor finds new purpose ahead of canoe challengeThirty-one years ago, Hongkonger Raymond Lo Shu-yuen was diagnosed with stage four liver cancer and had a quarter of the organ removed. Now 75, Lo said the illness, despite its physical and mental toll, had taught him invaluable lessons about ageing, health and making the most of life. “I can say that the cancer itself saved me,” he said. “Why? If I did not have this illness, I would not have changed my past lifestyle such as working hard like a dog, eating a lot of junk food, doing no exercise...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 290.5% of nurses trained outside Hong Kong, authorities say amid hiring rowLess than 0.5 per cent of registered Hong Kong nurses received their training outside the city, while 99.8 per cent of those working in public hospitals are locally trained, health authorities have said amid a growing row with a trade union over employment concerns. The latest figures were released on Tuesday after the city’s health minister repeatedly rejected claims that authorities had favoured mainland Chinese nurses over local candidates. On Saturday, the Association of Hong Kong Nursing...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 28Hong Kong customs arrests 2, seizes HK$290,000 of ‘slimming injections’ from JapanHong Kong customs officers have seized 400 so-called slimming injections imported from Japan, with an estimated market value of about HK$290,000 (US$36,970), and arrested two local residents in an operation earlier this month. The case came to light on September 5, when officers intercepted a suspicious postal packet imported from Japan at the Air Mail Centre. “Upon inspection, customs officers found and seized 400 anti-obesity injection vials suspected to contain Part 1 poisons from the...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 24US regulators back multi-cancer blood test – but Hong Kong doctors remain cautiousEfforts to detect multiple cancers through a single blood draw are gathering momentum after US regulators endorsed the technology for the first time, although experts say wider adoption in Hong Kong still faces challenges as doctors remain cautious about its clinical value. In a landmark decision for the emerging field of multi-cancer early detection (MCED) blood tests, a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel on Thursday voted in favour of US company Grail’s “Galleri test”, recommending it...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 24Hong Kong reports more than 40% drop in cancer-related death rate over 30 yearsHong Kong has cut its rate of cancer-related deaths by more than 40 per cent over the past three decades, the health minister said, as the city’s leader renewed his pledge to make it a hub for medical innovation. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau outlined the city’s progress in cancer control at the World Cancer Congress, which is being held in Hong Kong for the first time. Citing figures from 1993 to 2023, Lo said Hong Kong’s age-standardised cancer mortality rate had fallen by more than 40 per...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 22Free sports drinks with suspicious pinhole marks leave 10 Hong Kong students illAbout 10 students reportedly fell ill after drinking free beverages that were found with suspicious pinhole marks near a sports ground in Hong Kong, prompting a police investigation. Students reportedly posted messages on social media claiming that free bottles of a sports drink had been handed out during lunch near the school athletics meet at Hammer Hill Road Sports Ground in Wong Tai Sin. Some students later noticed what appeared to be pinhole marks on the bottles, and a parent called police...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 20Keralam doctors selected to present research at UICC World Cancer Congress in Hong KongDoctors from Keralam have been selected to present their research at the UICC World Cancer Congress in Hong Kong. This highlights their contribution to global cancer research.The Hindu
HEALTHSep 20A guide to Hong Kong’s bitter herbal teas and how Gen Z is reviving the health traditionIn the first instalment of a four-part Health Matters series on traditional Chinese medicine, Lisa Cam and Ashlyn Chak explore how a new generation of health-conscious youth is discovering century-old leung cha and helping neighbourhood tea shop owners safeguard a dying trade. Long before modern chain pharmacies and over-the-counter painkillers were readily available in Hong Kong, there were leung cha: intensely bitter herbal “cooling teas” brewed in massive brass cauldrons in traditional...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 18Doctors urged to test for chikungunya as Hong Kong detects first local 2026 caseDoctors in Hong Kong have been urged to arrange blood tests for patients with symptoms of chikungunya fever, regardless of their travel history, after the city recorded its first local case of the mosquito-borne disease this year. The Centre for Health Protection issued a reminder to doctors on Thursday after a 55-year-old woman with no recent travel history was reported as Hong Kong’s first locally acquired chikungunya fever case in 2026. “To facilitate early diagnosis and timely public health...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 10Hong Kong to roll out plain cigarette packs from March, full enforcement by DecemberHong Kong will introduce standardised cigarette packaging from March next year, with a nine-month transition period before full enforcement in December, as the city strips all branding and decorative design from packs and updates health warnings to reduce smoking rates. The Department of Health announced on Thursday that the new rules for smoking products will require all retail packs of cigarettes, long cigarette boxes and specified cigars to drop brand logos and advertising elements. Only...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 6‘There are trade-offs’: how Hong Kong patients can use telemedicine wiselyIn the fourth instalment of a five-part Health Matters wellness series on Hong Kong’s growing wellness trends, Lo Hoi-ying examines how telehealth is reshaping access to care, as practitioners warn it cannot fully replace in-person diagnosis. Hong Kong housewife Chan Ket-yee, nearly 60, has battled severe eczema on her neck and underarms for decades. Splitting her time between the United Kingdom and the city, Chan saw a dramatic improvement after visiting a Hong Kong public dermatologist, whose...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 6Hong Kong open to classifying heatstroke as an occupational disease: labour chiefHong Kong labour authorities are open to classifying heatstroke as an occupational disease, the city’s labour chief has said, acknowledging the revamped heat warning system would have triggered stronger alerts on two exceptionally hot days last month. Commissioner for Labour Sam Hui Chark-shum said retrospective modelling showed the revised system would have issued a black warning on August 8 and a red alert on August 9, when the Observatory recorded 36.9 degrees Celsius (98.4 Fahrenheit) at its...South China Morning Post
HEALTHSep 2Hong Kong police arrest clinic operator over sales of bogus ‘cancer vaccine’Hong Kong authorities have arrested a man and woman from a clinic on suspicion of selling a laboratory reagent as a bogus vaccine against more than 20 types of cancer. The arrests followed a joint operation by the Department of Health and police, during which investigators raided 13 premises linked to the company, said Frank Chan Ling-fung, an assistant director of health who oversees drug matters. Chan said there had been no reports of illness among people who had received the “WT1 cancer...South China Morning Post
HEALTHAug 31Hong Kong students, high-risk cases can get flu vaccines 1 week early this yearHong Kong school students and other residents deemed at risk can receive their influenza vaccines one week earlier this year, after the government diversified its procurement efforts and streamlined administrative measures. Authorities also said on Monday it would aim to boost the injection rate among people aged 65 or above and those aged six months to two years, adding that they would rely on reminders from doctors during medical encounters as a prioritised measure. Dr Edwin Tsui Lok-kin,...South China Morning Post
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