Month: January 2026

HKMA and PCPD strengthen collaboration to combat fraud and safeguard personal data (with photo)      
     In view of the increasing sophistication of fraud, the HKMA and the PCPD have strengthened their co-operation to ensure that banks’ systems and safeguards against these risks are robust, and that best practices are shared with banks on a timely basis. These efforts will  include joint risk-based examinations of selected banks’ anti-fraud systems and controls, in which the HKMA will focus on assessing the effective implementation of anti-fraud measures set out in circulars issued in December 2024 and April 2025, whilst the PCPD will review the banks’ data security measures and access controls that are designed to safeguard personal data against misuse and leakage.
      
     Moreover, the HKMA and the PCPD will strengthen joint publicity and educational efforts, and work closely with other key stakeholders including the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), The Hong Kong Association of Banks and the industry, to raise public awareness of the latest scam tactics and the importance of protecting personal data, including bank account information. These efforts will include outreach activities targeting members of the public and specific segments of society. 
      
     Given the evolving nature of deception tactics, it is essential for the public to remain vigilant when providing personal data, including bank account information and login credentials, to prevent such data from being misused for deception or money laundering. Members of the public are also encouraged to stay informed about the latest fraud prevention information published by the HKMA, the PCPD and the HKPF.
      
     The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “Anti-fraud work has been a priority for the HKMA as it helps to uphold public confidence in the financial system of Hong Kong. The collaboration with the PCPD marks a significant milestone in enhancing the ecosystem approach in the fight against the abuse of our banking system for fraudulent purposes.”
      
     The Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Ms Ada Chung, said, “In light of the substantial volume of personal data handled by banks on a daily basis, it is imperative for the banking industry to adopt stringent data security and monitoring measures to prevent unauthorised or accidental access or misuse of customers’ personal data. We are very pleased to collaborate with the HKMA in cultivating a culture of fraud prevention and personal data privacy protection across the financial sector.” 
     Fraud continues to grow in scale and complexity. During the first 10 months of 2025, a total of 35 831 deception cases were reported in Hong Kong, resulting in total losses amounting to $6.4 billion. To keep pace with the evolving nature of fraud, the HKMA has continued to strengthen the banking industry’s response to fraud and money laundering, with a number of measures      
     The protection of personal data privacy has always been one of the critical priorities in combatting fraud, as deception and financial crimes often involve malicious use of personal data. To address the evolving deceptive tactics employed by fraudsters, the PCPD continues to strengthen its efforts on public education and raising awareness against fraud. Apart from conducting anti-fraud talks for different stakeholders, the PCPD has published a new anti-fraud leaflet and poster with the theme “Too Good to be True” to enhance public awareness of fraud prevention and personal data protection. Both publications have been distributed to District Offices, community centres, elderly centres, banks and schools. Since 2022, the PCPD has set up the “Personal Data Fraud Prevention Hotline” (3423 6611) to handle public enquiries about fraud or suspected fraud cases from members of the public. The PCPD has also launched the webpage entitled “Anti-Fraud TipsIssued at HKT 11:00

Hong Kong Police Force and Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam sign MOU to strengthen co-operation  
     The MOU was signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Yip Wan-lung, and the Deputy Director of Foreign Relations Department under the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, Senior Colonel Nguyen Minh Hieu, in the presence of the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming, and the Director General of Office of Investigation Police Agency under the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam, Lieutenant General Tran Minh Tien.
 
     Mr Chow stated that amid an increasingly complex international crime landscape, such as threats from cybercrimes, cross-border scams and terrorism, the HKPF would continue to leverage Hong Kong’s role as a “super connector” through various international policing platforms, including INTERPOL, to proactively strengthen collaboration with law enforcement agencies across countries and regions, working together to combat crimes and safeguard global and regional security. 
 
     The MOU sets out a framework for co-operation in combating cross-boundary crimes, fosters professional and policing development, and reinforces the commitment of the both police authorities to strengthen collaboration and exchanges in key areas, such as criminal investigations, intelligence sharing and police training.
Issued at HKT 18:02

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DH follows up on Nipah virus infection cluster in India      
      Preliminary information indicated that a hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, has recorded five confirmed cases of Nipah virus infection since mid-January of this year. The cluster was mainly due to nosocomial transmission and primarily involved healthcare workers, with no reported deaths or cross-border transmissions to date. Approximately 100 close contacts have been quarantined and tested in India. The CHP’s current risk assessment indicates a low risk of importation of Nipah virus into Hong Kong.
      
     Nipah virus was first identified during outbreaks in Malaysia and Singapore from 1998 to 1999, affecting pig farm workers and individuals with close contact with pigs. It can affect various animals, including pigs, horses, goats, sheep, cats and dogs. Over the past two decades, multiple outbreaks of human Nipah virus infections were recorded in Bangladesh and India, typically occurring between December and April. Transmission primarily occurs through the consumption of raw date palm sap contaminated by fruit bats. India’s most recent outbreak occurred in Kerala in mid-2025, involving four cases.
      
     “Nipah virus infection is an emerging zoonotic disease. Fruit bats are the natural host for the virus. The virus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with sick animals via their contaminated respiratory droplets, nasal secretions and tissues. It can also be transmitted via consuming food contaminated with urine, droppings or saliva from infected bats, usually fruits or fruit products (particularly raw date palm sap). Human-to-human transmission is also possible through close contact with contaminated secretions and excretions of infected persons. Such transmission has been reported in patients’ household and healthcare settings,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.
      
     Patients infected with Nipah virus can be asymptomatic. Early symptoms include flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, vomiting, sore throat and muscle aches. Other symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness and a decrease in consciousness. Severe cases may develop complications such as pneumonia, seizure, encephalitis, coma or even death. The case fatality rate ranges from approximately 40 per cent to 75 per cent. Among the patients who survive acute encephalitis, around 20 per cent of them may have persistent nerve problems. Currently, there is no specific treatment or medication for Nipah virus infection. The mainstay of treatment is limited to supportive care. Symptoms usually start to develop around four to 14 days after exposure, but onset may occur as late as 45 days.
      
     “Hong Kong has the ability to detect infections of unknown causes and emerging infectious diseases at boundary control points and in hospitals. On the immigration level, the DH conducts medical assessments for sick travellers at all boundary control points and refers them to hospitals for medical examinations as needed. The CHP has a robust communicable disease surveillance and notification mechanism that enables medical professionals to report suspected cases. So far, no cases of Nipah virus infection have been recorded. Although there are no direct flights between Kolkata and Hong Kong, the CHP will step up health screenings for passengers arriving from India at the airport as a precautionary measure. Port Health staff have been arranged to carry out temperature screenings for travellers at relevant flight gates, perform medical assessments on symptomatic travellers and refer suspected cases with potential public health implications to hospitals for examination,” said Dr Tsui.
      
     Dr Tsui reminded the public to take the following measures to reduce infection risk if travel to Nipah virus-affected areas is unavoidable:     The CHP will monitor the situation and implement appropriate prevention and control measures based on risk assessments to safeguard public health and the well-being of citizens.
Issued at HKT 19:45

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DH reiterates importance of Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme      
     “The Government has comprehensively and long promoted childhood immunisation. Vaccines that contribute to safeguarding children’s health and overall public health have been incorporated into the HKCIP and other government vaccination programmes, such as the Seasonal Influenza Vaccination Programmes. Thanks to the trust and support of parents, schools and the healthcare professionals in the HKCIP over the years, immunisation coverage has remained extremely high, successfully keeping the incidence of related childhood infectious diseases in Hong Kong at extremely low levels. With the help of vaccines, smallpox was eradicated globally in 1980, and poliomyelitis was eliminated in Hong Kong in 2000. Measles and rubella were successful eliminated in Hong Kong in 2016 and 2021 respectively,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.
      
     “The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) under the CHP regularly reviews vaccines for various preventable diseases by assessing the epidemiology in Hong Kong, the latest recommendations on immunisation from the World Health Organization (WHO), scientific developments and applications of new vaccines, updates on vaccine components, cost-effectiveness studies and the experiences of other health authorities. The SCVPD then makes recommendations to the DH from a public health perspective. The HKCIP is tailored to local epidemiological conditions and has been proven safe and effective. Its achievements in safeguarding public health are evident. Members of the public should not blindly follow practices in certain overseas regions and develop unnecessary concerns about the HKCIP’s long-standing effectiveness,” he added.
      
HKCIP
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     Based on the SCVPD’s recommendations, infants from birth to students of Primary Six should receive multiple vaccines and booster doses under the HKCIP to prevent 12 infectious diseases, namely tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, pneumococcal infection, chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella (also known as “German Measles”) and human papillomavirus infection.
      
     Children must complete all doses according to the schedule recommended by the HKCIP to ensure adequate immune protection. Unvaccinated children lack immunity against relevant infectious diseases and are susceptible to infections such as measles and pertussis. Young children infected with these diseases may develop severe complications. Furthermore, unvaccinated children may become a conduit for transmitting infectious diseases, indirectly affecting the herd immunity of the community.
      
     “Measles is an example of a disease that is experiencing a global resurgence due to declining childhood vaccination rates. Over the past three years, measles outbreaks have spread to multiple regions worldwide. Recently, some overseas countries have reported large numbers of measles cases. North America (including the United States and Canada) and Southeast Asia (including Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines) have experienced persistent outbreaks due to low vaccination coverage rates. Furthermore, Japan and Australia recorded an increase in measles cases last year. Most of the cases overseas involved individuals who had never received the measles vaccine or whose vaccination history was unknown, underscoring the importance of maintaining high overall vaccination rates and herd immunity,” Dr Tsui said.
      
Hepatitis B
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     According to the WHO recommendations, receiving the hepatitis B vaccine at birth and completing the three-dose series on schedule are crucial measures for preventing infection and reducing the public health burden of hepatitis B.
     　
     Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person. The major transmission routes include mother-to-child transmission (MTCT), through contact with blood and sexual contact. In chronic hepatitis B (CHB) endemic places, including Hong Kong, most people with CHB are infected through MTCT. The younger the age of acquiring the infection, the higher the risk of developing CHB. If a newborn is infected, there is up to a 90 per cent chance of developing CHB. CHB is the primary cause of liver cancer, cirrhosis and liver failure among the population in Hong Kong.
     　
     “Since 1988, the universal childhood hepatitis B immunisation programme has been implemented in Hong Kong. The current vaccination coverage rate among preschool children has reached 99 per cent. According to the Population Health Survey 2020-22, prevalence of hepatitis B among those under 35 years old has dropped below 1 per cent, reflecting Hong Kong’s successful progress towards realising the goal of a ‘hepatitis B-free generation’. The provision of hepatitis B vaccination to newborns has been instrumental in this achievement,” Dr Tsui said.
      
     The Government has attached great importance to the public health threat posed by viral hepatitis, and announced the Hong Kong Viral Hepatitis Action Plan 2025-2030 (Action Plan) at the end of last year. Through the implementation of a series of strategies and initiatives to prevent and control viral hepatitis, the Action Plan aims to further alleviate the public health burden posed by viral hepatitis. Preventing new infections is one of the four strategic axes of the Action Plan. Under this strategic axis, sustaining the existing effective MTCT prevention measures and maintaining their high coverage rates, including neonatal hepatitis B vaccination, are crucial for eliminating new hepatitis B infections.
      
     The DH will continue to work with the SCVPD to monitor the situation of various vaccine-preventable diseases and scientific developments of new vaccines. Experts will be consulted as required to review and update the HKCIP in a timely manner.
Issued at HKT 19:30

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