Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, today (September 25) met with the Director of the National Cancer Center (NCC), Dr He Jie, for in-depth discussions on the latest developments in cancer prevention and control, big data applications and talent training. They reached a broad consensus on the future direction of collaboration.
The NCC and the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR) signed the Framework Agreement on Collaboration between the National Cancer Center and the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (Framework Agreement) in January this year. Guided by the principles of complementarity and mutual benefit, the two parties are actively promoting comprehensive collaboration in the field of cancer prevention and management. This meeting marked an important milestone in the implementation of the Framework Agreement, signifying that the two parties are advancing side by side in the shared cause of cancer prevention and control.
“The First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the HKSAR (2026-2030) and the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address clearly stated that we will develop Hong Kong into a health and medical innovation hub with global influence, strengthen collaboration of medical talent between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, and dovetail with our country’s strategic development of the emerging industries of biomedicine and medical devices. The DH will spare no effort to continue enhancing cancer prevention and control in an evidence-based manner, promoting the integrated development of healthcare across the region, and contributing to the key national strategy of ‘Healthy China’,” said Dr Lam.
“The DH sincerely thanks the NCC for its continued, steadfast support for the development of cancer prevention and control initiatives in Hong Kong. The Framework Agreement, signed earlier this year, has laid an important foundation for strengthening our collaboration further. Today’s exchange enabled us to share insightful and forward-looking views on areas such as the application of big data in cancer prevention and control, formulating screening measures and the latest developments in treatment,” he added.
During the meeting, both parties engaged in in-depth and fruitful discussions on topics such as the latest national cancer prevention and control strategies; experiences in establishing cancer registration systems and databases; as well as ways to improve screening adherence through opportunistic screening in hospitals. Both parties agreed that sharing experiences and fostering talent exchanges can further enhance the precision and effectiveness of cancer prevention and control efforts. The DH will continue to strengthen its multidimensional collaboration with the NCC to implement various collaborative initiatives for the benefit of people.
The DH has all along been promoting the adoption of healthy lifestyle as a key strategy for cancer prevention, and is committed to strengthening public education to enhance public awareness of cancer prevention and screening. The DH also implements an evidence-based cancer screening strategy. Since 2004, the Cervical Screening Programme, Colorectal Cancer Screening and Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme have been sequentially introduced to enhance the recovery rate of patients through “early prevention, early detection and early treatment”.
In response to the establishment of the Office for Introducing Innovative Drugs and Medical Devices (the Office) by the Hospital Authority (HA) this year under the policy direction set out in the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address, the DH’s Drug Office has also established the Priority Review Pathway under the existing “1+” mechanism for new drugs, to expedite the review of registration applications for innovative cancer drugs recommended by the Office, enabling patients to access new treatments more promptly with more therapeutic options.
The DH will establish the Centre for Medical Products Regulation by this year to progressively establish a robust approval system, and accelerate the clinical application of innovative medical products, providing strong momentum for the development and market expansion of the healthcare industry in the HKSAR, the Chinese Mainland, and beyond, thereby transforming Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.
Representatives from the HA and Hong Kong Cancer Registry also attended the meeting today.