Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (October 22) recorded another severe paediatric influenza infection cases, the third this week. In light of the high level of school influenza outbreaks, the CHP wrote to all schools in Hong Kong again, urging them to implement preventive measures and manage influenza outbreaks according to the Guidelines on Prevention of Communicable Diseases. The CHP also called on the schools to complete the vaccination activities as soon as possible and will continue to proactively provide feasible assistance.

The severe case involves an 11-year-old girl with good past health. She has developed a fever, cough and sore throat since October 19. She attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Yan Chai Hospital on October 21 and was subsequently transferred to Princess Margaret Hospital for admission. She is currently in serious condition. Her nasopharyngeal swab specimen tested positive for the influenza A virus upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was influenza A infection complicated with severe pneumonia. The girl has not yet received the 2025/26 seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV). Her household contacts are currently asymptomatic. Recently, 10 other students from different classes at her school contracted influenza. All had mild symptoms and none required hospitalisation.

     “Hong Kong has entered the summer influenza season. As in the past, severe or death cases associated with influenza this season primarily affect the elderly and children. However, compared to the winter influenza season earlier this year, children have been particularly affected this season and there has been more severe paediatric influenza infection cases. Including today’s latest case, there have been 13 severe paediatric influenza cases since the start of the school year in September, including one fatal case. The affected children were between two and 17 years old, and 10 of them had good past health. A total of 602 school outbreaks have been reported since the start of the school year, including 64 cases in kindergartens/child care centres, 320 cases in primary schools and 218 cases in secondary schools. This number is far higher than the 88 cases recorded in the whole winter influenza season earlier this year,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.

In addition to continuing to render full support to schools in arranging vaccination activities, the CHP sent another letter to schools today to remind them to strengthen prevention and control measures. These measures include using correct methods for cleaning and disinfecting campuses effectively, appropriately opening windows to improve ventilation in the campus, reminding teachers and students to pay attention to personal and hand hygiene. The CHP also recommends that teachers and students check their temperature daily before returning to school. If they develop symptoms or a fever, they should not go to school. Schools should immediately report suspected outbreaks (such as respiratory infections) to the CHP to facilitate follow-up.

Dr Tsui reminded parents that the condition of children with influenza may deteriorate rapidly. Parents must pay close attention to their children’s condition. They should go to the Accident and Emergency Department immediately if the child’s condition deteriorates, for example if they develop symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing, blue lips, chest pain, confusion, persistent fever or convulsion. High-risk individuals should wear surgical masks when staying in crowded places. People with respiratory symptoms, even if mild, should wear a surgical mask and seek medical advice promptly. They should also consider whether to attend work or school.

Regarding SIV Programmes, to boost SIV rates, enrolment for the SIV School Outreach Programme has started since the beginning of June this year, which was earlier than last year. With the concerted efforts of the Government and various community sectors (including the medical sector and schools), approximately 2 300 schools (99 per cent) are going to arrange SIV school outreach activities. Among these, over 1 330 schools (58 per cent) have scheduled to carry out the outreach activities by the end of this month, and over 2 170 schools (94 per cent) by the end of next month (November), which are respectively higher than last year’s 45 per cent and 83 per cent.

“Through the concerted efforts of schools and medical institutions, this season’s school outreach activities will generally be completed earlier than last season’s. Since the start of the school year, about 710 schools have held SIV school outreach activities, which is higher than of 560 compared to the same period in the last season. In addition, 23 schools have responded to the CHP’s call to advance their outreach activities, originally scheduled for December this year or January next year, to be held by the end of next month. We understand that participating schools have to take into account various objective factors such as the school calendar and staffing when scheduling school outreach activities, and coordinate with participating medical teams on the appropriate time. Should schools encounter any difficulties in advancing their outreach activities, they may contact the CHP during office hours at 3975 4872 and we will provide full assistance,” Dr Tsui added.

Currently, over 770 000 doses of vaccines have been administered under the various SIV Programmes, representing a 5.2 per cent increase in coverage rate compared to last year. However, vaccination rates among children aged 6 months to under 2 years remain relatively low.

Dr Tsui said the Government has opened all 29 of the DH’s Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) for all children aged 6 months to under 2 years. Moreover, the District Health Centres and District Health Centre Expresses and their service outlets under the Primary Healthcare Commission in the 18 districts, and 74 Family Medicine Clinics and 38 public hospitals of the Hospital Authority to provide more choices for the public. For a list of vaccination venues, please refer to the CHP’s Vaccination Schemes page. Parents of eligible children may book an appointment for their children to receive vaccinations at designated MCHCs via the online booking system.

For more information on the SIV programmes, visit the webpage or call the CHP during office hours at 2125 2125.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Immigration Department conducted a tabletop emergency-handling exercise as part of its preparations for the 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games.

The exercise focused on the immigration arrangements for athletes and related personnel at control points during the games, and on emergencies that may arise during the cross-boundary events.

The aim was to stage scenarios and simulate processes in order to strengthen departmental officers’ responsiveness and collaboration, and ensure that preparations are thorough and seamless.

During the exercise, Director of Immigration Benson Kwok and the commanders of various control points were briefed by participating colleagues.

Mr Kwok said the exercise provided valuable training experience, and that its successful completion reflected the robustness of the department’s response mechanisms, showcasing the professionalism of departmental staff inspired by the spirit of “Love our country & Hong Kong, & striving for excellence.”

He elaborated that the exercise enabled staff to further familiarise themselves with emergency response protocols for the 15th NG, so that they can provide safe and smooth immigration services for athletes and related personnel.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Hong Kong and Macau session of “The Ministry of Education National Lecture Tour on the Spirit of Educators” was held today, with more than 300 principals and teachers from the two places participating in the event.

Themed “strengthening the teaching force with the spirit of educators, composing a glorious chapter in building a leading country in education”, the session involved representatives from different provinces and cities on the Mainland, and a teacher from Hong Kong, sharing their insights on the nurturing of students.

The event’s opening ceremony was jointly hosted by Director General of the Ministry of Education Department of Teacher Education Yu Weiyue; Director of the State Council Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office Bureau IV Chen Wei; Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific & Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Wang Weiming; Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin; and Macau Education & Youth Development Bureau Deputy Director Iun Pui Iun.

Ms Choi highlighted that President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of the teaching profession and has spoken of the unique spirit of Chinese educators. She mentioned that the 2024-2035 masterplan for building China into a leading country in education involves implementing a “Strengthening the Teaching Force with the Spirit of Educators” campaign.

Ms Choi said out imbuing the teaching profession with this spirit is a vital task in building the nation into a leading country in education, and also essential to achieving Chinese modernisation and national rejuvenation.

She remarked that in Hong Kong, the Education Bureau (EB) is aligned with national efforts to strengthen the teaching profession and committed to building a high-quality teaching force.

She said this will be achieved by fostering a culture of respect for teachers and love for students, commending excellent teachers, and continuously optimising and commencing teacher training and exchange programmes.

These efforts broaden professional horizons, enhance innovative teaching capabilities, and provide robust support for teachers and principals to advance their expertise, she elaborated.

She also outlined that the EB is committed to enhancing mechanisms for upholding teachers’ professional conduct, encouraging teachers to integrate their pursuit of educational professionalism with personal integrity, and strengthening the cultivation of ethical conduct and a professional ethos within the teaching profession.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Leung and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 22):

Question:

     There are views that in recent years, pressures from academic studies, families and interpersonal relationships, etc, coupled with the ever-changing social environment, have led to increasingly common mental health issues among young people. It has been reported that a study has even pointed out that among those aged 15 to 24 of the population, as many as 16.6 per cent of the respondents have mental health issues, yet most of them have not sought assistance. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of new and follow-up cases involving children and young people at psychiatric specialist outpatient services in public hospitals in each of the past three years, as well as their respective percentages in the total number of cases, broken down by age group of the young people involved (i.e. under 6, 6 to under 12, 12 to under 18, 19 to under 24, and 25 to 29); the average waiting time for such new cases;

(2) of the total number of requests for assistance received each year since the launch of the “18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline” and, among the cases referred and supported through the hotline, the number of those involving young people aged 30 or below;

(3) of the current total number of primary care physicians, paramedical staff and relevant personnel with mental health qualifications and relevant training over the territory who can provide identification, intervention and preliminary psychological treatment for young people at the community level; the mental health support measures currently provided by the authorities at the community level for young people in school and at work, as well as their respective effectiveness;

(4) as there are views pointing out that despite the increase in mental health prevention, assessment and intervention services for young people in schools and communities in recent years, such services are often delivered through different programmes and platforms, making it not easy for young people to learn about these programmes and seek assistance, whether the authorities will consider providing young people with a one-stop service platform integrated with district support, thereby making it easier for young people to seek consultation and assistance as well as receive support; and

(5) of the measures put in place by the authorities targeted at the youth community to reduce the problem of young people with mental health issues not seeking assistance due to the stigma against patients with mental illnesses?

Reply:

President,

     The Government attaches great importance to the mental health of the public. Through co-ordination and collaboration among the Education Bureau (EDB), the Health Bureau (HHB), the Department of Health (DH), the Hospital Authority (HA), the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB), the Social Welfare Department (SWD), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other community stakeholders, the Government adopts an integrated approach to promote mental health. This approach provides multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral services to people with mental health needs (including children and adolescents), encompassing mental health promotion, prevention, early identification, intervention, treatment, rehabilitation services, and community support.

     In consultation with the DH, EDB, HA, LWB and SWD, the consolidated reply in response to the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Leung is as follows:

(1) The HA psychiatric specialist outpatient clinics (SOPCs) implemented an established new case triage system to ensure that patients with urgent conditions requiring early diagnosis and treatment receive priority follow-up and treatment. New referrals are typically screened by nurses first and reviewed by the relevant specialists before cases are being classified as Priority 1 (urgent), Priority 2 (semi-urgent), and Routine (stable) cases. Generally speaking, psychiatric SOPCs will classify patients with urgent medical needs as Priority 1 (urgent) cases for follow-up to ensure they will receive treatment within reasonable time. Patients may return to their respective psychiatric specialist outpatient services to receive assessment again if their mental conditions have changed during the waiting time, so that an assessment could be made as to whether there is a need to advance their consultation, or they may consider seeking treatment from the accident and emergency services.

     The HA will continue to strengthen the services of its psychiatric SOPCs, improve waiting times for urgent and semi-urgent new cases, including by increasing the number of consultation slots. The services of psychiatric nurse clinics will also be enhanced to ensure that patients receive follow-up care while waiting for specialist outpatient appointments or during follow-up appointments.

     The tables below set out the number of first, follow-up and total attendances of the psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) services in the HA in 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25:

2022/23

Age group	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) first attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) first attendances	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) follow-up attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) follow-up attendances	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) total attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) total attendances
age 0-5	2 714	6%	3 788	<1%	6 502	1%
age 6-11	5 637	13%	48 614	5%	54 251	6%
age 12-18	3 814	9%	67 609	7%	71 423	7%
age 19-24	1 775	4%	38 695	4%	40 470	4%
age 25-29	1 552	4%	35 199	4%	36 751	4%
age 30 or above	26 395	63%	731 407	79%	757 802	78%
Total	41 887	100%	925 312	100%	967 199	100%

2023/24

Age group	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) first attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) first attendances	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) follow-up attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) follow-up attendances	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) total attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) total attendances
age 0-5	3 332	7%	3 740	<1%	7 072	1%
age 6-11	5 579	12%	47 791	5%	53 370	5%
age 12-18	4 136	9%	73 477	8%	77 613	8%
age 19-24	2 007	4%	40 683	4%	42 690	4%
age 25-29	1 606	4%	35 090	4%	36 696	4%
age 30 or above	28 032	63%	733 485	79%	761 517	78%
Total	44 692	100%	934 267	100%	978 959	100%

2024/25

Age group	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) first attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) first attendances	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) follow-up attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) follow-up attendances	Psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) total attendances	Percentage to the total no. of psychiatric specialist outpatient (clinical) total attendances
age 0-5	3 075	7%	4 266	<1%	7 341	1%
age 6-11	6 052	13%	49 022	5%	55 074	5%
age 12-18	5 215	11%	82 264	8%	87 479	9%
age 19-24	2 153	5%	45 659	5%	47 812	5%
age 25-29	1 648	4%	36 306	4%	37 954	4%
age 30 or above	28 671	61%	759 956	78%	788 627	77%
Total	46 814	100%	977 473	100%	1 024 287	100%

Notes:
(1) Age groups are delineated according to the age attained as of June 30 of the respective year.
(2) Individual figures may not add up to the total due to rounding and the inclusion of unknown age groups.

     The HA has implemented a triage system on specialist outpatient (SOP) services to determine the priority of patients attending SOPCs based on their clinical condition. Statistics on waiting time for new cases at SOPCs by age group are not available.

     In 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25, the number of new cases triaged as Priority 1 (urgent), Priority 2 (semi-urgent) and Routine (stable) cases and their respective median (50th percentile) waiting time in the HA for child and adolescent psychiatric SOP service and adult psychiatric SOP service are tabulated below:

2022/23

	Priority 1		Priority 2		Routine
	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)
Child and adolescent psychiatric SOP service	206	1	959	3	13 089	73
Adult psychiatric SOP service	1 846	1	6 419	3	19 105	18

2023/24

	Priority 1		Priority 2		Routine
	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)
Child and adolescent psychiatric SOP service	190	1	1 107	2	13 078	77
Adult psychiatric SOP service	1 869	1	6 121	3	18 877	19

2024/25

	Priority 1		Priority 2		Routine
	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)	Number of new cases	Median waiting time (weeks)
Child and adolescent psychiatric SOP service	173	<1	1 082	2	13 607	77
Adult psychiatric SOP service	1 529	1	5 948	3	19 426	21

Note: With effect from October 1, 2022, the waiting time for new case bookings at integrated clinics has been incorporated in that at psychiatric SOPCs.

     In view of the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak in Hong Kong in early 2020, the HA adjusted its services to cope with the outbreak. This should be taken into consideration when comparing the service capacity of the HA in the respective years. With the cessation of anti-epidemic measures in early 2023, the HA has been gradually resuming the provision of all of its services.

(2) The HHB launched the “18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline” (MHSH) to provide one-stop, round-the-clock support for people with mental health needs, rendering emotional and mental health support to persons from all backgrounds and of all ages. Callers will be provided with service information or referred to appropriate service organisations based on their individual needs.

     Since its launch on December 27, 2023, up to September 30, 2025, MHSH has handled a total of around 208 000 calls (an average of around 330 calls per day) and provided immediate support. Of these, 510 cases were referred to the Integrated Community Centre for Mental Wellness (ICCMW) of the SWD, Designated Hotline for Carer Support of the SWD, the Mental Health Direct hotline of the HA and other NGOs. Among these referrals, 23 cases were more urgent and required immediate referral to the Police for follow-up. Among callers willing to disclose their age, those aged 11 or below, 12 to 17 years, 18 to 24 years and 25 to 34 years constituted approximately <1 per cent, 4 per cent, 9 per cent and 18 per cent respectively, while these groups constituted about 0 per cent, 2 per cent, 6 per cent and 22 per cent of the referral cases, respectively. (3) to (5) The Government adopts an integrated and multidisciplinary approach when providing mental health services. The multidisciplinary teams, including doctors, nurses, clinical psychologists, medical social workers, and occupational therapists, provide mental health-related support to young people at the community level. Due to the participation of numerous individuals who typically provide support across multiple services, it is thus not feasible to have separate breakdowns of the human resources allocated solely to deliver mental health support to young people at the community level.      The Government has introduced a number of measures at the community level to address the mental health needs of young people in education and employment, effectively helping each group managing their specific mental health needs.      From August 2024, the Government launched the Healthy Mind Pilot Project at three District Health Centre (DHC)/ Expresses, to offer free initial mental health assessments to members aged 18 or above. Members initially assessed to have mild symptoms of depression or anxiety will be referred to service providers in the same district for follow-up by trained Wellbeing Practitioners, providing further emotional assessment and evidence-based low-intensity psychological therapy. As outlined in the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address, the Government will extend the project to cover six more DHCs in 2026 to provide more comprehensive follow-up services.      In addition, the SWD has since 2010 established 24 ICCMWs in the territory to provide one-stop, district-based community mental health support services ranging from prevention to risk management for persons in mental recovery, persons with mental health needs (target group has been extended to cover secondary school students aged below 15), their families, carers, and local residents. To meet the needs of at-risk and hidden youths, the Government has since 2018 provided subventions to NGOs to set up five Cyber Youth Support Teams to proactively search and reach out to at-risk and hidden youths through online platforms, providing timely intervention, counselling, support, guidance and follow-up services through both online and offline modes. The SWD also provides 24-hour online counselling services for youth experiencing emotional distress and immediate crises through the real-time youth emotional health support platform “OpenUp”, allowing them to receive support anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, the EDB’s one-stop student mental health information website, “Mental Health @ School”, not only provides diverse information on improving student mental health, but also includes relevant community resources and helplines to help schools, students, and parents gain a deeper understanding of mental health information, services, and help-seeking channels.      In terms of mental health publicity and public education, the Government has launched the “Shall We Talk” mental health promotion and public education program. The programme aims to step up public engagement in promoting mental well-being, enhance public awareness of mental health with a view to encouraging help-seeking and early intervention, and reduce stigma towards people with mental health needs. Through the one-stop website, social media pages and offline events, “Shall We Talk” delivers messages on mental health. In order to reach out to more young people, the programme held tours at primary and secondary schools across different districts, as well as tertiary institutions, and broadcast videos on social media platforms to encourage the public to recognise mental health issues, to promote mental health messages.      As mentioned above, the Government has launched a number of mental health initiatives and implemented a three-tier response mechanism, i.e. prevention, identification, intervention and treatment, to support youth mental health. This requires concerted efforts from the Government, society and families to reduce stigmatisation and encourage young people to actively seek help when facing mental health issues.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 22) that in view of notifications from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in the District of Potsdam-Mittelmark of the State of Brandenburg in Germany, and an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan respectively, the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the above-mentioned areas with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.

     A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 30 tonnes of frozen poultry meat from Germany; and about 810 tonnes of frozen poultry meat, and about 140.6 million poultry eggs from Japan in the first six months of this year.

     “The CFS has contacted the German and Japanese authorities over the issues and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreaks. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by Dr the Hon Dennis Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 22):

Question:

According to the information from the Department of Health (DH), in the 2023-2024 school year, 53.8 per cent of Primary Six students wore glasses, while the proportion of secondary school students wearing glasses was even higher, at 63 per cent. The percentage of children and adolescents suffering from high myopia is also on the rise, which is a cause for concern. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will expand the scope of the visual acuity tests provided by DH’s Student Health Service (SHS) to include detailed refraction tests for students, instead of conducting only screening tests, so as to enable students to understand their visual and myopia conditions at an early stage and prevent the progression of myopia;

(2) as it has been reported that some parents are unable to spare the time to bring their children to undergo the visual acuity tests provided by SHS, resulting in a coverage rate of only about 65 per cent for such tests, whether the Government has studied how to raise the coverage rate; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it will study the promotion of emerging myopia control therapies in the primary healthcare system, such as defocus lenses, orthokeratology lenses (commonly known as “OK lenses”) and low-concentration atropine eye drops, and establish relevant public-private referral and subsidy mechanisms for children from grass-roots families?

Reply:

President,

The Government has been safeguarding the visual health of children and adolescents. Among others, the Department of Health (DH) has been providing free visual assessment services for children and adolescents annually in Hong Kong from birth until secondary school graduation through Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) and Student Health Service (SHS) Centres. These services enable the early identification of students with visual acuity problems, as well as timely provision of advice and intervention.

In consultation with the DH and Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Dennis Lam is set out below:

(1) The MCHCs of the DH offer free and detailed physical examinations, including eye examinations, for newborn babies to rule out those with congenital visual defects. After that, the MCHCs offer free Pre-school Vision Screening for pre-school children aged 4 to 5, so as to identify those with problems, such as amblyopia, squint or significant refractive errors, as early as possible. For instance, in 2024, more than 23 600 pre-school children took part in the free vision screening, and we referred 15 per cent of them with visual acuity problems to ophthalmologists for follow-ups.

When children enter the school years, the DH offers free and comprehensive annual health assessment services, including vision screening, for approximately 400 000 primary and secondary school students annually. Regardless of whether the students wear glasses, they will be arranged to undergo vision screening. The vision screening tests and standards provided by the DH are consistent with the latest guidelines published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023.

In response to Dr the Hon Dennis Lam’s first question, our annual health assessments is far more than just screening. After the initial screening, the DH follows up with detailed ophthalmic examinations. For example, in the 2023/24 school year, among the some 257 000 primary school students who received free annual health assessments, approximately 35 per cent of them wore glasses. Following assessment, it was found that nearly 20 per cent, approximately 51 000 students failed the preliminary visual acuity test screening. They were referred to optometrists in the DH’s health assessment services for further visual assessment. Among the aforementioned some 51 000 students, more than 60 per cent, i.e. about 32 000, of them underwent further assessments provided by optometrists of the DH, including diopter tests, pupil examination, retinoscopy and testing for squint. Meanwhile, some parents chose to consult private optometrists for assessments and follow-ups for their children. Students with common refractive problem should wear glasses with the correct prescription to improve their vision, while others identified with vision problems will be referred to the HA Ophthalmology for follow-ups.

(2) Regarding the second question, Dr the Hon Dennis Lam mentioned that the overall coverage rate (for the vision screening provided by the SHS) was 65 per cent as parents were unable to spare time to accompany their children to join the screening. I have to clarify that this piece of information is incorrect, because participation in the annual health assessments requires parental consent, but parents are not required to accompany their children. As revealed in the statistics, in the 2023/24 school year, 98.8 per cent of primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong participated in the DH’s free annual health assessment services, which include vision tests. We see a very high, near full school participation rate, and we are grateful for schools’ active involvement and emphasis on students’ health.

However, in terms of student coverage, there were 257 000 primary school students with parental consent, the coverage rate for primary school students was just 78.6 per cent. The service coverage rate for secondary school students was even lower, involved about 173 000 students, rated at only 53.6 per cent. Among them, the coverage rate for Secondary One students was 71 per cent, which dropped to 56.3 per cent by Secondary Three, and further dropped to 30.9 per cent by Secondary Six. In short, the higher grade and the older the students, the less interest for them to join the health assessments. As for why participation is lower among higher grade students, I believe there are many factors, including increasing academic pressure, more extracurricular activities, or self-perception of good health after grown-up while parents are unable to persuade their children to take part. Therefore, the participation rate has definitely nothing to do with parents being unable to spare time to accompany their children to join the screening.

As President Xi Jinping said that health is the “1”, and everything else is the “0” that follows. Without the “1”, no matter how many “0s” follows, it has no meaning. If students cannot see the blackboard clearly, how can they learn and attend school? An annual health assessment takes only about 90 minutes and brings significant benefits to students’ health. I hope schools, and especially parents should be more committed to working together to safeguard the healthy growth of children. 

I would like to reiterate that, participation in the annual health assessments requires parental consent, but the DH does not require parents to accompany their children. For many years, the DH arranges time for annual health assessments for schools, and even provide free shuttle bus services to participating schools of the annual health assessment services, facilitating schools to arrange more students to attend the annual health assessment services. The DH has even implemented online enrolment starting from the 2024/25 school year to facilitate student participation in the annual health assessment services.

(3) Prevention is better than cure. Maintaining good eye care habits and having regular vision examinations are essential to preventing myopia and slowing its progression. Many regions in the world, including the Chinese Mainland and Singapore, advocate myopia prevention and control through ways including health education, promoting outdoor activities and reducing the use of electronic screen products. The DH will continue to encourage students to develop healthy lifestyles through annual health assessments and health promotion education. This includes accumulating at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily, as recommended by the WHO, reducing the use of electronic screen products and observing to guidelines on eye health.

In recent years, some optometry centres have promoted products and treatments claiming to help control or slow the progression of myopia. However, the effectiveness of these products and treatments varies among individuals, and whether to adopt them depends on many factors, such as the preferences of parents and students, time arrangements, financial ability and the overall cost-effectiveness to society. Parents should consider multiple factors and seek professional advice from registered optometrists and ophthalmologists when deciding whether to choose the prescription glasses or new products and treatments for their children.

Thank you, President.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Luk Chung-hung and a reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (October 22):

Question:

According to the data from the Education Bureau, over 130 school children committed suicide between 2020 and 2024. Furthermore, it has been reported that the number of primary and secondary students suffering from mental illness such as depression and anxiety disorders during the 2024/25 school year has significantly increased compared to five years earlier. On supporting students with suicidal risk, will the Government inform this Council: 

(1) of the respective numbers of student suicide cases and attempted suicide cases in the past three years, and among them, the numbers of students with special educational needs or suffering from depression or anxiety disorders, together with a breakdown by age group of students, including those aged 0 to 6, 7 to 12, 13 to 18, and above 18 years old; 

(2) whether it has conducted detailed studies on student suicide cases in recent years and analysed their causes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and 

(3) as the Government has implemented the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism in secondary schools since 2023 for early identification of and support for students with suicidal risk, of the number of cases currently involved in each tier of the mechanism; given that the 2025 Policy Address proposed that the mechanism will be extended on a trial basis to Primary Four to Six students, of the specific implementation timetable, and whether it will consider further extending it to lower primary students, increasing the ratio of school social workers as well as guidance and discipline teachers, while strengthening home-school collaboration?

Reply:

President,

The Education Bureau (EDB) attaches great importance to the physical and psychological health of students, and has been proactively providing support for schools in adopting the Whole School Approach at three levels, namely Universal, Selective and Indicated, to take care of students’ mental health. We also collaborate with other policy bureaux/departments and different stakeholders to promote student’s whole-person development and enhance support for students with mental health needs, including those with high suicidal risk, through cross-departmental, multi-disciplinary and cross-sector collaboration, optimising curriculum, information, activities, training and professional support, etc. In consultation with the Health Bureau (HHB), the Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB) and the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the reply to the question raised by the Hon Luk Chung-hung is as follows:

(1) and (2) The EDB has all along been requiring primary and secondary schools to report fatal suspected student suicide cases in order to provide appropriate professional support to the schools concerned. However, it is not mandatory for schools to report attempted or planned suicide cases of students, and the EDB does not collect information on fatal suspected suicide cases involving university students. In the past three years (i.e. 2022 to 2024), the number of fatal suspected student suicide cases reported by all primary and secondary schools in the territory to the EDB were 25, 32 and 28 respectively. Of the cases reported in the past three years, secondary students accounted for about 93 per cent, while primary students accounted for about seven per cent. 

The Government set up the Committee on Prevention of Student Suicides (the Committee) in 2016 to understand the issues of student suicides comprehensively. The study of the Committee revealed that students’ suicidal behaviour was attributed to the interplay of multiple factors including mental health issues, psychological factors, relationship, adjustment and academic stress. Suicide is a complicated behaviour, the reasons for each case are not the same, so we should not attribute any case to a single factor, such as special educational needs or mental illness, or simplify the reasons of suicide. 

The Government set up a cross policy bureaux/departments Task Force on Prevention of Youth Suicides in 2017 to follow up on youth suicide issues and review the progress of implementing the recommendations put forward by the Committee, and explore the possible ways of enhancing existing measures and services. In addition, since 2013, the Child Fatality Review Panel has published six reports setting out its observations and recommendations pertaining to the child fatality cases, including suicide. The Government will conduct relevant research in an opportune time when necessary to enhance the effectiveness of the support measures. 

(3) Through cross-departmental collaboration of the EDB, the HHB, and the SWD, the Government has implemented the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism (the Mechanism) in all secondary schools since December 2023. Under the first-tier of the Mechanism, the EDB provides gatekeeper training for teachers, parents, and students so as to equip them to early identify and handle students at higher suicidal risk. As at August 31, 2025, the off-campus support network teams engaged by SWD have received a total of 418 case referrals from schools under the second-tier of the Mechanism, while the Hospital Authority’s psychiatry specialist services received a total of 444 referrals from principals and 173 telephone enquiries under the third-tier of the Mechanism. “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address” announced that the Government would regularise the Mechanism in secondary schools and extend it on a trial basis to Primary Four to Six students. We will closely monitor the operation of the Mechanism and review the relevant arrangements of the Mechanism at an opportune time.

Besides, starting from 2024, the EDB has been collaborating with the Hong Kong Police Force (the Police) and the SWD, upon obtaining the consent of parents/guardians, the Police will refer students who attempted suicide outside schools to receive follow-up services by the students’ attending schools or appropriate social services units arranged by the SWD. To make every effort to support the students and parents/guardians concerned, the Police will provide them with information for seeking support or assistance even if the parents decline the referral. 

For the support for students with mental health needs, schools are staffed with professionals of different disciplines, including school social workers, student guidance personnel, and school-based educational psychologists, to provide students in need with appropriate support and parents with consultation services. 

The EDB has also implemented the “one school social worker for each school” policy in public sector primary schools since the 2018/19 school year, and provided additional grants for schools to purchase consultation, supervision or other related services to support school social workers. For secondary schools, to enhance youth’s mental health and resilience, the SWD has implemented the measure of “two school social workers for each school” since the 2019/20 school year and enhanced supervisory support for handling complicated cases. The SWD has also strengthened the supporting manpower for school social work services in secondary schools across the territory since the 2021/22 school year, with a view to assisting school social workers in handling administrative work and implementing activities to enable school social workers to provide students in need with more intensive counselling and group activity services.

In view that comprehensive student guidance and support services are provided through the Whole School Approach and cross-disciplinary collaboration, and each school has already set up a cross-disciplinary team, along with the current provision of social workers for schools, external support, and funding arrangement, ensuring that schools can deliver services with professional quality while also providing them with sufficient resources and flexibility to hire or procure additional guidance services, the Government has no plan to increase the number of school social workers. We will continue to review and strengthen school guidance services as appropriate to promote students’ whole-person development. 

Parents play a crucial role in supporting children’s development and learning. The EDB has been implementing the territory-wide Positive Parent Campaign and developed the Curriculum Frameworks on Parent Education to enable parents to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills for nurturing their children in a more systematic manner. Furthermore, to help parents early identify and support their children’s mental health needs, the EDB provides parent gatekeeper training and more thematic parent education programmes to share with parents ways to raise happy and positive children in a diversified mode. The EDB will continue to strengthen the synergy through cross-departmental and cross-sector collaboration, work closely with schools and parents to enhance the efforts in the promotion of student mental health.

Thank you, President.