Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Judy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (January 21):
Question:
The Lands Department (LandsD) currently grants short-term tenancies through tendering or direct land grant for non-governmental organisations or social enterprises to use unleased and unallocated government land. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the following information on complaints against short-term tenancy site operators received by the Government in the past five years: (i) the number of complaints (and their annual rates of changes), (ii) the reasons for complaints and (iii) the number of cases with follow-up actions taken;
(2) of the following information on (i) the number of sites newly granted under short-term tenancies in various districts in each of the past five years and the respective (ii) areas and (iii) uses of such sites involved, with a breakdown by land disposal method (i.e. tendering and direct land grant);
(3) of the following information on (i) the number of sites with their short-term tenancies terminated in various districts in each of the past five years and the respective (ii) areas involved and (iii) reasons for terminating the tenancies of such sites, with a breakdown by land disposal method (i.e. tendering and direct land grant);
(4) of (i) the number of sites with tenancies renewed by the same tenant upon expiry of the fixed term of the tenancies and the respective (ii) areas and (iii) uses of such sites involved in respect of short-term land tenancies managed by the LandsD in the past 10 years (set out by district); (i) the average renewal term and (ii) the longest renewal term of such sites with tenancies renewed by the same tenant, with a breakdown by land disposal method (i.e. tendering and direct land grant); and
(5) as there are views that the prolonged renewal of tenancies of some short-term tenancy sites by the same tenant has runs contrary to the spirit of short-term tenancy, whether the Government has conducted a review on the effectiveness in respect of short-term tenancy sites; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it has plans to conduct such a review?
Reply:
President,
Under the prevailing land approval policy, the Lands Department (LandsD) may grant short term tenancies (STTs) by way of tender or direct grant to support various social and economic activities and bring rental revenue for the Government. In addition, if an application receives policy support, and is considered in compliance with statutory or administrative requirements upon consultation with the relevant departments, the LandsD may grant STT to a non-governmental organisation and a social enterprise at concessionary or even nil rent for community, organisation, or non-profit making uses. The LandsD is responsible for granting and managing STTs, with fixed terms normally ranging from one to five years, and not exceeding seven years. Upon expiry of the fixed term, STTs will usually be re-tendered for another fixed term, or renewed according to the circumstances. The Government announced in the 2025 Policy Address that it would handle the tenancy term of Government tenancies in more flexible ways, and provide tenancy of a maximum total tenure of 21 years through renewal, which will mainly benefit lands for economic use, in response to the market suggestion of facilitating business and investments by providing a longer tenancy term. The relevant measures will be rolled out within the first quarter of this year.
My reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Chan is as follows:
(1) As the nature and the type of land involved in each complaint are different, the LandsD does not maintain statistics on cases involving solely STTs. In general, upon receipt of complaints relating to STT sites, the LandsD would carry out investigations, including site inspection, as soon as possible. If any breaches of tenancy conditions are confirmed, such as violation of the user restriction clauses, the LandsD would take follow-up action immediately, including the issue of warning letters requesting the tenants to rectify the breaches, and may, subject to the circumstances, terminate the tenancy in accordance with the tenancy conditions and take back the site.
(2) In the past five years, the number of STTs freshly granted by the LandsD for commercial, economic, or social uses is set out in Annex I. The relevant uses include fee-paying public car parks, education, social welfare, religious, recreation, shops, factories, container handling, outdoor or indoor storage, and shipyards.
(3) In the past five years, the number of STTs for commercial, economic, or social uses that were terminated and the area involved are set out in Annex II. In general, the major reasons for termination of STTs include taking back sites for long term development (such as public housing development, Government land sale programmes) and termination initiated by tenants on their own considerations. Besides, only a minority of STTs were terminated for breach of tenancy conditions. For example, there were only about four such cases in 2025.
(4) and (5) If the sites are still yet to be required for long term development a few years after the expiry of the fixed term of the STTs, the LandsD will normally re-tender the STTs, so as to allow other interested business operators in the market to have a fair opportunity in bidding for the sites, maintaining healthy competition. That said, direct grant STTs which are related to economic activities, with policy support, or special historical background, may be renewed quarterly upon expiry of the fixed term. The LandsD does not maintain statistics on the average term and the average area of the STT sites with tenancies renewed by the same tenant. According to the statistics maintained by the LandsD, among the direct grant STTs, there are some 1 800 cases with cumulative tenancy period exceeding 10 years, the majority of which (around 1 550 cases) fall within a few major categories, including STTs granted for relocation of businesses affected by public works (such as shipyards); STTs converted from Government land licence in early years (usually shops or workshops); and some sites for public utilities or franchise operation (such as franchised bus depot). Among them, the longest STT tenancy term through renewal is 60 years, where the site has been leased for the use of a bus workers’ canteen, to tie in with the operation of the adjacent bus terminal at Tsim Sha Tsui pier.
The Government would take into account a number of considerations in examining whether a site should be granted by way of STT or land lease, including where the site may be available for certain uses only on a short term basis; where the site may be available for supporting certain uses on a long term basis but STTs would allow greater flexibility in changing STT users; and where the site may be available for supporting certain uses on a long term basis but STTs may better meet the development needs of certain economic activities as one-off premium payment would not be required. As regards views that certain STTs may have run for too long, as explained above, there are policy or historical reasons for the relevant STTs. On the other hand, there are views in the market in recent years that tenancies with longer term may facilitate business and investments, which is also one of the considerations for our suggestion to provide Government tenancies for at most 21 years. While we understand the Hon Chan’s concerns about fair competition, we should also take into account various considerations when considering the term of tenancies. When we grant new tenancies in future, we will take into account the relevant factors holistically and strike an appropriate balance.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Dr the Hon David Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (January 21):
Question:
It has been reported that the Hospital Authority (HA) has long faced a severe shortage of nursing staff, and there are no mandatory requirements for the nurse-to-bed ratio in public hospital wards. Furthermore, some frontline nurses are concerned that over the past year, HA’s gradual reduction in the number of locum nurses, personnel whose employment has been extended beyond retirement, as well as clinical preceptors, all of whom possess valuable clinical experience within the nursing grade, will have a significant impact on the training and clinical competence of newly recruited nurses, thereby increasing patient risks. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of locum nurses, personnel whose employment has been extended beyond retirement, and clinical preceptors within HA’s nursing grade at the end of each of the past two years;
(2) of the respective ratios of nurses with over five years’ experience and those with three years’ experience or less in HA at present, and whether HA has formulated the relevant standard ratios; whether HA has plans to increase the ratio of nurses with over five years’ experience; if so, of the details of the plans; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) of the ratio of HA’s clinical nurses to the number of hospital beds at present; whether HA has plans to formulate a target ratio and implementation plan; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
With our high-quality healthcare professionals and highly efficient healthcare system, Hong Kong boasts a number of world-leading health indicators. We are among one of the regions with the longest life expectancies (Note 1) and lowest infant mortality rate in the world (Note 2). The public current health expenditures in Hong Kong only accounted for 4.3 per cent (Note 3) of its Gross Domestic Product in 2023-24. Compared with other economies with a similar degree of population ageing, Hong Kong’s related expenditure ratio is among the lowest. On the other hand, we were able to provide over 90 per cent of the city’s healthcare services and achieve a high service quality on par with international standards, demonstrating the remarkable efficiency of our public healthcare system.
Nevertheless, Hong Kong’s healthcare system is facing various structural challenges. With an ageing population and a surging prevalence of chronic diseases, quality and highly subsidised public healthcare services have attracted huge service demand, exerting immense pressure on the healthcare system. In light of the above, the Hospital Authority (HA) is actively implementing various measures to attract, train and retain manpower, while leveraging information technology to enhance efficiency.
My reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon Lam is as follows:
(1) First of all, healthcare professions are the cornerstone of the local healthcare system. The Government has consistently invested heavily in enhancing the training quality, including increasing government-funded training places based on manpower situations and projections to meet the rising demand for healthcare services. To enhance manpower of local nurses, the number of relevant training places in institutions has steadily increased by nearly 60 per cent from about 3 200 in the 2016/17 academic year to about 5 000 in the 2024/25 academic year.
As for human resources management, the HA introduced the policy of Extending Employment Beyond Retirement (EER) in 2021, allowing serving healthcare staff to extend their service up to the age of 65 after reaching the retirement age of 60. This enables the retention of experienced healthcare professionals to continue taking up clinical duties in public hospitals, thereby alleviating manpower pressure and supporting training and knowledge transfer. On the other hand, the HA has also established the Locum Office to actively recruit part‑time healthcare staff and adopt more flexible hiring strategies. In addition, to nurture junior nurses, the HA has strengthened its preceptorship programme by recruiting experienced nurses as preceptors to provide clinical guidance for junior nurses, facilitating them to get familiarised with the ward procedures and environment.
Following the passage of the Nurses Registration (Amendment) Ordinance on July 26, 2024, the HA has launched a series of promotional activities to attract non-locally trained nurses (NLTNs) to join the HA. Moreover, the HA has also been actively collaborating with various non-local partners to roll out nurse exchange programmes. As at the end of October 2025, a cumulative total of 170 NLTNs had practised or participated in exchanges in the HA under Limited Registration or Special Registration pathways.
These measures have begun to yield results. The attrition rate of full-time nurses has improved, with the 12-month rolling figure falling from a peak rate of 10.9 per cent as at end-March 2023 to 6.0 per cent as at end-October 2025. The number of HA nurses counting on full-time basis has increased from a low level of 28 865 as at March 2024 to 30 533 as at October 2025, recording an increase of 5.7 per cent in one and a half year.
With the gradual decline in the attrition rate and the increase in the number of full‑time nurses in recent years, the number of locum nurses, whose role is to fill short‑term vacancies, has therefore decreased. For the past two years (i.e. from end-October 2023 to end-October 2025), the numbers of locum nurses, EER staff and clinical preceptors in the HA’s nursing grade are set out in Annex 1. While the number of locum nurses slightly decreased from 1 450 to 1 372 in two years, the numbers of EER staff and clinical preceptors did not decrease as indicated in the introduction of the question, in fact, they increased. The number of EER staff increased from 729 to 1 090 and that of clinical preceptors rose from 149 to 181. In contrast with temporary or locum arrangements, full‑time nurses are able to provide more stable and continuous services within clinical teams, which is conducive to the continuity of patient care plans. The HA will continue to arrange temporary or locum nurses to support designated specialties having regard to service needs.
(2) As at end‑October 2025, the distribution of HA’s nurses by years of service is set out in Annex 2. The data shows that among the 33 683 nurses in the HA, 9 463 nurses were working for less than three years, representing 28.1 per cent of the overall nursing manpower; while 20 049 nurses had five years of service or more, representing nearly 60 per cent of the overall nursing manpower. There were 12 878 more experienced nurses with ten years of experience or more, representing 38.2 per cent of the overall nursing manpower. Most of these nurses serve on the frontline and assist in training less‑experienced nurses to facilitate professional succession. The Government is particularly thankful to nurses of public healthcare system who embody the spirit of Nightingale for their commitment, dedication and professionalism in taking care patients in the frontline amidst manpower pressure in the past. The HA will continue to implement various measures to recruit and retain nurses, with a view to ensuring service quality and facilitating professional succession. Meanwhile, the HA will also provide nurses with diversely structured and innovative training programmes, including providing more opportunities of simulation and specialty trainings, to enhance the development of professional nursing services.
(3) In order to meet clinical service demand and operation needs, the HA has also recruited 19 106 nursing supporting staff including ward assistants, patient care assistants and so on to support nurses for providing clinical care of patients.
As at end‑March last year, the HA had a total of 30 824 hospital beds. As healthcare staff supporting inpatient services in the HA also undertake other duties (such as specialist out-patient services), the demand for nursing manpower varies across different hospitals and inpatient specialties. Therefore, computing a ratio of number of staff supporting in-patient services to that of overall hospital beds separately is not appropriate.
Apart from closely monitoring manpower situations, the HA will continue to actively leverage information technologies, including areas like artificial intelligence, smart wards, smart clinics, smart support and digital workplaces, with a view to enhancing clinical and administrative workflows, and the effectiveness of resource utilisation.
Thank you, President.
Note 1: Average life expectancy at birth in 2024 is 82.7 for male and 88.2 for female.
Note 2: Infant mortality rate in 2024 is 1.7 deaths per 1 000 registered live births.
Note 3: Excluding expenditures relating to COVID-19.
During the full closure of Lung Cheung Road westbound between Hammer Hill Road and Po Kong Village Road (1am to 5.30am this Sunday), the corresponding eastbound carriageway of Lung Cheung Road will be temporarily converted into two-way traffic and the following traffic diversion will be implemented: Temporary public transport arrangements —————-
To facilitate the above full closure of Lung Cheung Road westbound, bus and green minibus (GMB) routes passing through the closed road sections will be temporarily diverted, and the associated bus and GMB stops will be relocated as follows:
Bus and GMB routesstopping pointsKMB route nos. 38, 62X, 259D, 268C
Overnight routes KMB route nos. N214, N290, Citybus route nos. N26, N29, NA29 and New Territories GMB route no. 501S The public transport operators concerned will display notices to advise passengers on the above special arrangements.
Appropriate traffic signs will be erected on-site to guide motorists. Motorist should exercise patience and drive with care, pay attention to the traffic diversion arrangements and follow the instructions of the Police on-site.Issued at HKT 16:35
Online reservations for the direction conference to be held on February 5 by the independent committee set up in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po will start from 10am tomorrow.
The direction conference will be held at 10am at the City Gallery in Central, where Committee Chairman David Lok will give directions on the subsequent hearings.
The proceedings will be broadcast simultaneously in transmission areas set up on the ground floor of City Gallery and in the Lecture Theatre of the Hong Kong Central Library. A total of about 400 seats will be available for the public.
Individuals who wish to observe the direction conference are required to make an online reservation in advance through the submission of a pre-registration form from 10am tomorrow to 10am on January 25.
The Committee Secretariat will allocate seats on a first-come, first-served basis according to the system’s record of the time that the pre-registration forms are received.
Successful registrants will receive a “Confirmation of Successful Registration” issued by the Secretariat of the Committee by February 3. Each person can only pre-register once. Duplicate registrations will not be processed.
There will not be any presentation of evidence or examination of witnesses in the direction conference.
President Lai confers decoration on former Czech Parliament Chamber of Deputies Speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová
On the afternoon of January 20, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon upon Markéta Pekarová Adamová, former speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, in recognition of her long-term, outstanding contributions to deepening the friendship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic. In remarks, President Lai indicated that in recent years, cooperation between Taiwan and the Czech Republic in trade, investment, technology, and aviation has continued to deepen, demonstrating that the Taiwan-Czech partnership is not only built on shared values, but also has substantial and long-term economic potential. The president expressed hope that both sides will create more opportunities for cooperation and write new chapters in the deep friendship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic as it continues to grow.
A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows:
Firstly, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our dear friend former Speaker Adamová on her return to Taiwan. It was also a great honor for me just now to confer the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon upon her on behalf of our government to thank her for her outstanding contributions to deepening the friendship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic over the years.
I remember the determination then-Speaker Adamová showed three years ago when she led a delegation of more than 160 people to Taiwan, despite facing great external pressure. The visit marked a new milestone in bilateral relations. Speaking during the trip, she emphasized that Taiwan and the Czech Republic were in the same boat. Today, her words still resonate throughout Taiwanese society.
In 2023, then-Speaker Adamová and I visited the Net Zero City Expo together. On that occasion, I cited her remarks, saying that Taiwan and the Czech Republic stand together now and will continue to stand together in any circumstance. Our meeting today at the Presidential Office serves as further proof that the friendship between Taiwan and the Czech Republic has endured over time and distance, growing ever stronger and deeper.
Former Speaker Adamová has long spoken up courageously on the international stage for peace in the Taiwan Strait and for Indo-Pacific security. Within the Czech parliament, she actively championed resolutions in support of Taiwan and our participation in international organizations. She also personally facilitated an exhibition by the National Palace Museum in the Czech Republic. These actions were all concrete demonstrations of solidarity with Taiwan, which our people will always cherish.
In recent years, cooperation between Taiwan and the Czech Republic in trade, investment, and technology has continued to deepen. We have signed numerous MOUs that are steadily yielding positive results. An increasing number of Taiwanese enterprises are expanding their investments in the Czech Republic, and collaboration in aviation and industry continues to strengthen. These achievements demonstrate that the Taiwan-Czech partnership is not only built on shared values, but also has substantial and long-term economic potential. Looking ahead, Taiwan will continue to work with the Czech Republic to create more opportunities for cooperation and write new chapters in our deep friendship as it continues to grow.
I would also like to touch upon former Speaker Adamová’s book, Nejsem z cukru ani ze železa (Made of Neither Sugar nor Iron), published last October. In it, she notes that exchanges between democracies and Taiwan are not designed to provoke China, but rather to fulfill a commitment to democracy and freedom. I am deeply touched by her conviction that democratic countries will not let Taiwan stand alone.
Although she is taking a step back from politics for now, I am confident that former Speaker Adamová will continue to be a key driving force behind Taiwan-Czech cooperation. I want to emphasize once again that Taiwan stands with the Czech Republic and all our democratic partners both now and in the future, and will continue to do so in any circumstance. In closing, I again welcome former Speaker Adamová to Taiwan and wish her a pleasant and productive stay.
Former Speaker Adamová then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great honor for her to receive the Order of Brilliant Star with Special Grand Cordon from President Lai, and that she accepts it with deep gratitude and great respect for Taiwan and its people.
Former Speaker Adamová stated that she comes from Czechia, a nation that knows from its own history how precious freedom is, and how important it is to defend democracy, human rights, and the right of every country to choose its own future. She said that this is why Taiwan holds a very special place in the hearts of the Czech people, who recognize in Taiwan a partner who shares their values, courage, and belief in an open and peaceful world.
The former speaker went on to say that Taiwan is an extraordinary country that is strong, innovative, and resilient, but also open, kind, and deeply human. She said that everywhere she goes in Taiwan, she feels the warmth, dignity, and determination of the Taiwanese people. Taiwan’s society, she said, proves that democracy can flourish even in challenging times, and that freedom is strongest when it is supported by responsibility and mutual respect. She then expressed her sincere support for Taiwan and its peaceful future, and stated that Taiwan deserves to live in security, dignity, and prosperity, free to shape its own destiny and contribute fully to the global community.
Former Speaker Adamová stated that the decoration she received is not only a great personal honor for her, but also a symbol of friendship between Taiwan and Czechia, and a commitment to continue building bridges between our countries, our cultures, and our people. To close, she thanked President Lai once again for the extraordinary honor, and expressed hope that Taiwan will continue to thrive in peace, freedom, and confidence.
Also in attendance at the ceremony were Representative of the Czech Economic and Cultural Office David Steinke and Head of the Taiwan Office of the European Values Center for Security Policy Marcin Mateusz Jerzewski.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan fulfilled various engagements on day two of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland yesterday, as he promoted Hong Kong’s advantages and opportunities.
In the morning, Mr Chan attended a Special Address delivered by State Council Vice Premier He Lifeng.
Mr Chan also attended a breakfast meeting hosted by digital asset company Animoca Brands, where he engaged in discussions with leaders from the financial and innovation sectors on how blockchain applications, including tokenised assets and genomic data analytics, are driving transformation and development in capital markets.
The finance chief said that, as an international financial centre, Hong Kong has adopted a proactive yet prudent approach to the development of digital assets and follows the principle of “same activity, same risk, same regulation” to promote responsible and sustainable market development.
Explaining that a licensing regime for stablecoins is expected to be launched later this year, he highlighted the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s leadership role in promoting tokenisation, including the issuance of three batches of tokenised green bonds amounting to around US$2.1 billion. In addition, he said, regulatory sandboxes have been introduced to encourage the development of innovative applications.
Later in the day, Mr Chan met a number of officials from different economies and regional organisations to exchange views on the global political and economic landscape, ways of strengthening collaboration on trade, finance, industrial development and digital transformation, and other issues of mutual concern.
These officials included Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Egypt’s Minister of Investment & Foreign Trade Hassan El Khatib; and Switzerland’s State Secretary for International Finance at the Federal Department of Finance Daniela Stoffel.
In addition, Mr Chan met World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to exchange views on the current and future international trade landscape.
His engagements for the day also included a meeting with Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of technology investment firm Vista Equity Partners Robert Smith.
At the meeting, Mr Chan learnt about developments in the firm’s software and data businesses, and encouraged Mr Smith to consider expanding the company’s presence in Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
CHP urges public to promptly receive seasonal influenza vaccination as three severe paediatric influenza infection cases have been reported within eight days The case involves a 14-year-old girl. On January 18, she attended a private clinic as she developed a fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough and myalgia. She further presented with dizziness on the following day (January 19) and sought medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of United Christian Hospital. Due to persistently low blood pressure, she was admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital for treatment. Her respiratory specimen tested positive for influenza A virus upon laboratory testing. She remains hospitalised, but her condition has stabilised and her blood pressure has returned to normal.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the girl had received the 2025/26 SIV. Three of her classmates recently developed influenza-like symptoms. One of them was hospitalised and has been discharged, with a respiratory specimen testing positive for influenza A virus upon laboratory testing. The other two students presented with mild symptoms and did not require hospitalisation. The CHP advised the school concerned on the necessary infection control measures to be implemented and will continue to put the school under medical surveillance. The 14-year-old girl has four household contacts. Two of them developed mild respiratory symptoms earlier but did not require hospitalisation.
So far this year, three severe paediatric influenza cases have been recorded, involving children aged between 6 months and 14 years old. Two of the affected children had not received SIV, including one case who received the 2025/26 SIV only three days before the onset of illness. As the patient was not protected by the vaccine, the case is not counted as being vaccinated. During the summer influenza season ending in early January, 25 severe paediatric influenza cases were recorded, including three fatal cases and involving children aged between 6 months to 17 years old. Among them, 20 cases (80 per cent) had not received an SIV (including one case who received the 2025/26 SIV only four days before the onset of illness).
”Influenza activity may rise again as the weather remains cold in the first quarter of this year, and it cannot be ruled out that the circulating virus strains may change as the winter influenza season approaches. Therefore, I once again urge all individuals aged 6 months or older, except those with known contraindications, to act promptly if they have not yet received an SIV. This includes those who contracted influenza during the summer influenza season in order to guard against other circulating virus strains that may emerge during the upcoming winter influenza season. Furthermore, although there are some antigenic differences between the currently circulating influenza A (H3) virus strain and the virus strain contained in the vaccine, scientific research indicates that this season’s influenza vaccines can still offer protection against the variant strain of subclade K, as well as the influenza A (H1) and influenza B strains included in the vaccine,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui, said.Issued at HKT 19:34
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (January 20) reminded all female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who have not completed their human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination to promptly receive free HPV vaccination at designated venues. Besides, women aged 25 to 64 who have had sexual experience should undergo regular cervical screenings. Through “early prevention, early detection and early treatment”, they can reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer, which is one of the 10 most common cancers and a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Hong Kong.
HPV vaccination
———————-
“HPV vaccination is among the most effective measures for cervical cancer prevention, especially for females who have never been exposed to HPV infection, i.e. before their first sexual encounter. Since the 2019/20 school year, the DH has been providing free HPV vaccinations to eligible Primary schoolgirls under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme, and a high vaccination rate of over 90 per cent has been maintained in recent years. This significantly lowers the risk of cervical cancer in Hong Kong females,” the Controller of the CHP, Dr Edwin Tsui said.
The DH launched a one-off HPV Vaccination Catch-up Programme (Catch-up Programme) in December 2024, offering free catch-up vaccinations to female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who have not completed their HPV vaccination. Under the Catch-up Programme, each eligible person can receive two doses of free vaccination, while immunocompromised persons have to receive three doses of vaccination (all three doses are free of charge).
“The Catch-up Programme is implemented in three phases. With the support of secondary schools and post-secondary institutions, the estimated first-dose HPV vaccine coverage rates of eligible secondary schoolgirls and post-secondary institutions female students in the first two phases were 85 per cent and 68 per cent respectively (Note: These figures combine doses administered under the Catch-up Programme and self-arranged vaccinations). The final phrase of the Catch-up Programme has commenced in June last year, targeting female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who have completed their studies in Hong Kong. The estimated coverage is about 55 per cent within half a year. Overall, approximately 50 000 doses of vaccine have been administrated so far under the Catch-up Programme. Although the estimated overall coverage across all three phases has exceeded 60 per cent at present, I do not want ‘anyone to be left behind’. The CHP has issued a letter to post-secondary institutions again to urge them to assist in encouraging eligible students to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Through the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHCC), the CHP has also urged family doctors to assist in encouraging eligible working female to receive HPV vaccination,” Dr Tsui said.
Female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 who have not completed their HPV vaccination only need to register with eHealth, and can schedule an appointment through the website or by calling 2855 1333 to receive a free HPV vaccination at Women Wellness Satellites (WWSs) or designated District Health Centres (DHCs)/DHC Expresses (DHCEs) under the PHCC of the Health Bureau. Females enrolled in local secondary schools or post-secondary institutions can contact their student affairs offices for details.
“The one-off Catch-up Programme lasting approximately for two years offers free HPV vaccination. Details can be found on the DH’s website. Eligible female Hong Kong residents who do not participate in the Catch-up Programme will need to pay for vaccinations out-of-pocket in future. The cost of vaccination may exceed $1,200 per dose,” Dr Tsui remarked.
Cervical screening
———————–
“Beyond vaccination, regular screening serves as another line of defence. Most cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV and infection with HPV or early stages of cervical cancer may not have any noticeable symptoms. In 2023, 576 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed, accounting for 3.0 per cent of all new cancer cases in females. Cervical cancer was the seventh most common cancer among females in Hong Kong. In 2024, a total of 160 women died from cervical cancer, accounting for 2.5 per cent of female cancer deaths. Over the past decade, the age-standardised mortality rate for cervical cancer has remained largely stable after adjusting for population age structure, reflecting the achievements of screening and treatment advancements. However, the age-standardised incidence rate of cervical cancer has shown a slight upward trend in recent years, indicating that the threat of cervical cancer to women’s health should not be underestimated. Therefore, I urge women aged 25 to 64 who have had sexual experience to undergo regular cervical screening in order to promptly detect and treat early cervical pre-cancerous changes, thereby preventing cervical cancer and improving cure rates,” Dr Tsui said.
The DH has implemented the Cervical Screening Programme since 2004. Cervical screening services are available at Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) of the DH, WWSs, as well as through non-governmental organisations and private healthcare providers. Common screening methods include HPV testing and/or a cytology examination (also called a cervical smear or pap smear) performed by healthcare professionals. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recommended vaginal self-sampling for HPV testing as another reliable method for cervical screening. The latest Health Behaviour Survey of the DH revealed that about 50 per cent of eligible women had ever had cervical screening. The DH has been working closely with healthcare professionals to enhance the promotion of cervical screening through general education and clinical consultation, and to understand the barriers of the public to accept the screening. To echo WHO’s advice, starting in 2024, the DH initiated HPV testing of self-collected samples at 11 MCHCs to study the feasibility and acceptability of vaginal HPV self-sampling locally. Moreover, HPV testing of self-collected samples is planned to be rolled out in WWSs in the first quarter of 2026. Details will be announced later on the WWS’s website.
It is important to note that there is currently insufficient scientific evidence in Hong Kong or internationally to support the use of self-collected menstrual blood or urine samples for cervical screenings. The DH will continue to review the latest scientific evidence.
Women who wish to receive a cervical screening at MCHCs can schedule an appointment through the 24-hour hotline at 3166 6631, or contact WWSs via its website or 18 DHCs/DHCEs (website) for personalised primary healthcare services for women including cervical cancer screening. For further information on cervical cancer and screenings, please visit the DH’s website.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, arrived in Davos, Switzerland yesterday (January 19, Davos time) and immediately commenced his programme at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting.
In the afternoon, Mr Chan met with the Minister of Economy of the Sultanate of Oman (Oman), H.E. Dr Said Mohammed Al-Saqri. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as finance, trade, green transformation and industrial development.
Mr Chan noted that Oman is transitioning from an oil-driven growth model towards a more diversified economic structure, with active efforts to promote green transformation and renewable energy, while further strengthening its economic and investment ties with China. As a “super connector”, Hong Kong is well positioned to support this process — on the one hand, by facilitating Mainland and Hong Kong enterprises to invest in Oman to support its infrastructure and industrial development; and on the other hand, by leveraging its status as an international financial centre in Asia to provide Omani enterprises with an ideal platform for fundraising and financing, as well as offshore Renminbi investment and risk management products. Mr Chan also pointed out that financial market connectivity between the two places could foster mutual development, and expressed support for the stock exchanges and regulatory authorities of both sides to explore reciprocal cooperation, including opportunities for dual or secondary listings.
In the evening, Mr Chan attended the welcome reception of the WEF Annual Meeting, where he engaged with participants from around the world. He will continue his visit in Davos today (January 20, Davos time).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse Ordinance comes into effect today Any specified professional who fails to comply with the obligation to make mandatory reports under the Ordinance may result in a maximum penalty of three months’ imprisonment and a fine of level 5 ($50,000). The Ordinance provides protection for specified professionals at the same time by prohibiting any person from inhibiting or obstructing the making of reports or disclosing the identity of specified professionals who made reports.
“The commencement of the Ordinance marks an important milestone in Hong Kong’s efforts regarding child protection by creating a comprehensive and effective protection web for children,” a spokesman for the Labour and Welfare Bureau said.