SWD Celebrates Outstanding Carers at Hong Kong's Care the Carers Campaign Ceremony

2026-01-13 19:34 Last Updated At：01-14 13:33

Care the Carers Campaign - Carer-friendly Commendation Ceremony held today

The Social Welfare Department (SWD) held the Care the Carers Campaign - Carer-friendly Commendation Ceremony at the Hong Kong Science Park today (January 13) to commend outstanding carers as well as neighbours and employers who actively support carers, acknowledge their dedication and contributions, and appeal to all sectors of society to join hands in building a carer-friendly community.

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Care the Carers Campaign - Carer-friendly Commendation Ceremony held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

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Care the Carers Campaign - Carer-friendly Commendation Ceremony held today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Officiated by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun; the Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Ms Alice Lau; and the Director of Social Welfare, Mr Edward To, the ceremony was attended by around 800 guests, including government officials, Legislative Council Members, District Council members, advisory committee members, representatives from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and district organisations, as well as elderly persons, persons with disabilities and their carers, demonstrating widespread community support and concern for carers.

The territory-wide publicity campaign, Care the Carers Campaign, is now in its third year. Under the theme "Fostering a Carer-friendly Community", the SWD organised a Carer-friendly Commendation Scheme, which comprises three groups - "touching carers", "carer-friendly neighbours" and "carer-friendly employers". The Scheme received over 610 submissions, reflecting an enthusiastic public response. Members of the vetting panel included representatives from government departments, NGOs, academia, the business sector, and district organisations. The list of commendations is in the Annex (Chinese version only).

Mr Sun said at the ceremony that, in addition to ongoing territory-wide publicity efforts, the SWD has implemented various measures in recent years to support carers, including the sequential launch of the Information Gateway for Carers (carers.hk) and the 24-hour Designated Hotline for Carer Support 182 183, enabling carers to seek help at any time. The SWD also rolled out two pilot schemes last July in collaboration with the Hospital Authority and the Hong Kong Housing Authority. Through the integration, sharing and analysis of data, these initiatives strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration, identify high-risk cases more effectively and enhance support for them, thereby improving community care services for the elderly and persons with disabilities. The Government will further systematise and expand these databases, with the next phase covering high-risk households in Hong Kong Housing Society units and "three-nil" buildings.

At the commendation ceremony, Mr Sun also highly praised the commended carers, neighbours, and employers. Each of their touching stories embodies compassion, responsibility, mutual assistance and support. He expressed hope that the carer-friendly culture and spirit would take root and continue to grow in the community, building a stronger foundation for carer services in the community, thereby enhancing social cohesion. Mr Sun also pointed out that technology serves as a powerful partner in caregiving, and that making good use of technology products could not only improve the quality of life for the elderly and persons with disabilities but also alleviate carers' burdens. A "Carer Technology Product Gallery" was held alongside the ceremony today, featuring various gerontechnology products suitable for home use and allowing participants to experience them firsthand.

To enhance public understanding of carer support services and related resources, the SWD has produced a short video titled "Support the Carers Take a break and Move on". The short video and three other videos featuring the stories of the commended carers, neighbours, and employers have been uploaded to the SWD's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@SocialWelfareDepartment).

Hong Kong Hosts Business Forum in Philadelphia to Boost Life Sciences Collaboration and Innovation Opportunities.

New York ETO promotes Hong Kong's life sciences and health innovation in Philadelphia

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York (New York ETO) hosted a business forum and spring reception on March 12 (Philadelphia time) in Philadelphia, one of the most significant life science clusters in the United States, to promote Hong Kong's expanding role as a global hub for health and life sciences innovation and to explore opportunities for cross-border collaboration. Over 130 business leaders, investors, and innovators from across Greater Philadelphia gathered to learn more about Hong Kong's role as an international life and health science hub.

As part of the Economic and Trade Express initiative, the business forum was co-organised by the New York ETO, Invest Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), strengthening efforts in trade and investment promotion, and reinforcing Hong Kong's role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder".

In her welcome remarks, the Director of the New York ETO, Ms Maisie Ho, highlighted Hong Kong's remarkable progress in life sciences and healthcare, emphasising the latest measures to propel Hong Kong's life sciences and health technology ecosystem through a multipronged approach.

She elaborated on Hong Kong's integrated development plan, including reforming the evaluation regime for drugs and medical devices, promoting the use of real-world data to facilitate clinical research, setting up dedicated institutes and academies for research and clinical trials at the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone in the Northern Metropolis, as well as dedicated efforts in attracting strategic enterprises, with a view to further strengthening Hong Kong's position as a leading health and innovation node.

Ms Ho added that Hong Kong's well-established financial ecosystem continues to play a pivotal role in supporting this growth. "Hong Kong ranks as the world's second-largest biotech fundraising hub, supporting a diverse range of innovative companies," she said.

The business forum featured two keynote presentations connecting life sciences and health innovation between Philadelphia and Hong Kong. In her keynote presentation, the Head of Business and Talent Attraction/Investment Promotion of the Invest Hong Kong in New York, Ms Yi Xie, highlighted Hong Kong as a launchpad for life sciences, showcasing its well- developed research and development infrastructure, robust intellectual property protection, and strategic gateway to the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and Asia-Pacific markets. Meanwhile, the Director (New York & Midwest) of the HKTDC, Mr Curtis Louie, shared the range of support the HKTDC provides to Philadelphia companies, including matchmaking services for companies, and encouraged delegation participation in the upcoming Asia Summit on Global Health.

The presentations were then followed by a panel discussion moderated by the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Science History Institute, Dr David Cole, featuring the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the ConSynance Therapeutics, Dr Liu Shuang; the Head of Global Business Development of the Jecho Laboratories, Dr Sarah Johnson; and the Director, Deal Advisory, US-China Corridor of KPMG, Mr Jon Hung. The speakers discussed collaboration, fundraising, clinical development, and market expansion in Asia.

On the same evening, Ms Ho hosted a spring reception for guests from the city's political, business, financial, and academic communities.

SWD Celebrates Outstanding Carers at Hong Kong's Care the Carers Campaign Ceremony

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