DH and National Cancer Center Hold Meeting to Deepen Collaboration and Exchanges on Cancer Prevention and Control

DH and National Cancer Center hold meeting to deepen collaboration and exchanges on cancer prevention and control

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, today (September 25) met with the Director of the National Cancer Center (NCC), Dr He Jie, for in-depth discussions on the latest developments in cancer prevention and control, big data applications and talent training. They reached a broad consensus on the future direction of collaboration.

The NCC and the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSAR) signed the Framework Agreement on Collaboration between the National Cancer Center and the Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (Framework Agreement) in January this year. Guided by the principles of complementarity and mutual benefit, the two parties are actively promoting comprehensive collaboration in the field of cancer prevention and management. This meeting marked an important milestone in the implementation of the Framework Agreement, signifying that the two parties are advancing side by side in the shared cause of cancer prevention and control.

"The First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the HKSAR (2026-2030) and the Chief Executive's 2026 Policy Address clearly stated that we will develop Hong Kong into a health and medical innovation hub with global influence, strengthen collaboration of medical talent between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, and dovetail with our country's strategic development of the emerging industries of biomedicine and medical devices. The DH will spare no effort to continue enhancing cancer prevention and control in an evidence-based manner, promoting the integrated development of healthcare across the region, and contributing to the key national strategy of 'Healthy China'," said Dr Lam.

"The DH sincerely thanks the NCC for its continued, steadfast support for the development of cancer prevention and control initiatives in Hong Kong. The Framework Agreement, signed earlier this year, has laid an important foundation for strengthening our collaboration further. Today's exchange enabled us to share insightful and forward-looking views on areas such as the application of big data in cancer prevention and control, formulating screening measures and the latest developments in treatment," he added.

During the meeting, both parties engaged in in-depth and fruitful discussions on topics such as the latest national cancer prevention and control strategies; experiences in establishing cancer registration systems and databases; as well as ways to improve screening adherence through opportunistic screening in hospitals. Both parties agreed that sharing experiences and fostering talent exchanges can further enhance the precision and effectiveness of cancer prevention and control efforts. The DH will continue to strengthen its multidimensional collaboration with the NCC to implement various collaborative initiatives for the benefit of people.

The DH has all along been promoting the adoption of healthy lifestyle as a key strategy for cancer prevention, and is committed to strengthening public education to enhance public awareness of cancer prevention and screening. The DH also implements an evidence-based cancer screening strategy. Since 2004, the Cervical Screening Programme, Colorectal Cancer Screening and Breast Cancer Screening Pilot Programme have been sequentially introduced to enhance the recovery rate of patients through "early prevention, early detection and early treatment".

In response to the establishment of the Office for Introducing Innovative Drugs and Medical Devices (the Office) by the Hospital Authority (HA) this year under the policy direction set out in the Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address, the DH's Drug Office has also established the Priority Review Pathway under the existing "1+" mechanism for new drugs, to expedite the review of registration applications for innovative cancer drugs recommended by the Office, enabling patients to access new treatments more promptly with more therapeutic options.

The DH will establish the Centre for Medical Products Regulation by this year to progressively establish a robust approval system, and accelerate the clinical application of innovative medical products, providing strong momentum for the development and market expansion of the healthcare industry in the HKSAR, the Chinese Mainland, and beyond, thereby transforming Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub.

Representatives from the HA and Hong Kong Cancer Registry also attended the meeting today.

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, today (September 25) met with the Director of the National Cancer Center (NCC), Dr He Jie, for in-depth discussions on the latest developments in cancer prevention and control, big data applications and talent training. They reached a broad consensus on the future direction of collaboration. Photo shows Dr Lam (front row, third left), the Director of the NCC, Dr He (front row, third right), and other participants of the meeting. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

DH holds meeting with new Head of Secretariat of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to deepen collaboration and exchanges on tobacco control

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, yesterday (September 25) met with the new Head of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Mr Andrew Black, for an in-depth exchange on tobacco control work.

Mr Black assumed office as the Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC on August 1 this year. Dr Lam welcomed Mr Black and expressed appreciation for his taking time out of a busy schedule to visit the Department of Health (DH) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to exchange views on the latest progress and strategies in tobacco control work.

Dr Lam said, "We are very honoured to receive Mr Black and representatives of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA). The HKSAR Government has been advancing tobacco control through a science-based, public-oriented, multi-pronged and progressive approach. The HKSAR Government's strategy in tackling alternative smoking products (ASPs), including e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes, is to nip the problem in the bud, by preventing ASPs from taking root in Hong Kong, and tackling at source the use of ASPs for drug inhalation. To this end, the HKSAR Government banned the import, manufacture, promotion and sale of ASPs, as well as the possession of ASPs for commercial purposes, more than four years ago. To further strengthen the control of ASPs, the Government has, since April 30 this year, prohibited the possession of ASPs in public places to prevent their local circulation in any form and to further prevent the younger generation from becoming addicted to smoking."

"Hong Kong's tobacco control journey is the culmination of decades of concerted efforts to build a comprehensive tobacco control strategy through multi-pronged measures. Adopting a whole-of-society approach, the Government has successfully lowered our smoking prevalence to 8.5 per cent in 2025, which is among the lowest in the world. The HKSAR Government will continue to implement the '10 measures for tobacco control'. The full implementation of plain packaging requirement and the duty stamp system for conventional smoking products will be completed by the end of next year. The relevant subsidiary legislation was gazetted on September 11. Following the implementation of these two measures, the Government will proceed with implementation of a ban on flavoured smoking products," Dr Lam added.

Mr Black noted that Hong Kong's tobacco control policies have long been closely aligned with the FCTC, and gave high recognition to Hong Kong's efforts and achievements in tobacco control. He specifically pointed out that Hong Kong's experience is highly valuable as a reference for other jurisdictions. He expressed strong support for Hong Kong's forthcoming measures, including plain packaging requirement for conventional smoking products, the duty stamp system and a ban on flavoured smoking products.

In addition, Mr Black commended the contribution made by the DH as a WHO Collaborating Centre on Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence. The DH has, since 2012, regularly provided training for tobacco control personnel in the Western Pacific Region. It also regularly organises training on smoking cessation treatment and Chinese medicine acupuncture for smoking cessation services for the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, serving as a regional hub in tobacco control and smoking cessation.

The Executive Director of SEATCA, Dr Ulysses Dorotheo; Programme Manager of SEATCA, Ms Irene Reyes; Professor and Director of the Primary Health Care Academy of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Sophia Chan; the Controller of Regulatory Affairs of the DH, Dr Fung Ying; and the Head of the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the DH, Dr Manny Lam, also attended the meeting.

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, yesterday (September 25) met with the new Head of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Mr Andrew Black, for an in-depth exchange on tobacco control work. Photo shows Dr Lam (front row, centre); Mr Black (front row, second left); the Executive Director of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, Dr Ulysses Dorotheo (front row, second right); Professor and Director of HKU Primary Health Care Academy, Professor Sophia Chan (front row, first left); Controller, Regulatory Affairs of the Department of Health, Dr Fung Ying (front row, first right); Head of Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the DH, Dr Manny Lam (second row, second left); and other participants of the meeting. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam (second left), yesterday (September 25) met with the new Head of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Mr Andrew Black (second right), for an in-depth exchange on tobacco control work. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases