In the Media
Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee, Director of HKU Primary Health Care Academy, said that the re-export of e-cigarettes through Hong Kong may be weakening the city’s tobacco control initiatives. ‘The re-export of alternative smoking products through air cargo is exempted from the tobacco ban as authorities want to support the logistics sector,’ she said. ‘This is a risky move for tobacco control as Hong Kong aims to reduce its smoking population from 9.5% to 7.8%.’ She suggested raising the tobacco tax further and expanding no-smoking areas.
Professor Kelvin Wang Man-ping, of the HKU School of Nursing, spoke on youth smoking, noting that while the HKU Youth Quitline has been directing smoking cessation service to youngsters through its hotline, there were many relapse cases. He said quitline ambassadors therefore would actively contact smokers to provide information on reducing the chance of relapse.
(The Standard, RTHK English online news, Now news, TVB news, i-cable online news, RTHK Chinese instant news, CRHK online news, Metro Radio online news, Ming Pao instant news, Sing Tao Headline, On.cc, HKEJ instant news, HKCD online news, HK01.com, Orange news – May 28, 2023; The Standard, Oriental Daily News – May 29, 2023)
The Health Bureau has launched a public consultation on tobacco control strategies, called Vibrant, Healthy and Tobacco-free Hong Kong. Professor Kelvin Wang Man-ping, who is also a member of the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health’s Information and Research Committee, welcomed the proposals, which included banning the sale of tobacco products to citizens born after a certain year, increasing tobacco duty and expanding no-smoking areas. ‘People under the age of 18 in Hong Kong are currently not allowed to buy tobacco products, but the legal age for purchasing tobacco products is 21 years old in the United States, Singapore and other countries. I think Hong Kong can take reference from this practice to protect the health of our next generation,’ he said, adding: ‘The government can further raise tobacco taxes. [The] WHO proposed that tobacco tax should account for 75% of the product price. Currently in Hong Kong, the tobacco tax is about 64% of the product price which is far behind the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.’ According to previous studies in Hong Kong, a significant increase in tobacco tax can increase smokers’ motivation to quit smoking.
Dr Derek Cheung Yee-tak, Assistant Professor and member of the School’s smoking cessation team, also commented on the public consultation, pointing out that the pace of tobacco tax increases in Hong Kong was relatively slow compared to other countries. He recommended that the government gradually raise the tobacco tax because a higher price for tobacco products has proven to be an effective incentive for smokers to quit.
(Professor Wang was featured in RTHK Chinese instant news, Bastillepost – July 12, 2023, Sing Tao online news (2 articles), Sing Tao Headline, Sing Tao Daily, Stnn.cc, HKCNA, Hong Kong Economic Times, BBC World Service “Business Matters” – July 13, 2023)
(Dr Cheung was featured on RTHK Radio 3 “Backchat” – July 13, 2023)
Nicotine is addictive, which means smokers can experience withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety and insomnia if they suddenly quit smoking. But what about nicotine gum, which contains a small amount of nicotine that aims to help smokers quit smoking step-by-step?
Professor Kelvin Wang Man-ping said it can be helpful if used properly. ‘Nicotine gum or patches can be used to gradually reduce the blood nicotine level of smokers,’ he said. While the determination to quit remains the most important factor in successfully quitting smoking, ‘if you experience discomfort or withdrawal symptoms during the quitting process, you may approach smoking cessation clinics to seek nicotine replacement therapy to help yourself work through those few days. Afterwards, there will be a bigger chance of success.’
As nicotine can cause vasoconstriction, Professor Wang said people with heart disease and teenagers are not suitable for nicotine gum. He also pointed out that, in addition to traditional cigarettes, smoking electronic cigarettes is also harmful to the human body and can release substances that may cause cancer. Professor Wang supports the government’s advocacy for restricting possession of electronic cigarettes.
(TVB News – July 16, 2023)
Recently, Professor Kelvin Wang Man-ping attended a press conference on a smoking cessation campaign for corporate front-line staff funded by the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office. He has been responsible for research on the campaign’s effectiveness in which he followed up with 777 smoking employees who participated in smoking cessation counselling services. The research started in January 2021 and was completed in June 2023. ‘Two types of smoking cessation counselling services were conducted, one including profession-specific health lectures and personalised WhatsApp communications; the other was profession-specific health lectures and regular SMS alerts. Both groups received free nicotine replacement therapy, phone counselling service and leaflets,’ he said. ‘The overall programme successfully assisted smokers to quit and reduced the smoking rate by 44%.’
Professor Tai-hing Lam, Emeritus Professor of HKUMed’s School of Public Heath, also attended the press conference and added, ‘If an employee wants to quit smoking successfully, he or she is affected by many factors. Other than additional counselling channels, the support of the employer and colleagues is also essential.’
(Oriental Daily News, news.tvc.com – August 18, 2023)
Professor Kelvin Wang Man-ping encouraged the public to express their views in the government’s Public Consultation on Tobacco Control Strategies. ‘Government policies on tobacco control are crucial to end the harm of smoking. Enlarging the smoking prohibited areas, raising tobacco tax significantly, and regulating displays and additives in tobacco products are proven to be effective in reducing smoking and the harm of tobacco. Research from our School has showed that a majority of the public support banning people who were born in a certain year from buying tobacco products, to protect the next generation. Let us work together in building a new generation of smoke-free Hong Kong.’
(am730 online news, am730 – September 25, 2023)
Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee and Professor Kelvin Wang Man-ping were joined by the Dean of Medicine, Professor Chak-sing Lau, at a media briefing to advocate for consideration of a total ban on tobacco in Hong Kong, in response to the government’s Public Consultation on Tobacco Control Strategies which ended in September 2023.
Professor Wang proposed raising the tobacco tax from 64% to 75% by 2025, as recommended by the World Health Organization. He said, ‘The public consultation on tobacco control strategies targets to reduce the smoking rate to 7.8% by 2025 and ultimately end tobacco use. To achieve this, a significant rise in tobacco tax was recommended to help smokers to quit. Surveys have showed a high level of public support for raising the tobacco tax to discourage people from smoking.’ The HKU Youth Quitline has counselled over 3,100 young smokers with a six-month quit rate of 24%. ‘Our evidence-based smoking cessation strategies can be further enhanced to support the expected large-scale quitting before the total ban on tobacco,’ said Professor Chan.
(TVB news, i-Cable news, Now news, RTHK English local news, RTHK Chinese instant news, CRHK local news, SCMP online news, The Standard online news, Ming Pao online news, Sing Tao Daily online news, on.cc, HKEJ online news, TOPick.hket.com, hk01.com, Orange news, dot dot news, HKCNA, etnet, Headline Daily online news, am730 online news, Bastille Post, Sky Post online news – September 13, 2023; RTHK - Hong Kong Today, RTHK -《千禧年代》, RTHK -《新聞特寫》, The Standard online news, Ming Pao online news, Ming Pao Education, Oriental Daily online news, HKET online news, HKEJ online news, Wen Wei Po online news, am730 online news, Sky Post online news, The Standard, Ming Pao Daily News, Sing Tao Daily, Oriental Daily News, Hong Kong Economic Times, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Sing Pao, Wen Wei Po, am730, Sky Post, Ming Pao Canada, InMediaHK, Economic Digest Web, Upbeat Media – September 14, 2023; am730 online news, am730, RTHK - 《自由風自由 PHONE》– September 15, 2023; South China Morning Post – September 16, 2023; Now news, on.cc – September 17, 2023; Oriental Daily News – September 18, 2023)
Members of HKUMed’s School of Public Health and School of Nursing have been collaborating to protect people’s health through their pioneering smoking cessation research and their success in influencing the passing of the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2019 to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes and heated cigarettes in Hong Kong.
In response to the HK Government’s ‘Vibrant, Healthy and Tobacco-free Hong Kong’ Public Consultation on Tobacco Control Strategies, the Smoking Cessation Team of the School of Nursing, led by Professor Sophia Chan Siu-chee and Professor Kelvin Wang Man-ping, engaged in media interviews to support the government’s target of lowering the smoking rate from the current 9.5 percent to 7.8 percent by 2025, though admitting this would be difficult to achieve in less than three years.
Professor Chan, who is now project director of the University of Hong Kong’s Primary Health Care Academy, said increasing the tobacco tax will help people quit smoking and she also called on the government to expand smoke-free areas to protect non-smokers.
(HKCD online news – August 31, 2023; RTHK English instant news, The Standard online news, TVB news, Now news, CRHK online news, Metro Finance online news, RTHK Chinese instant news, on.cc, HKEJ instant news, Wen Wei Po instant news, Sky Post online news, Orange News, Dotdotnews.com, HK01.com, RTHK Chinese instant news, Sing Tao Daily instant news, Ming Pao Daily News instant news, Sing Tao Headline, am730 online news, HK01.com, CRHK - 政好星期天, Ming Pao Daily News online news, Wen Wei Po instant news, HKCD online news – September 3, 2023; RTHK English news - Hong Kong Today, The Standard online news, The Standard, Sing Pao, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Headline Daily, Lion Rock Daily – September 4, 2023; HKEJ Monthly – September 5, 2023)
The Labour Department introduced a new Heat Stress at Work Warning system in May 2023, to which Dr Patsy Chau Pui-hing, Associate Professor, has been interviewed and suggested achieving cooler workplaces by setting up fans or outdoor air coolers in outdoor workplaces. If it is not possible to set up these machines, employers should provide shaded areas for workers and workers themselves should wear wide-brimmed hats to protect themselves from direct sunlight. ‘Prolonged exposure to the sun will cause sunburn and increases the risk of skin cancer. Wearing breathable long sleeve outfits is suggested. In addition, simply wiping the body with a wet towel can help cool down and washing with running water is even better,’ Dr Chau said. She reminded people that if they experience headache, dizziness, or signs of confusion in a hot environment, they should take a break immediately and drink water to cool down the body. Hot weather can also increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases so if someone experiences palpitations, shortness of breath or chest pain, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible, she said.
(Ming Pao Online News, Ming Pao Daily News – June 19, 2023)
World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), held every year in the first week of August, is a global initiative to foster awareness and incentivise action on themes pertaining to breastfeeding. In 2023, the focus was on breastfeeding and work.
A 2021 government survey on breastfeeding in Hong Kong indicated a dip in breastfeeding rates among mothers, with one reason being that working mothers found it difficult to continue breastfeeding their children when their maternity leave ended. A culture of supporting mothers in workplaces and public venues therefore is crucial for successful breastfeeding.
The School of Nursing has supported this culture through the launch four years ago of a free nursery room search app, called ‘Breastfeeding GPS’, that helps users find nearby nursery rooms based on their locations. The Breastfeeding GPS Project Leader, Dr Kris Lok Yuet-wan, Assistant Professor, said, ‘The app has identified 634 breastfeeding spots in the city, but there is still a high demand for more facilities. In addition to the app, in 2019 we also launched an online knowledge hub for parents and companies by posting new videos to a social media platform weekly. This initiative also aims to promote breastfeeding culture. We can see a positive, gradual change in public perception in favour of breastfeeding. Let us be patient and supportive of this process of cultural transformation.’
(Hong Kong Economic Journal – July 24, 2023, ViuTVsix News Bulletin – August 2, 2023, Orange News – August 8, 2023)
Breastfeeding is well recognised as beneficial to babies, but some mothers may encounter difficulties while breastfeeding. Their partners can help, said Dr Kris Lok Yuet-wan, Assistant Professor. ‘Daddies play an essential role in breastfeeding. They can show their support by accompanying mommies for follow-up consultations and learning about the benefits of breastfeeding before delivery. After birth, daddies can initiate taking care of the babies and give mothers more rest time. This provides strong support for breastfeeding,’ she said.
The School of Nursing launched the mobile app ‘Breastfeeding GPS’ in 2020, which has identified more than 600 breastfeeding-friendly facilities and places in Hong Kong and is updated continuously. The app also includes a ‘nursing log’, which allows mothers to record the time of feeding, diaper change, sleeping pattern and other information about their babies’ patterns and growth. Caregivers are welcome to download this app to assist mothers and support breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding GPS mobile app Android ios
(Sky Post online news – September 30, 2023)
A survey by HKU on Parkinson's disease, involving 334 participants aged 18 or above, showed that while most people could recognise unusual motor symptoms caused by the disease, such as tremors (90%), shuffling gait (77%) and slowness (75%), less than 30% were aware of pre-motor symptoms. These include things such as loss of smell or taste (only 13% of participants could identify); depression or anxiety (24%); constipation (15%); and acting out dreams during sleep (17%), which may appear 10-20 years before the motor symptoms.
Dr Jojo Kwok Yan-yan, Assistant Professor, said ‘Many people are unaware of the pre-motor symptoms. If pre-motor symptoms can be noticed in an early stage and appropriate medical evaluation is sought, patients can then receive relevant treatment and care promptly. Currently, the understanding of Parkinson’s disease by the public is poor. There is a need to raise public awareness of the disease and risk management.’
Dr Kwok is the Co-project Director of the ‘Jockey Club Movin’ Care for Parkinson’s Disease Project’, funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. The project aims to establish a comprehensive and sustainable community care service model for people affected by Parkinson’s disease. It promotes early awareness of the risks of the disease, early diagnosis and rehabilitation, and early care of physical and mental well-being. It also focuses on community engagement to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease.
(hk.epochtimes.com, on.cc, Sky Post online news, newsbeezer.com – October 27, 2023; Lion Rock Daily November 6, 2023)
People with pre-diabetes can and should proactively change lifestyle habits to help delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes, said Dr Mandy Ho Man, Associate Professor and principal investigator of ‘A Community-based Diabetes Prevention Project’.
The School has strong experience in community-based diabetes prevention, through its ‘Reduce Diabetes’ programme launched in 2019 for obese and pre-diabetic people. It raises awareness through group education and offers a personal nutrition consultation and telephone support, with a focus on preventing diabetes, establishing a healthy lifestyle and controlling weight. The programme is now in its fourth year and the results show that it can effectively assist participants in preventing diabetes, restoring normal blood sugar levels and reversing prediabetes, and help them to maintain those results. Dr Ho said, ‘It is encouraging to see that the blood pressure and cholesterol levels of most participants improved.’
In addition, during the COVID-19 epidemic, the research team launched a digital diabetes prevention programme where patients with prediabetes can access health information anytime and anywhere through mobile applications and online courses.
(am730 online news, am730 – November 27, 2023)
To improve the supply and model of medical services, predict disease outbreaks, and improve decision-making efficiency in Hong Kong, researchers in the School are working with huge electronic health record resources, also called medical big data.
Dr Celine Chui Sze-ling, Assistant Professor, is principal investigator of a cardiovascular risk prediction model designed for the Hong Kong population, called P-CARDIAC (Personalised - CARdiovascular DIsease risk Assessment for Chinese). ‘By analysing big data, medical professionals can monitor population health trends and detect early warning signs to implement preventive measures to reduce the spread of disease and slow its progression. Clinicians can input 8 to 120 risk factors to predict a patient’s risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, then identify asymptomatic but high-risk patients in the hope of early intervention before serious cardiac events occur,’ Dr Chui said. ‘This model can also provide objective support for clinical decision-making, improve the allocation of medical resources and shorten patient waiting time.’
Integrating different sources of data, including medical records, vaccination records, lifestyle habits and socioeconomic status, is essential to develop personalised care and information resource allocation and planning. In addition to integrating data, electronic medical records will further enhance the development of primary care.
To summarise, the effective use of medical big data can establish a more efficient and patient-centred primary medical system, resulting in improved overall health and well-being in the population, she said.
(am730 online news, am730 – December 4, 2023)
Patients with advanced lung cancer bear a heavier symptom burden than other cancer patients. As drugs may have side effects, effective non-drug intervention may be a long-term solution and exercise is an effective way to reduce the symptom burden.
Dr Naomi Takemura, Research Assistant Professor, has led a study aimed at finding ways to improve sleep quality, multiple physical and psychological symptoms, and one-year survival rates in patients with advanced lung cancer. The research team found that Tai Chi and aerobic exercise provide significant improvements in subjective sleep quality, risk of anxiety and depression, physical function, step count, and circadian cycle. It is worth noting that Tai Chi is more effective in helping to enhance patients’ sleep quality and one-year survival rate. Another study by Dr Takemura showed that regular exercise can help boost the long-term effects of symptom management. The medical community may consider incorporating Tai Chi and aerobic exercise into lung cancer rehabilitation care. The study is published in JAMA Oncology.
(am730 online news, am730 – December 11, 2023)