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To safeguard public, This link will open in a new windowCOVID-19 Vaccination Programme will administer booster to eligible persons according to the updated recommendations for high-risk priority groups. Currently, the LP.8.1 vaccine provided under the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme for children and adults will expire in mid-July and early September this year respectively.

The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) urged members of the public who have not completed the initial dose(s) of the COVID-19 vaccine (including infants and children) to get vaccinated promptly. Those at high risk should receive a booster dose as soon as possible to minimise the risk of serious complications and death after infection.

COVID-19 has become an endemic disease in Hong Kong, with its activity levels fluctuating. Individuals should follow expert recommendations and receive their initial doses or booster doses in a timely manner, based on their personal risk factors and the time when they received their last dose, in order to minimise the risk of severe disease and death.

This link will open in a new windowSeasonal influenza is an acute illness of the respiratory tract caused by influenza viruses. In Hong Kong, seasonal influenza is usually more common in periods from January to March/April and from July to August. Influenza viruses mainly spread through droplets when infected people cough, sneeze or talk. To prevent seasonal influenza, members of the public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene. As persons who contract influenza and COVID-19 at the same time are at a higher risk of severe complications and death, priority groups are strongly recommended to receive seasonal influenza vaccine and additional COVID-19 booster at the same time as soon as possible to reduce the risk of serious illness and death. Please consult family doctors about the details of receiving seasonal influenza vaccination.

This link will open in a new windowDengue fever is an acute mosquito-borne infection caused by the dengue viruses. This is found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. For instance, dengue fever is an endemic illness in many countries in South East Asia. The dengue viruses encompass 4 different serotypes, each of which can lead to dengue fever and severe dengue (also known as 'dengue haemorrhagic fever').

Dengue fever is clinically characterised by high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes and rash. Some infected people may not develop apparent symptoms, and some may only have mild symptoms like fever. Travellers who return from affected areas and feel unwell should seek medical advice promptly, and provide travel details to doctor.

The This link will open in a new window Ebola disease (EBOD) is caused by infection with Ebola virus which belongs to the family Filoviridae. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 21 days. Patients may have sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle pain, headache and sore throat. This is followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding. EBOD outbreak in humans has an average case fatality rate of around 50% (varied from 25% to 90% in previous outbreaks).

There is currently no registered vaccine for EBOD in Hong Kong. To prevent the infection, it is important for travellers who go to affected areas to observe the following:

Observe good personal and environmental hygiene, always remember to use liquid soap or alcohol-based handrub to clean your hands before touching the eyes, nose and mouth
Avoid close contact with feverish or ill persons, and avoid contact with blood or bodily fluids of patients, including items which may have come in contact with an infected person's blood or bodily fluids
Avoid contact with animals
Cook food thoroughly before consumption

This link will open in a new windowAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) happens when microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) evolve to become resistant to previously effective medications (i.e. antimicrobials). It is considered one of the greatest threats to global health and economy.

Antibiotics, a type of antimicrobial, are medications used for treating bacterial infection. When antibiotics wipe out disease-causing bacteria in our body, normal bacteria are also killed, thereby increasing the opportunity for resistant bacteria to grow and multiply. These resistant bacteria are sometimes referred to as ‘superbugs’. Some superbugs are capable of resisting more than one antibiotic causing infections difficult to treat. Although there may be non-first-line antibiotics available, they may be less effective or cause more side effects. Moreover, AMR develops at a fast rate than the development of new medicines. If the problem of AMR does not improve, there would be fewer effective treatment options.

To combat antimicrobial resistance, members of the public should follow your doctor’s advice when taking antibiotics; do not demand antibiotics from your doctor; do not stop taking antibiotics by yourselves even if you are feeling better; practise frequent hand hygiene, especially before eating and taking medicine, and after going to the toilet; ensure your vaccination is up-to-date; and maintain cough etiquette, wear a surgical mask if you have respiratory symptoms.

This link will open in a new windowHeat stroke is a condition caused by the body's inability to effectively dissipate heat in extremely high-temperature environments. Under normal circumstances, our bodies have the remarkable ability to regulate temperature to keep us safe, especially when it gets hot outside. When we feel warm, our internal temperature control system kicks in. This triggers responses like sweating and faster breathing to help cool us down.

In recent years, we have seen numerous incidents associated with food safety issues. People are now more concerned about the sources of food and the agricultural processing of food products. There is an ever-increasing demand for artificial additive-free organic food. However, some overseas studies indicate that the This link will open in a new windownutritional value of organic food is not very much different from that of conventional food products. In a city of soaring costs of living, is it necessary to consider organic food a more healthy choice?

The life expectancy at birth increased from 67.8 years for males and 75.3 years for females in 1971 to 82.7 years and 88.2 years respectively in 2024.

The population of Hong Kong has been ageing steadily. In 2024, 22.8% of the population were aged 65 and above (12.1% in 2004, 14.7% in 2014) and the elderly dependency ratio was 340 per 1 000 population aged between 15 and 64 (165 in 2004, 198 in 2014).

In 2024, the registered crude death rate^* was 7.0 per 1 000 population. In the last two decades, the age-specific death rates for all age groups have shown a steady decline. The age-standardised death rate^*, which takes into account population ageing, was 2.5 per 1 000 standard population^ in 2024.

Infant mortality rate^* was consistently low at 1.7 per 1 000 registered live births^*in 2024.

Maternal mortality ratio^* remained low over the last two decades. There were two registered maternal death^* in 2024, giving a maternal mortality ratio^* of 5.4 per 100 000 registered live births^*.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) remained to be the major causes of death in 2024. Four major NCDs, namely malignant neoplasms (cancer), cardiovascular diseases (which include diseases of heart and cerebrovascular diseases), chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes mellitus, together accounted for 52.7% of all registered deaths^* in 2024.

* The figures are based on births or deaths registered under the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance (Cap. 174, Laws of Hong Kong) during the specified period.
^ Based on the world standard population specified in GPE Discussion Paper Series: No.31, EIP/GPE/EBD, World Health Organization, 2001.

15 Jun 2026