HKU Public Health

🌟 and recently co-hosted a seminar titled “Broadening the Lens of Implementation Science: Equity, Inclusion and Moving Beyond Western Approaches” by Professor Helen Skouteris, Monash Warwick Alliance Professor in Health and Social Care Improvement and Implementation Science and Head of the Health and Social Care Unit (HSCU) at Monash University, Australia.

Professor Skouteris shared insights from her world-first SEMPRE programme and introduced equity-driven frameworks like METIS and IM-Equity, emphasising that co-design, Indigenous knowledge, and social justice are essential for sustainable, real-world impact. The seminar concluded with a Q&A session, moderated by Professor Danijela Gasevic, Professor of Practice at & , who fielded many thoughtful questions from the audience. Learn more, please visit: https://shorturl.at/7jHFb
Monash University

#港大公共衞生學院 #公共衞生

is delighted to announce the official launch of the Health Technology Assessment Collaboration Hub ( / ) with a seminar by Professor Manuel Espinoza of last week, bringing together leaders from academia, healthcare, government, and industry to advance evidence-informed, equitable, and sustainable healthcare decisions in Hong Kong.

Opening remarks were delivered by Professor Hui-Ling Yen, Interim Director and Professor of and Professor Chak-sing Lau, Dean of .

Special Guest Dr Libby Lee, Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, shared insights on resource allocation challenges and the role of clinical evidence in public healthcare.

Professor Manuel Espinoza discussed HTA and Strategic Purchasing, including managed entry agreements for risk-sharing.

A panel discussion moderated by Professor Sophia Chan, with Professor Gilberto Leung, Dr Wai Lun Cheung, Director of Strategic Purchasing Office at Health Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Professor Espinoza, they explored HTA’s connection to clinical guidelines, purchasing, cost-effectiveness and social value.

HTA is more than a technical process, it’s a collaborative platform for aligning evidence, policy and practice. The looks forward to advancing a more sustainable and equitable healthcare system in Hong Kong.

is pleased to invite you to attend the Health Technology Assessment Collaboration Hub’s (HTA Hub) launch seminar, titled "HTA and Strategic Purchasing: Closing the Gap to Improve Access to Healthcare", featuring Professor Manuel Espinoza, Associate Professor of , together with our distinguished special guests.

Professor Espinoza will discuss the growing role of HTA in evidence-based healthcare decisions and introduce Managed Entry Agreements (MEAs), a strategic purchasing tool to manage high-cost, innovative technologies and ensure sustainable patient access amid budget constraints. The seminar will also explore how HTA and MEAs work together to optimise healthcare resources and support better reimbursement decisions.

🗓 Date: July 31, 2026 (Friday)
⏰ Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
📍Venue: 1/F Faculty Boardroom, Daniel & Mayce Yu Administration Wing, Faculty of Medicine Building, 21 Sassoon Road
🔗Registration: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?ueid=108656
✍More Details: https://shorturl.at/faopD

We are happy to share that Professor Leo P**n was recently featured on RTHK 香港電台's 千禧年代 & Backchat. In the interviews, he discussed his team’s latest research on developing an innovative global viral genomic blueprint. He further explained that even with significantly reduced resources worldwide, strategic genomic surveillance targeting travellers at two major international aviation hubs could detect emerging viral variants days in advance. This research provides a practical and sustainable pathway for establishing a global early warning system for future pandemics. 🦠✈️

Listen to the full episode: 👉
1️⃣: https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio1/programme/HK2000/episode/1114814
2️⃣: https://www.rthk.hk/radio/radio3/programme/backchat/episode/1116196

We are excited to welcome Professor Helen Skouteris from Monash University as she presents “Broadening the Lens of Implementation Science: Equity, Inclusion and Moving Beyond Western Approaches.”

Professor Skouteris will explore why an equity-focused approach is critical to improving health, social care, and educational outcomes. Moving beyond traditional Western models, she will discuss the importance of participation, co-design, and contextual responsiveness in implementation science. Using examples from the Strengthening Implementation Practice and Research with Equity (SEMPRE) programme, she will show how community partnerships and lived experience expertise can drive more effective and sustainable outcomes.

This seminar is co-hosted by and .

📅 Date: August 7, 2026 (Friday)
🕐 Time: 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm (HKT)
📍 Venue: Seminar Room 5, Room 603, 6/F, HKUMed Academic Building, 3 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam
✍️Registration: https://hku.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_07iWyWaDI7GzXeK / scan the QR code

#港大公共衞生

【最新研究】港大醫學院公共衞生學院公共衞生病毒學講座教授兼於崇光基金教授（病毒學），以及香港賽馬會環球衞生研究院聯席總監潘烈文教授與顧豪高博士及其研究團隊，制定了一套創新的全球病毒基因組藍圖，證明即使在全球資源大幅減少的情況下，策略性地針對兩個主要國際航空樞紐的旅客進行病毒基因組監測，或可提前數天偵測新興病毒變異株。研究為未來全球大流行病建立可持續的全球預警系統，提供切實可行的方向。研究結果已刊登於《自然通訊》。🌍🔬

【In the Media】A recent study led by Professor Leo P**n, Dr Gu Haogao and the research team has developed an innovative global viral genomic blueprint, showing that strategically targeting genomic surveillance on international travellers at two major aviation hubs could accelerate the detection of emerging viral variants by days, even with substantially limited global resources. The findings are published in Nature Communications.

🔍Key Highlights:
✅Targets key hubs like HK and UAE instead of costly worldwide surveillance.
✅Proven to reduce detection delays and optimise resources during Omicron.
✅Preserves local capacity while providing timely alerts for rapid response.

This research offers a feasible and substantiated strategy to strengthen global pandemic preparedness and ensure early detection.

🔗 Learn more: https://shorturl.at/WPMo2
📖 Read full article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70664-0

#港大公共衞生學院 #公共衞生 #港大

As artificial intelligence transforms healthcare, we must move beyond traditional approaches to ensure that safety remains an inviolable precondition of care. 🤖 By establishing essential system conditions, such as aligned governance, adaptive capacity, co-created solutions, automated visibility, and cohesive signalling, we can create the structural and foundational requirements needed to achieve transformational change in patient safety.

Engaging all key stakeholders in the co-creation of a broad strategy for Patient Safety in the Era of AI is essential to ensure that the pivotal opportunity to use AI to substantially improve patient safety is fully realised throughout the nation. 🌍

NAM-HKU Fellow Ms Julianna Yeung is a co-author of National Academy of Medicine’s new commentary on the topic: “Patient Safety in the Era of AI: Draft Conditions for the Design of Safe Care”. ✍️

📖 Read the full commentary: https://nam.edu/perspectives/patient-safety-in-the-era-of-ai-draft-conditions-for-the-design-of-safe-care/ 🔗

【e-Bulletin】The School’s e-bulletin (July 2026 issue) is now released! The e-bulletin serves as a platform to keep our staff, students, and alumni updated on the latest news, events, and achievements within our community.

📖Happy reading: https://office.sph.hku.hk/e-bulletin/july-2026/