The Government announced today (February 28) the appointment of Ms Serena Lau Sze-wan as the Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Chinese Medicine Development Fund, as well as the appointment of 16 new non-official members and the reappointment of nine incumbent non-official members to the Committee.
 
     The aforementioned appointments will take effect from March 1, 2025, for a term of two years.

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, welcomed the new Chairperson and members to the Committee. He also expressed gratitude to the outgoing Chairperson, Professor Douglas So Cheung-tak, for the Committee's effective operation under his leadership over the past six years, making a valuable contribution to the development of the Chinese medicine (CM) sector. Professor Lo also thanked the outgoing members for their insights and contributions to the Committee during their tenure. 

     Officially launched in June 2019, the Chinese Medicine Development Fund (CMDF) is the first dedicated fund set up to support CM development, with the objective of enhancing the overall standard of the CM sector to promote the high-quality development of CM in Hong Kong on all fronts. Having regard to the needs of different stakeholders in the sector, the CMDF has launched various support programmes of different aspects to provide support in areas such as talent nurturing, quality enhancement, market development, public education as well as scientific research and innovation.

     As of the end of January this year, an accumulative total of more than 8 800 funding applications were approved by the CMDF, benefitting more than 3 million members of the sector, the general public and relevant organisations, including registered and listed Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs), CM drug personnel, CM clinics, manufacturers and wholesalers of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCms), retailers and wholesalers of Chinese herbal medicine (Chm), CM-related organisations, local universities and education institutions. Major achievements of the CMDF are listed below: 
 
• Talent nurturing: Close to 3 500 CMPs and CM drug personnel have received subsidies to attend CM professional training programmes for continuously upskilling their professional knowledge and ability. The CMDF has also supported programme providers to design and organise innovative training projects, benefiting over 41 300 practitioners. The CMDF has supported 85 CMPs and CM drug personnel to participate in the Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Talent Training Programme co-organised by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Health Bureau to cater for the need of establishing a talent pool;
 
• Quality enhancement: The CMDF has supported more than 550 CM clinics and 220 Chm retailers/wholesalers to upgrade their facilities and equipment with a view to enhancing service quality and the safety and quality control of CM drugs. The CMDF has also supported nearly 180 pCm manufacturers/wholesalers to engage consultancy services or technical support for over 760 pCm products, thereby levelling up the quality of Hong Kong-registered pCm products;

• Market development: The CMDF has provided subsidies for 12 Hong Kong-registered pCm products for external use to be registered and sold on the Mainland through streamlined approval procedures to promote industry development;

• Research and applied studies: The CMDF has supported the commencement of 72 CM research and applied studies projects which are instrumental in driving academic and clinical research as well as the professional and industry development of CM in Hong Kong; and
 
• Publicity and promotion: The CMDF has supported more than 1 100 CM publicity and public education activities of various forms, targeting audiences such as kindergarten, primary and secondary school students, and elderly persons.

     The membership of the Committee with effect from March 1, 2025, is as follows:

Chairperson
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Ms Serena Lau Sze-wan

Non-official members
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*Mr Au Ho-ting
#Dr Chris Chan Kam-wa
#Professor Chen Haiyong
#Ms Rosanna Choi Yi-tak
*Mr William Chung Wai-lim
#Mr Fong Wai-leuk
#Dr Gan Pei-tzeng
#Ms Ada Ho Ching-ying
#Dr Ku Ping-yui
#Dr Kwok Tsz-kin
#Mr Dominic Lam Chun-hong
*Mr Lam Kar-yeung
*Miss Anita Lee Yan-kwan
#Ms Catherine Leung Chau-yung
*Mr Samuel Li Hin-yeung
*Mr Ling Kwan-yee
#Mr Ling Wai-man
*Mrs Vivian Mak Tang Wai-man
#Professor Anderson Shum Ho-cheung
*Dr Timothy Tam Tin-lok
*Mr Sky Tang Man-chun
#Dr Tse Man-li
#Dr Tung Shong
#Mr Harry Yeung Kwok-chun
#Professor Jerry Yeung Wing-fai

Ex-officio members
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Representative(s) from the Health Bureau
Representative(s) from the Department of Health
Representative(s) from the Hospital Authority
Representative(s) from the Innovation and Technology Commission 
 
Note:
# New appointees
* Reappointees

Ends/Friday, February 28, 2025
Issued at HKT 11:30

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