The Global Inequities of Urban Development

In 1889, Nature magazine carried an article that described China as a treeless country. To Professor Chen Ji of the Department of Civil Engineering, who was corresponding author of a recent groundbreaking study on urban development, the description was revealing of...

Mood Enhancers

About 10 per cent of Hong Kong people aged over 65 show signs of depression, the result of stress, poor health and lack of social engagement. Similar factors can also darken the mood of the family members who look after elderly relatives suffering from dementia. The...

Raising the Alarm on Dementia

Dr Gloria Wong Hoi-yan has worked for years to develop interventions and care management for sufferers of dementia. And while she has had some successes (see box), one stumbling block has loomed in her path. Unlike Taiwan, Macau and other developed societies, Hong...

Embracing an Active Old Age

Hong Kong is getting old. By 2024, the city will officially be a ‘super-aged society’, meaning more than 21 per cent of people are aged over 65. By 2034, we will be ultra-aged, like Japan, with more than 28 per cent over 65.  “These numbers mean both challenges...

Street-Level Studies Take the Pulse of Hong Kong

Public health studies are valuable for understanding population profiles and spotting emerging trends. But in order to be useful, there needs to be quality data – and lots of it. That takes both money and laborious collection work. Fortunately, HKU’s School of Public...