Appointments to Insurance Authority
The Government announced today (December 20) appointments to the Insurance Authority (IA) with effect from December 28, 2024.
The Chief Executive (CE), pursuant to the Insurance Ordinance (Cap. 41), has reappointed Mr Stephen Yiu Kin-wah as the Chairman of IA. The Financial Secretary under the authority delegated by the CE, has also reappointed nine incumbent Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), namely, Dr Clement Chen Cheng-jen, Ms Ivy Cheung Wing-han, Ms Agnes Choi Heung-kwan, Mr Lam Wai-kong, Mr Terry Lo Kin-wing, Ms Theresa Ng Choi-yuk, Dr Derrick Pang Yat-bond, Mr Anson Wong Man-kit, SC, and Mr Kenneth Wong Wing-yan; and appointed Professor Darwin Choi, Mr Andrew Fung Hau-chung, and Dr Fung Hong as NEDs.
Announcing the appointments, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "Mr Yiu has demonstrated strong leadership over the past three years as IA Chairman. Under his steer, the IA has successfully navigated a rapidly evolving market environment and promoted the sustainable growth of the insurance industry, including the implementation of a risk-based capital regime to strengthen the financial soundness of insurers in Hong Kong and enhance protection for policy holders. I am confident that Mr Yiu will continue to lead the IA to achieve greater progress on various fronts."
Mr Hui further stated, "With the addition of three newly appointed members, the IA will continue to comprise distinguished professionals from a wide range of sectors, including insurance, actuarial science, accountancy, banking, business, labour and welfare/consumer affairs, legal, and medical and health. This diversified membership will enhance the IA's ability to address community needs and further solidify Hong Kong's position as a leading international risk management centre."
Mr Hui also expressed his gratitude to the three outgoing NEDs, namely, Dr Evelyn Lam Ho-yi, Dr Ares Leung Kwok-ling and Professor Anna Wong Wai-kwan, for their contributions to the IA during their terms of office.
The membership list of the IA with effect from December 28, 2024, is as follows:
Chairman (who is an NED) (appointment for a term of three years)
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Mr Stephen Yiu Kin-wah
Non-Executive Directors
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Appointment for a term of three years:
Ms Ivy Cheung Wing-han
Professor Darwin Choi*
Mr Andrew Fung Hau-chung*
Dr Fung Hong*
Mr Lam Wai-kong
Mr Terry Lo Kin-wing
Dr Derrick Pang Yat-bond
Mr Anson Wong Man-kit, SC
Mr Kenneth Wong Wing-yan
Appointment for a term of two years:
Dr Clement Chen Cheng-jen
Ms Agnes Choi Heung-kwan
Ms Theresa Ng Choi-yuk
Executive Directors
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Mr Clement Cheung Wan-ching
Mr Clement Lau Chung-kin
Mr Lee Moung-mo
Mr Marty Lui Yu-kwok
* New appointees
Government continues to strengthen support for health and medical research
With regard to some recent media reports on the Government's funding support for infectious diseases-related research, the Health Bureau (HHB) today (December 20) emphasised that the Government has all along been highly supportive of local health and medical sector to conduct health and medical research (including those related to infectious diseases), and provides comprehensive and dedicated support for health and medical research projects, research infrastructure and research capacity building in Hong Kong through setting up the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF).
After the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the Government has set up the Research Fund for the Control of Infectious Diseases (RFCID) with a commitment of $450 million to encourage, facilitate and support research on the prevention, treatment and control of infectious diseases, in particular emerging infectious diseases, for example those relating to SARS and avian influenza (H5N1) research. It has also supported the establishment of the biosafety level 3 (BL-3) laboratory for handling highly pathogenic agents to enhance the capacity of the university in conducting research on emerging infectious diseases in a safe and controlled environment and to establish the capacity in conducting advanced research on infectious diseases in Hong Kong.
In 2011, the Government established the HMRF by consolidating the HMRF and the RFCID. Funding commitment has been increased repeatedly and the approved amount has increased to $4,223 million to support government commissioned programmes and investigator-initiated projects. Among them, those related to infectious diseases research amount to $1,200 million covering:
Six commissioned programmes on infectious diseases with approved funding of $792 million, covering COVID-19, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), influenza, avian flu, swine flu and other respiratory infectious diseases, human papilloma virus and anti-microbial resistance research.
The commissioned programmes above include a total of $556million since April 2020 to support 105 individual COVID-19 related research studies from bench to bedside and at the community level through application of new technologies. These studies provide new evidence to support the Government to promptly tackle the COVID-19 epidemic by formulating health policies, identifying the transmission chains, implementing control measures, improving the clinical management, as well as developing and promoting the vaccination programme. One of the research projects successfully developed the sewage testing approach for quantitative detection of SARS-CoV-2, providing an important indicator for the Government to keep track of the virus activity in the community during the COVID-19 epidemic.
For investigator-initiated projects, researchers are encouraged to submit research proposals according to the thematic priorities in which infectious disease has always been one of the priorities. As of end September 2024, a total of about 400 research studies have been funded amounting to $424 million covering prevention, detection, diagnosis and management of various infectious diseases, like hepatitis virus, tuberculosis, AIDS, and those related to preparedness and response to pandemic and epidemic.
The Government encourages researchers to continue to leverage the HMRF to amplify the value of their research projects into full play and usher in considerable and sustainable positive impacts on health policy making and implementation with their research outcomes and to unleash new quality productive forces. On combating infectious diseases, the Government will continue to support the health and medical sector in conducting related research in order to enhance the capacity in surveillance, early detection, prevention and control.
