Advertisement
Advertisement
-
TOPIC COLLECTION

Health & Pharmaceuticals

Included topics:
Indian entrepreneur Kruvil Patel founded the brand Trishula in 2019 to make edible cutlery, from spoons and sporks to straws and skewers. Single-use plastic cutlery is a huge driver of the microplastics in our environment. Photo: Trishula
Wellness

Microplastics are a problem. These innovators are finding clever solutions

Microplastics have been linked to human health issues from low fertility to heart attacks. But some pioneers are fighting back.

videocam
Food and Drinks

Shine muscat grapes grown in Hong Kong? She’s doing it – using baby formula

China society

Being Chinese | In China, some of us are keeping elderly care in the family – for now

Is poor sleep just a symptom of getting older? Experts say it doesn’t have to be

Ageing does not mean poor sleep is inevitable. Experts reveal why older people can be more susceptible, plus how to improve sleep quality.

In our 60s and beyond, a lot of factors increase vulnerability to poor sleep – such as illnesses and medications – but sleeping worse is not inevitable as we age. Photo: Shutterstock

China to pursue commercial health insurance to ease strain, support innovation

Commercial health insurance enters China’s policy agenda as an ageing population and costs strain basic coverage.

Hong Kong cancer patient dies 3 weeks after incorrect opening in abdomen

Tseung Kwan O Hospital investigating death of 85-year-old patient with transverse colon cancer, who received stoma surgery on February 7.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, March 6-8

Enjoy a coffee and music festival, indulge in art for free, take part in a women’s yoga session and more this weekend in Hong Kong.

videocam
The artwork “2000 A.D.” by Yue Minjun exhibited in the Sigg Collection: Inner Worlds at M+ museum in Hong Kong. Photo: Elson Li

Insilico Medicine advances Middle East push with UAE AI drug discovery deal

Hong Kong-listed biotech firm’s shares jump after announcing partnership to use AI tools in drug discovery in the United Arab Emirates.

Warning over screen time and chatbots as number of depressed hits record high

About 30 per cent of survey respondents report moderate to severe symptoms of depression, up from about 11 per cent when study began.

videocam

China and Hong Kong should relax biotech listing rules, venture capitalist says

Foreign investors are returning to China’s healthcare sector, but IPO bottlenecks and takeover rules could deter deals, VC Nisa Leung says.

Biotechnology was explicitly included as a “strategic emerging pillar industry” in China’s government work report during the “two sessions” Photo: Shutterstock

Google’s Gemini AI chatbot accused of coaching US man to suicide

Jonathan Gavalas’ family has sued the tech giant, saying the AI ‘wife’ told him to let go of his physical form to join it in the metaverse.

videocam
A Google spokesman said that Gemini clarified to Jonathan Gavalas that it was AI and referred him to a crisis hotline many times. Photo illustration: Shutterstock

Singapore’s ‘ageless’ Chuando Tan turns 60 and fans still swoon over ex-model

While online users continue to marvel over his looks and physique, Tan has said he does not have a secret formula for eternal youth.

Hong Kong launches 3-year action plan to help residents fight the flab

Proportion of Hongkongers who are obese or overweight has been rising in recent decades.

videocam

Opinion | Why a TV hit in China about waging peace resonates so deeply

Swords into Ploughshares can tell us a lot about Beijing’s approach to the crisis in Iran, cross-strait relations and this year’s ‘two sessions’.

videocam
Illustration: Craig Stephens

Why electrolyte drinks like Gatorade and Pocari Sweat aren’t always beneficial

Health professionals explain who does and doesn’t benefit from electrolyte supplements and why making them at home isn’t a good idea.

The electrolytes in drinks like Pocari Sweat and Gatorade are electrically charged substances that help regulate chemical reactions in the body. Photo: Shutterstock

China biotech outlicensing tops US$52 billion in first 2 months

The latest deals are Sino Biopharmaceutical’s partnership with France’s Sanofi and Antengene’s agreement with Belgium’s UCB.

Paging Dr Chatbot? 5 things to know before you ask AI about your health

AIs like Chat GPT and Claude are not substitutes for professional care, say experts, but can give useful information if used responsibly.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

Why ancient Chinese folk custom involved cutting thigh flesh to feed sick relatives

Extreme act of filial devotion saw raw flesh cooked for human consumption; eventually act was rewarded with tax relief, official titles.

In ancient China, a traditional folk practice involved individuals self-mutilating by cutting flesh from their thighs to treat the illnesses of close relatives, demonstrating deep filial piety. Photo: SCMP composite/Sohu/Baidu

75-year-old Hongkonger works over 70 hours a week. Why is he still so happy?

More seniors in Hong Kong like Benny Ratnani are working past 65 not just for financial reasons, but to retain self-esteem and self-worth.

5

Opinion | Quietly, steadily, animal rights campaigners are making headway in China

With national laws the ultimate goal, progress is being made, one local regulation and court case at a time.

videocam

‘Social morals are dying’: Japan’s under-20s are getting high like never before

The relaxed attitude towards ‘fashionable’ drugs has been cited as one reason for more young Japanese arrested for cannabis offences.

videocam
5
People take part in a march in Tokyo in 2023 calling for the legalisation of cannabis. Photo: AFP

Paying for a ‘head orgasm’: ASMR spas are taking off in the United States

Scratchy, raspy, feathery and tingly: more people than ever are paying for spa-like sensory experiences to induce ‘the tingles’ in the brain.

ASMR is the pleasurable tingling feeling brought on by gentle auditory, visual or tactile stimuli. More bricks-and-mortar ASMR studios are popping up across the United States. Photo: Instagram/kaswellness.oc

Dad who gave gun to US school shooting suspect guilty of second-degree murder

Colin Gray gave son Colt, 14, the assault-style rifle for Christmas before the attack, in which two students and two teachers were killed.

China youth share struggles instead of flaunting wealth, embrace ‘comparing misery’

The ‘reverse comparison’ trend is emerging as young people feel immense pressure, seek to move away from consumerism, says expert.

Mentally ill Hongkonger admits killing mother he mistook for ‘monster lizard’

Man has been under mental healthcare since 2015 for schizophrenia symptoms, including hallucinations and delusions, court told.

The defendant lived in Sheung Wing House, Upper Ngau Tau Kok Estate. Photo: Handout

Allies of Philippines’ Duterte step up online attacks as drug war trial looms

The efforts have focused on undermining the ICC itself, targeting victims and witnesses and normalising mockery of the dead.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (centre) holds a Galil sniper rifle during the national police chief change of command ceremony inside Camp Crame in Quezon City in April 2018. Duterte is accused of overseeing a campaign of extrajudicial killings linked to his signature “war on drugs”. Photo: EPA-EFE

Opinion | Nipah and mpox expose Asia’s urgent need for stronger disease surveillance

Many Asian countries face barriers in building effective disease surveillance networks, including relying on shrinking external funding.

videocam

HKUST may reserve 20% of first medical school intake for non-locals

School to welcome first batch of 50 students in 2028-29, with most non-locals expected to be from mainland China.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Health & Pharmaceuticals
The latest news on health and wellness, including healthcare, health insurance and hospitals. Also covers topics around the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, cancer, dementia, disability, obesity, mental health and well-being, plus diet and fitness.