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Health in China

Health in China
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Health in China. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
A Chinese snack brand has faced a backlash for making employees adopt the surname “Rat” and address customers as “master.” Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Sohu
Trending in China

China snack brand hit for making staff change surname to ‘rat’, call customers ‘master’

Employees refer to themselves as vermin responsible for shipping, customer service; naming culture seen as painting staff in ‘cute’ light.

Trending in China

‘Weight gain subsidy’: China food tasters share videos, reveal new side to job

Trending in China

China Olympic champion plans to shed 25kg upon retirement before pursuing marriage

China jobs

China overhauls civil service rules that kept out chronic disease carriers

Campaigners hail end to policy that excluded candidates with common blood, kidney or thyroid conditions from public service roles.

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Candidates for the civil service exam wait outside a testing centre in central China. The “iron rice bowl” jobs are highly prized. Photo: Getty Images
Banking & finance

Baby boom or bust: Trip.com co-founder launches HK$500 million birth-rate fund

Trip.com co-founder James Liang says Hong Kong is uniquely placed to help solve China’s looming population crunch.

Trending in China

130kg Chinese man dies after gastric bypass surgery to impress girlfriend’s parents

Overweight man who struggled to control his eating habits finds love; dies 3 days after stomach surgery to make him less heavy.

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Trending in China

China boy, 12, loses digestive system due to surgical error meant to remove tumour

For 2 years, woman has taken son to various mainland cities for treatment, specialists suggested that transplant surgeries might be needed.

A 10-year-old boy in China underwent a surgery intended to remove an abdominal tumour, but doctors accidentally removed his entire digestive system. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
New medical drugs

6 of the best: the billion-dollar biotechs putting China on the map

China’s biotech renaissance is gathering pace as home-grown innovators strike billion-dollar licensing deals with global giants.

Artificial intelligence

Ant Group picks AI-assisted healthcare as growth area in ageing China

The elevation of the business marks one of Ant’s most significant pivots since its cancelled IPO five years ago.

Trending in China

China woman develops snake-like patterns on body from using ‘pure TCM’ ointment

In addition to developing purplish-red snake-like fissures, Tingting suffers swelling in lower limbs, persistent nausea, vomiting.

After using a well-known ointment claimed to be a “pure traditional Chinese medicine” for 10 years, a Chinese woman developed snake-like patterns across her body. Photo: Shutterstock/Douyin
Trending in China

Explainer | What is China TCM-inspired ‘hotpot bath’ where visitors soak in chilli pepper soup?

Medicated baths use steam or herbal infusions from boiled Chinese herbs to soak the body; believed to assist in illness prevention.

A bathhouse in China is offering a “hotpot bath” where visitors soak in chilli pepper “soup”, claiming the experience enhances circulation and beauty. Photo: SCMP composite/RedNote
Trending in China

China gym offers Porsche for losing 50kg in 3 months, charges US$1,400 entry fee

Registration fee is US$1,400, covering meals, shared accommodation, but details on training, diet, weight loss targets remain undisclosed.

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong leader vows to nip chikungunya in the bud as 21 show symptoms

Centre for Health Protection assesses 2,100 residents, urges travellers to stay informed about local health conditions at their destinations.

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Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Blood tests for 7 Hongkongers with chikungunya fever symptoms as 1,300 screened

Health workers screen residents in high-risk area linked to first locally acquired case of mosquito-borne disease.

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No suspected cases of chikungunya fever have been found after authorities screened at least 450 people in a high-risk area linked to Hong Kong’s first local infection. Photo: AP
Biomedicine: Companies

China biotech forum bills antibody cancer drugs as next-generation treatment

Biotech insiders tout antibody-drug conjugates as the next big thing in cancer treatment, with firms urged to pursue global strategies.

Antibody drug conjugates are targeted medicines that deliver chemotherapy agents to cancer cells. Photo: Shutterstock
Trending in China

China youth share frugality hacks online, say bread worms are cheap, protein-rich

Online ‘thrifty association’ shares cash-saving tips from freezing beaten eggs to cold showers, sleeping on floor to cut air-con bills.

Greater Bay Area

Greater Bay Area hospitals bet resort-like services will pull in global visitors

As Macau diversifies beyond gaming, wellness clinics are emerging as the next big pillar of the Greater Bay Area’s economy.

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Hong Kong stock market

China’s Akeso gets share boost as data shows cancer drug’s benefits

Lung-cancer drug ivonescimab is ‘potentially two to three years ahead of competitors’, analyst says.

Trial showed “a decisive and strong positive outcome with both significant and clinically meaningful benefits”, Akeso said. Photo: Shutterstock
Greater Bay Area

Unmet healthcare demand in Asia presents Chinese hospitals with opportunities

Fosun Health is targeting medical tourists from South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, CEO Frank Hu Hang says.

Biomedicine: Companies

Hansoh and Leads Biolabs clinch US$2.5 billion in global drug licensing deals

Two mainland biotech firms win global attention as Roche and Dianthus sign major licensing pacts, highlighting China’s growing role in next-generation drug development.

Biomedicine: Companies

Hong Kong MRI maker Time Medical seeks site to boost output, eyes IPO

Aiming to grow sales to US$300 million in 2027, the company is eyeing a Nasdaq IPO and then a Hong Kong secondary listing.

Ma Qiyuan, Time Medical Systems co-founder and chairman, pictured with one of the company’s scanners in its facility in Tai Po on October 6, 2025. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Trending in China

Explainer | How ancient Chinese porcelain pillows defy comfort norms, still promote health

Centuries-old hard headrests not only helped energy flow through the body, they also kept difficult-to-make hairstyles intact.

Ancient porcelain pillows in China puzzle many today because they defy comfort stereotypes. Photo: SCMP composite/Sohu
Biomedicine: Companies

Mirxes wins China’s approval to launch groundbreaking gastric cancer blood test

The non-invasive blood test helps in the early detection of the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths globally.

Health & Fitness

Li Ka-shing-backed focused ultrasound therapy treats 1 millionth case

The therapy, which uses ultrasound energy to treat a number of diseases including cancer, is gaining global traction, a US expert says.

United States

China’s pharmaceutical sector surges amid growth in sales, licensing income

Strong growth momentum and global push expected to continue, HSBC says.

Chinese pharmaceutical companies’ licensing deals made up about 50 per cent of the total value of such transactions worldwide in the first eight months of the year. Photo: Shutterstock
Trending in China

China fan dyes hair monthly, suffers kidney disease due to chemicals

Doctors say dangerous toxins entered idol-following woman’s body via her hair as online talk rages about K-pop origins of colour changes.

A 20-year-old Chinese woman who dyed her hair monthly to match that of her favourite star has suffered kidney disease due to harmful chemicals in the dye. Photo: SCMP c omposite/Douyin/Sohu
Biomedicine: Industry Trends

China’s drug developers stretch to become a global force

Although a start-up’s recent triumph is seen as a ‘DeepSeek moment’, domestic players still trail world-beating pharma firms, experts say.

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IPO

Chinese healthcare, biotech firms flock to Hong Kong for IPOs

September yields at least 23 listing applications from mainland biotech firms eyeing the city’s lucrative fundraising market.

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