Hong Kong government outlines diabetes support, no separate stats for type 1 children
The Hong Kong government says it does not separately track type 1 diabetes cases among children. Hospital Authority data shows 700-800 under-18 diabetes patients used its services annually from 2021 to 2025. Continuous glucose monitors cost about HK$15,600 per child per year but are provided free ba
The Hong Kong government has told the Legislative Assembly that it does not maintain separate statistics for children under 18 with type 1 diabetes or for annual new cases. In a written reply on 4 November 2026, the government said the Hospital Authority (HA) recorded about 700 to 800 diabetes patients under 18 each year between 2021 and 2025, covering both type 1 and type 2.
On continuous glucose monitors (CGM), the government said HA specialist clinics consider patients' clinical conditions and medical needs. Where appropriate, patients – including adults and children with type 1 or type 2 diabetes – may receive free CGM devices. These are mainly for those requiring frequent glucose monitoring to adjust treatment, such as patients with unstable blood sugar or a risk of severe hypoglycaemia. Based on current prices, the annual cost for a child under 18 with type 1 diabetes to use CGM continuously is about HK$15,600.
The government stressed that not all diabetes patients have a clinical need for CGM. HA will continue reviewing service coverage and technological developments, and update clinical guidelines to ensure appropriate monitoring methods for all patients.
Regarding separate support policies for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, the government said HA already provides diversified services based on individual clinical needs. These include family medicine outpatient clinics for stable patients, and specialist diabetes centres for complex cases. The Hong Kong Children's Hospital has published a "School Diabetes Care Handbook" to help support students with diabetes.
The government also promotes a life-cycle approach to encourage healthy lifestyles, including maintaining healthy weight, balanced diet, limiting sugar and saturated fat, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and doing 150-300 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly. It said it will continue health promotion activities and cooperate with departments and community partners to build a healthy living environment.