Hong Kong proposes HK$900 million top-up for medical research fund
Hong Kong’s health bureau seeks to inject HK$900 million into the Medical Health Research Fund over three years, supporting translational research in cancer, clinical trials and digital medicine. The fund has only HK$5 million left uncommitted as of September 2026.
The Hong Kong government’s Health Bureau has proposed injecting HK$900 million (US$115 million) into the Medical Health Research Fund over the next three years, according to a 13 November 2026 statement from the bureau’s deputy director to the Legislative Council health affairs committee. The move follows a measure announced in Chief Executive John Lee’s 2026 policy address.
The fund, established in 2011 to build local research capacity in health and medicine, currently has approved commitments of HK$4.223 billion. As of 30 September 2026, only HK$5 million in uncommitted funds remained. Based on past spending of about HK$300 million annually on new projects, the proposed injection is expected to cover grant applications for roughly three years.
The deputy director said the fund has acted as a “critical bridge” in Hong Kong’s health research ecosystem. It has supported projects that improved policy and clinical practice, such as a territory-wide sewage surveillance programme covering influenza and the development of new growth charts now used in government child development assessments. The fund has also built a stable talent pool for medical research and leveraged additional grants through intellectual property and technology transfer.
The proposed HK$900 million will allow a dual-track strategy: prioritising government development plans in cancer prevention, clinical trials and digital medicine, while maintaining support for other research areas. The top-up is part of broader policy address measures to boost drug and device registration, regulation and clinical trials, helping Hong Kong become an international medical innovation hub and aligning with national strategies to develop biomedical and medical device industries.
The fund also includes a research scholarship scheme for early-to-mid-career health professionals to receive training and conduct small studies at non-local institutions, building a talent pipeline in clinical trials and translational research. If endorsed by the Legislative Council committee, the Health Bureau will seek approval from the Finance Committee to allocate the HK$900 million.
