Biotech

With the theme of Reimagining the Future of Healthcare, the third Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH) runs in Hong Kong on 17 and 18 May. The conference assembles stakeholders – from healthcare experts to renowned academia and influential business leaders, together with key industry players, innovative start-ups, investors and policymakers – from around the world to exchange insights, explore opportunities and collaborate on the diverse and dynamic healthcare sector.

Hong Kong earlier this month hosted its second Asia Summit on Global Health (ASGH), as the city continues to garner international attention after further loosening COVID-19 restrictions. This year’s theme – “Charting a New Course in Healthcare through Collaboration” resonated strongly with Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab (main picture), Deputy Director-General of the World Health Organization. In her video speech at the event’s opening session, Dr Jakab said the pandemic had infected more than 600 million people globally and claimed 6.5 million lives, so there was an “opportunity and, indeed, an obligation to learn from this pandemic” and accelerate progress on universal healthcare through concerted efforts in science, research, innovation, data and digital technologies.

A professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has established a firm, EggLogics Limited (EggLogics), that has developed patented technology to increase the success rate for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) through egg “recharging”, bringing new hope to families troubled by fertility problems.

Health tech start-ups have shouldered a heavy responsibility in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and are now regarded as important engines to promote the sustainable development of the global economy.