Healthcare for an aging population

Population ageing is expected to continue. With post-war baby boomers entering old age and the rising life expectancy at birth for both sexes, the number of elderly persons aged 65 and over is projected to nearly double over the 25-year period. The number of elderly persons will increase from 1.45 million in 2021 to 2.74 million in 2046. The corresponding proportion of the population is projected to increase from 20.5% to 36.0%, meaning more than one in every three Hong Kong people will be an elderly.
Hong Kong is designed as the MedTech development hub in the GBA. The complicated regulatory and business landscape in China has been a hurdle for a lot of Swedish SMEs healthcare companies. “The Hong Kong, Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect” policies provide a gateway to Chinese market via Hong Kong. Registering healthcare products (for clinical use and under urgent need) in Hong Kong can be used by designated medical institutions in GBA after approval. Hong Kong may serve as a first step for Swedish companies looking at the Chinese market.

The Government has been devoting a lot of resources on healthcare. The 2024-25 annual subvention for the Hospital Authority will be HKD95.4 billion (including HKD93.5 billion recurrent), having increased by 2% compared to the 2023-24 revised provision.
The HA will step up its efforts in promoting the sustainable development of public healthcare, including introducing smart hospitals initiatives in different clusters, enhancing tele-health and drug delivery services in specialist out-patient clinics (SOPCs), and improving patients' experience and operational flow with advanced technology. At the same time, the HA will enhance SOPCs service, including nurse and pharmacist led clinic service, thereby providing more treatment choices to patients.
Opportunities in drugs and medical devices, age-tech but also technology / innovation that can have hospitals to enhance efficiency and reduce manpower