Extension of collaboration on setting of Chinese herb standards with China Medical University in ...

  Extension of collaboration on setting of Chinese herb standards with China Medical University in Taiwan

Hong Kong (HKSAR) – The Department of Health (DH) today (February 12) signed a contract with China Medical University (CMU) in Taiwan for sample collection and research on Chinese materia medica under the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HKCMMS) Project (Phase VIII). The aim of HKCMMS is to develop referencestandards for Chinese herbs commonly used in Hong Kong.

The contract was signed by the Chairperson of the International Advisory Board (IAB) on HKCMMS, Dr Constance Chan, and the President of CMU, Dr Lee Wen-hwa, at the CMU in Taichung, Taiwan. The CMU has been participating in the HKCMMS Project since 2011 and its research results on four Chinese herbs were published in HKCMMS Volume VI.

Its research on another four Chinese herbs is expected to be completed within this year. The signing of this contract represents the ongoing collaboration effort between CMU and the DH on the development of HKCMMS.

“I am delighted to see that the research collaboration with CMU has yielded very good results. These ongoing collaborative activities mark an important milestone in promoting the safe use of Chinese medicine, especially in the context of wider global use of herbal medicine.

The signing of this contract will not only enhance our Chinese medicine research efforts in terms of both quality and volume; it also signifies another important step to further bolster research collaboration between both places for the development and promotion of Chinese medicine. I look forward to very fruitful results of this further collaboration,” Dr Chan remarked.

“The research work to be undertaken by CMU will cover four Chinese herbs, namely Radix Tinosporae, Semen Cassiae Occidentalis, Semen Hoveniae and Stamen Nelumbinis,” Dr Chan added.

The HKCMMS Project was launched in 2002 for the development of safety and quality standards for Chinese herbs commonly used in Hong Kong. The principles and parameters for research and laboratory analysis are laid down by the IAB, which comprises a panel of internationally renowned experts.

As of today, the reference standards for around 200 Chinese materia medica have already been established, with six volumes of HKCMMS published.

The HKCMMS Volumes I-VI are accessible at the website of Chinese Medicine Division, Department of Health (www.cmd.gov.hk/html/eng/health_info/publication.html).

Printed copies of the publications are also available for sale.

Source: HKSAR Government

Published on: 2014-02-12

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Categories: china medical, chinese herb, Chinese Herbs, chinese materia, Chinese medicine, hkcmms project, hong kong, materia medica, medical university

Want to Discover Complementary Health? Visit Hong Kong

Complementary wellness has its roots in many areas of the world, but they are deeply engrained in the social and cultural fabric of Hong Kong. Here, wellbeing is intrinsically linked to natural herbal products, with them making up as essential a part of wellness as the air you breathe and the food you eat. When dining in central Hong Kong, you will find that without any thought really going into it, the soup that you eat will have a bit of added ginger root to help you digest it, and a bit of lemongrass for maintaining your natural mental balance. The soup will also have added shitake mushrooms to help boost your immune system.

 

Stopping off after lunch at a tea stall in central Hong Kong, you will find that the menu has a plethora of different options. You can choose from a vast range of teas, from umeboshi plum to five-flavour tea to cinnamon tea. Some of them contain properties to help relieve stress, some have products to boost the immune system and others are simply flavourful and delicious.

 

Green tea is also used for its cancer-fighting free radicals, and also its reputed ability to help guard against a variety of heart conditions. It can be blended or flavoured with other elements, such as chrysanthemum, which is used to fight against colds and fevers.

 

Herbs in Hong Kong may be used like medicine but they certainly do not come in capsule form like western medicine at all – it’s not a case of taking some herbs in the same way that you would take an aspirin. Instead, they are mixed in with food and drinks and are used both as a prevention for common illnesses and as a cure for many different ailments.

Categories: central hong, health, herbs, hong, hong kong, kong, nbsp, products

Could Hong Kong Learn a Thing or Two From British Companies?

For EDF Energy, one of Britain’s largest energy companies, ill health among employees costs £13 million (HK$164.4 million) a year. Since 2006, the company has therefore introduced many corporate wellness initiatives, encouraging staff, their families and the wider community to boost their general wellbeing. As a result, Professor Carol Black, expert adviser on work and health at Britain’s Department of Health, cited EDF Energy as a positive example during a recent presentation on workplace health to representatives from about 25 local organisations at Hong Kong’s British Council.

 

EDF has offered psychological support to employees, trained more than 1,000 managers to recognise psychological ill health among staff, enhanced good work principles – such as strong relationships, fairness, flexible working arrangements and meaningful work – and organised a team of “health advocates”. Made up of staff volunteers, the health advocates carry out an engaging health and wellness programme, which includes physiotherapy services, ergonomic assessments, and stress and resilience training.

 

According to Black, who is also the principal of Newnham College at Cambridge, ‘There are basic principles about how you can keep people healthy and well and in work, and I think they apply to Hong Kong as much as they apply to Britain.’ Black noted that with sickness absence and worklessness associated with ill health costing Britain more than £100 billion a year, the key issue facing the British workforce is how to keep people who are fit for employment at work, and how to enable them to work for a longer period of time.

 

Black explained, ‘For most people of working age, work – the right work – is good for their health and wellbeing. For most people, worklessness is harmful. Much sickness absence and inactivity follows common health problems which, given the right support, are compatible with work – although sometimes it means a different kind of work.’ Based on a 2008 review by Black, the “fit note” was introduced to replace the old sick note in April 2010. These means that instead of advising their patients that they were completely fit or completely unfit for work, doctors now could advise that their patient has some functional limitations but, with appropriate support, could return to the workplace.

 

‘At the moment in Britain, we have a great interest in improving people’s resilience and mental health – proactively, rather than waiting until people become sick,’ Black added. ‘It’s all about people being in good work; work in which you feel you have a sense of control and autonomy, where the leadership is empowering and you feel appreciated. The biggest thing is knowing how to look after people. These things don’t cost money – they cost attitude and a bit of time.’

Categories: EDF Energy, hong kong, Wellness Programme

New Hidden Devices Will Help You Survive Heart Attacks

Suffering from a heart attack in a public place may now become a less dangerous event, thanks to defibrillators that are hidden away all over the place, in Hong Kong. This will give people the best chance of surviving some kind of cardio event and will improve their chances of long-term heart wellness.

Installed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, these automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) have been placed in 80 sports grounds and parks, and by June this year there will be AEDs in 174 additional locations.

This follows on from the devices being installed in water sports centres, public swimming pools and on beaches over two years ago, with the aim of protecting the wellbeing of heart patients. The LSD is also embarking on an education programme, helping the public understand how to use the devices, so that they can save lives, should the need occur.

The point of AEDs is that they are suitable for anyone to use – you do not have to be a trained professional. Learning how to use AEDs could save a life, and that could be of a stranger in the street, or it could actually be of a family member of someone close to you, so it may be a skill that you never regret acquiring. The training is open to all, and is being conducted in numerous locations, such as the Fire Services Department and the Hospital authority.

AEDs help to restore a regular heartbeat in patients who are having a cardiac arrest. Studies have shown that if they are used on a patient within the first five minutes of their arrest, they have a 50 percent greater chance of living.

Just last week in Hong Kong, a man went into cardiac arrest on a football pitch, and the newly-installed AED was used on him, likely saving his life.

New Hidden Devices Will Help You Survive Heart Attacks

Categories: aeds, cardiac arrest, defibrillator, Device, devices, heart, hong kong, installed, public, services department

Are You Too Lazy To Lose Weight?

New figures have been released in Hong Kong, pertaining to the increasing weight of the population. The figures were released by the Census and Statistics Department a few days ago and shows a marked increase in adults who are carrying around excess weight.

During the last survey, which took place around five years ago, about 39 per cent of Hong Kong adults were either overweight or obese. Now, this latest survey has shown that more than half of adults who are over the age of 40 are putting their wellbeing at risk by carrying around excess weight.

This study also showed that the wellness of Hong Kong adults deteriorated as they got older, with weight increasing as their age advanced. Figures showed that 13.5 per cent of infants were overweight, 26.9 per cent of children, 14 per cent of adolescents, 38 per cent of young adults, 56.9 per cent of middle-aged adults and a whopping 61.5 per cent of the elderly.

The World Health Organisation has defined weight standards for Asians, with those who have a body mass index (BMI) of 23 and over being classed as overweight, and those with a BMI of 25 and over being classed as obese. BMI relates to the amount of fat that you have on your body, and is calculated using height in relation to weight.

Central waist measurements were also taken, and these had the same pattern, as they tended to increase with age. Excess weight was linked to lack of exercise, as participation in any kind of physical activity or sport was found to decrease with age, as weight increased.

During the study, those measured were asked to give their reasons for not taking part in physical activity, despite the health benefits it offers. Amongst the reasons given, participants stated that they didn’t have any time, the weather was poor, tiredness, or even that they just weren’t interested. Some respondents even stated that they were too lazy to do any exercise!

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Are You Too Lazy To Lose Weight?

Categories: hong kong, lazy, Obese