The University Health Service (UHS) provides on-campus medical, dental and health promotion services, including sexual and reproductive health-care services. Full-time students and staff members and their dependants may approach the responsible nursing officer for general advice free of charge. UHS’s medical team includes physicians, dental surgeons and other allied health professionals. Its clinic has a minor operating theatre, a dispensary, a medical laboratory and a physiotherapy unit to provide primary medical and dental care services. UHS can also arrange referrals to specialists for specific or advanced medical conditions. The Dental Unit provides both preventive and curative services, as well as dental prostheses. The Health Education Unit organizes regular talks, student activities, awareness campaigns, and vaccination programmes, e.g. HPV Vaccination Campaign and Influenza Vaccination Campaign.

CUHK actively promotes good mental health. Through its ‘uBuddies’ Peer Counselling Network and uPals Wellness Promotion Team, student ambassadors are recruited and trained to promote mental wellness and facilitate peer support in CUHK. CUHK also provides mental health support to its members. Its Wellness and Counselling Centre provides free psychological counselling services for students. Its Employee Assistance Programme, run by the Human Resources Office, provides a free 24-hour hotline service for staff members. A Counselling Clinic Service is also offered by the Department of Educational Psychology for various client groups. 

Smoking causes a number of fatal conditions, such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. It also imposes a huge economic burden on society and the healthcare system. To reduce the prevalence of smoking in society and comply with Hong Kong’s statutory requirements, CUHK launched the Smoke-free Campus Policy in January 2007. Under this policy, smoking is not allowed on campus. The Security Office is responsible for enforcement against illegal smoking behaviours during its campus patrols. Besides, educational activities, e.g. World No Tobacco Day and Smoke-free Sportswear Day, are held on campus and/or in the community to promote a smoke-free healthy lifestyle.

To encourage everyone to pursue a healthy lifestyle, CUHK encourages its members and the wider community to participate actively in sports activities. Alumni, retirees and the general public are allowed to use the University sports facilities. Various units also organize sports activities/events for their target groups, for example: sports classes by the staff associations for staff and their friends and family; ‘Experience Day for the Sixth Formers’ by the Exercise Science and Health Education Programme for secondary school students; ‘Sports without Limits’ Youth Empowerment Programme by the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education for children and youth with disabilities; and ‘Smart Fun Day‘ by the Department of Orthopaedics & Traumatology for the general public.

On campus, catering committees are established to oversee the operation and services of the canteens, restaurants, fast food shops, and cafeterias across both the Central Campus and Colleges. These committees are dedicated to ensuring that students have access to a range of healthy and affordable food options, which are carefully assessed and approved through a rigorous catering tendering process. Additionally, to promote healthy and sustainable eating habits, all caterers are required to provide at least two vegetarian dishes on their menus, and display promotional materials that encourage diners to explore vegetarian diets. This arrangement not only supports the health and well-being of our students, but also helps reduce the environmental impact of our campus dining operations.

UHK offers various health outreach programmes for the local community. Its Community Health And Multi-disciplinary Partnership Interprofessional Outreach Network (CUHK Champion) includes a series of community outreach and medication safety promotion activities. CUHK Jockey Club Children’s Eye Care Programme provides comprehensive eye examinations and consultation to under-privileged communities. The Community Caring Day promotes aged care and intergenerational solidarity to the general public. It also conducted research into the mental health of Hong Kong’s South Asian minority and trained them as health workers during the covid-19 pandemic. The Nethersole School of Nursing conducted a study in 2021 to improve HPV vaccine uptake among the adolescents of South Asian minority in the community, aiming to protect them from cervical cancer.

Since 2022, CUHK and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Hong Kong has been exploring collaborations to improve the wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees.  Examples of projects under development include: 

• Collaborating with Health In Action to develop a comprehensive Information Guide on health services for asylum seekers and refugees in Hong Kong; and
• Expanding access to District Health Centres for asylum seekers and refugees and exploring opportunities to establish a volunteer network or connections with private medical and healthcare providers.