Bringing Public Health Solutions to Local Communities

Student Helping the Elderly

 

Having trained as a clinical doctor, Prof. Ming Wai Kit realised early in his medical career the inherent limits of bedside care. While a surgeon might perform three or four operations a day, public health research can create preventative tools and health policies that support an entire population.

Today at CityUHK, Prof. Ming, Associate Professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, and Assistant Director of the Institute of Global Governance and Innovation for a Shared Future, leads a team dedicated to translating epidemiological insights and technology into accessible public health solutions.

Volunteer Service Team Photo

 

By bridging academic research with community needs, the team is advancing innovative public health solutions while fostering a new generation of socially engaged public health professionals: 

• Smart Elderly Healthcare & Rehab: Developed through a collaboration between CityUHK researchers, academic and technology partners, and local Care Teams, the "Rehab-Link" (復康通) app enables volunteers to conduct motion assessments during home visits. The technology evaluates stroke recovery progress, flags fall risks, and identifies vulnerable, isolated elders for timely medical support. Currently piloted in Sham Shui Po, the project plans to expand its reach to other Hong Kong districts with rapidly aging populations, including Kwun Tong and Sha Tin. The team is now developing an AI-powered feature that can analyse an older adult’s movements from a short smartphone video and automatically evaluate how well rehabilitation exercises are being performed.

• Promoting Women’s Health & Fertility Literacy: Through the "Women Rise, Families Thrive" project, CityUHK and the Hong Kong Fertility Foundation support public health education by offering Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) ovarian reserve assessments. This initiative aims to empower women across diverse backgrounds with data-driven insights for family planning.

• Nurturing Future Public Health Leaders: As Programme Leader of the Master of Public Health programme, Prof. Ming actively encourages students to step out of the laboratory and engage directly with local communities. Through field-based community health outreach, young researchers gain firsthand experience with real-world public health challenges while learning how research and professional knowledge can be translated into meaningful societal impact.

More Information:
Rehab-link:  https://rehab-links.com/
AMH ovarian reserve project: https://topick.hket.com/article/4159089?r=cpsdlc