Wellness PLUS started to use “Social Prescribing” to innovate mental and physical health treatment for Hong Kong young people
The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG)’s Wellness PLUS held a public health seminar on “New Models for Youth Health & Wellness Management” on 27 July, in which a number of health experts and academics discussed today’s health system and explored the new healthcare model of “Social Prescribing”.
The event was followed by the signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement between the Global Social Prescribing Alliance (GSPA) and The HKFYG. As the first organisation in Hong Kong to join the Alliance, The HKFYG’s Wellness PLUS will introduce the “Social Prescribing” model of health management, which provides non-pharmacological support to young people who suffer from mental health issues, obesity or skin disorders through personalised healthcare programmes such as social and sports activities.
According to its scheme, Wellness PLUS aims to train 1,000 “Youth Public Health Practitioners” and collaborate with 100 organisations in the upcoming year, hoping to reach more than 9,000 young people.
Hsu Siu-man, the Deputy Director of The HKFYG, pointed out that supporting young people to face the challenges of their physical and mental health management was the responsibility of everyone. This was the purpose of “Social Prescribing”, which brings together medical practitioners, youth service workers and youth mentors for a shared and common purpose.
Dr Bogdan Chiva Giurca, Development Lead of the Global Social Prescribing Alliance, said he was looking forward to The HKFYG joining the global health network and was eager for more international professional exchanges and learning to promote the development of primary healthcare in Hong Kong.
Established in 2021, the Alliance has members from more than 20 countries and regions, including China, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Canada, Finland and Australia. This provides a platform for “Social Prescribing” practitioners around the world to exchange practical experience and wisdom and to promote global health and sustainable development.
Andy Chan, Supervisor of The HKFYG said that while the Alliance’s “Social Prescribing” model will be contextualised and localised, he was looking forward to the collaboration between medical practitioners and the local community. He also expressed his excitement at the launch of a certificate programme that will train “Youth public health practitioners” to teach local young people how to improve their physical and mental wellness.
During the seminar, one of the “Youth public health practitioners” Liu Ho-man shared her journey into the public health field. As an artist and content creator, Liu already had experience interacting with people from different sectors and industries. With her awareness and understanding of the importance of balancing the mind and body for personal wellness, she joined The HKFYG’s training programme to learn about singing bowl sound baths and healthcare, wishing to contribute to the promotion of a balance between physical, mental and emotional wellness and health in the community in the future.
Also speaking were Dr Lo Hay-ming Herman, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, who shared about mindfulness-based health management of young people; and Mr Wong Wo-ping Peace, Chief Officer of Policy Research and Advocacy, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service was spoke on the importance of health management services and collaboration between medical and local community. The seminar was organised in a hybrid mode and attracted over 100 local and overseas participants from the medical, social welfare, education and academic sectors.
Wellness PLUS is an all-rounded platform that promotes youth health awareness and life meaningfulness through an innovative and sustainable development model. It provides a wide variety of programmes and activities for the youth community and facilitates cultural change. For more details, please visit wp.hkfyg.org.hk
For media inquiries, please contact:
The HKFYG Communications Manager
Miranda Ho
Tel: 3755 7044 / 9129 2589