Hong Kong

Before this most recent project, MSF teams had responded to outbreaks of coronaviruses in Hong Kong, notably SARS in 2003 and COVID-19 in 2020. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSF teams provided face-to-face and virtual health promotion sessions with vulnerable people less likely to be able to access information, such as refugees, and those on the front line, such as street cleaners.

We also created a website to help people manage their stress and worry, which included tips and tools on how to cope.

MSF medical teams and outreach workers had also assisted people experiencing homelessness by providing free medical consultations, arranging temporary shelter, and distributing food and water where needed.

MSF provided free basic health screening in Yau Tsim Mong and Sham Shui Po districts during this period and identified two major challenges regarding access to health care for people experiencing homelessness. The existing services available were not designed with their daily reality in mind, and people in this situation understandably tended to prioritize other critical concerns before health.  

MSF partnered with local NGOs to deliver patient-centered care and provide basic health screening, health promotion sessions, and psychosocial support. We also worked on capacity building with local partners to ensure continuity of care for people in the program after December 2024.