Hong Kong’s public healthcare system is world-renowned for its efficiency. However, interning with JCSATH gave me a first-hand insight into a social challenge: health equity for ethnic minorities, in particular South Asian (SA) communities.

A highlighted moment of my internship was attending a health outreach at Hong Kong Christian Service in Tsim Sha Tsui. Having conversations with Nepalese Buddhists, Filipino Catholics, Hong Kong Christians, Indian Sikhs, Indian Hindus, and Pakistani Muslims in complete harmony was inspiring and gave proof that while cultural contexts differ, the basic pursuit of health is universal.

While assisting with screenings and reviewing participant data, I discovered four key reflections on healthcare equity:

Firstly, the cardiometabolic risk and disease profiles are different. South Asians face metabolic risks much earlier and have significantly higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, showing that preventive care must begin well before middle age.

Secondly, South Asian participants face a “double stigma”, which combines cultural reluctance around mental health with language barriers and microaggressions in healthcare settings, while lacking strong support networks available to local Chinese residents.

Thirdly, digital health services present a practical hurdle. Platforms like “HA Go” streamline appointments and records but operate only in English or Chinese; incorporating languages like Urdu or Nepali and pairing them with community-led digital literacy workshops would instantly lower barriers for new immigrants.

To transition Hong Kong’s healthcare system from available to equitable, I suggest taking concrete steps: integrate South Asian languages into digital platforms like “HA Go”, train healthcare staff on culturally relevant dietary and metabolic patterns, actively promote Hospital Authority interpretation services at registration desks, and partner with local NGOs to empower peer advocates for mental health outreach.