Hong Kong authorities will step up efforts to encourage more schools, including international ones, to join a government programme that aims to promote students’ health, with nearly 70 per cent of the city’s institutions already part of it.

The Department of Health said that 808 institutions joined the Whole School Health Programme during the 2024-25 academic year, and tailor-made health reports and recommendations for participating schools would be released on Tuesday.

Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, a department consultant of community medicine, said the number of schools that had taken part had surpassed the original target of 600.

She said the department would continue promoting the programme and urged more institutions, including international schools, to sign up.

“Currently, the participating schools are mainly local schools. We hope to have more international schools joining the programme next year,” she said.

Among those already in the programme are 356 primary schools, 404 secondary schools and 48 special schools, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of all the schools in Hong Kong.