Philanthropy in the Health Sector: UBS Philanthropy Forum Greater China 2021

At the UBS Philanthropy Forum Greater China held from November 18-19, 2021, Amy Lo, Co-head of UBS Wealth Management APAC and Head of UBS Hong Kong Branch, highlighted the need for a philanthropic roadmap to navigate the health and environmental challenges created or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The hybrid event, themed “Reimagining Philanthropy for the Next Decade,” attracted 700 participants to explore topics in health and environment philanthropy, climate change, and sustainable development goals.

Keynote speaker Ronnie C.  Chan, Co-founder and Chair of the Centre of Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS), addressed China’s recent drive to promote “common prosperity” and ways in which philanthropic activity can support China’s national policy priorities. According to Dr. Ruth Shapiro, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of CAPS, philanthropic giving has exhibited strong growth in China, seeing a four-fold increase over the past decade. The push for “common prosperity” is only expected to elevate the importance of philanthropy going forward.

Examining implications for the development of public health, Professor Winnie Yip, Faculty Director of the Harvard China Health Partnership, explained that the government, companies, and philanthropy all play different roles. It is not a competitive relationship, and each sector can complement each other and can achieve win-win solutions through collaboration.

Resources

  • A summary of speaker remarks from the UBS Philanthropy Forum Greater China 2021 is available here.
  • A video of event highlights is available here.
  • Information on CAPS’ China Issue Guides covering philanthropic giving in China across health and other key areas is available here.