Child Health
The infant mortality rate of 99.4 was slightly higher than the corrected figure for 1948. A considerable increase in the facilities for treating sick children was made with 18 clinics being opened in the poly-clinics and public dispensaries; 136,526 children attended these clinics.
Infectious Diseases
As in 1947 and 1948 the Colony was once again free of any major epidemics. Tuberculosis was responsible for the highest number of cases in any single infectious disease followed by measles with 458 cases. A graph showing the number of infectious diseases reported during the year will be found on page 68.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis remains the greatest single cause of adult mortality and morbidity. 7,510 cases were reported during the year with 2,611 deaths. An extensive programme is well under way and a new anti-tuberculosis clinic is due for completion during 1950. Efforts to educate the population against the spread of this disease are made by means of a travelling cinema and propaganda van. The Hong Kong Anti-Tuberculosis Association completed during the year the rehabilitation and staffing of the Old Naval Hospital, now the Ruttonjee Sanatorium, which had been placed at its disposal by Government and provides 120 beds for treatment of tuberculosis patients.
The graph on page 69 shows the number of cases reported during the year.
An annual X-ray survey of all Government servants is carried out and like facilities are freely available to groups of the general public such as the staff of large firms on the understanding that the employers will provide the treatment and medico-social welfare of any cases discovered.
Nutrition
The standard of nutrition has remained good, 100 cases of death from beri-beri were recorded as against 140 in 1948, 312 in 1947 and 7,229 in 1940. The rice shortage which continues to exist is responsible for forcing the mass of the population to eat a more mixed diet and this, together with the increase in wages among the lower wage groups as com- pared with pre-war years, is probably responsible.
Sewage
Although many of the more modern type buildings in the Colony are provided with the water carriage system,
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