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HEALTH
admit cases of tuberculous infection are the Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, the Sandy Bay Convalescent Home and the Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium.
Free clinics are maintained in Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories for the diagnosis, treatment and surveillance of venereal diseases. Despite strict epidemiological control by contact tracing, follow-up of defaulters and free ante-natal blood tests, the incidence of primary syphilis has continued to rise steadily during the last four years, although the prevalence rate is not high when compared to that in other countries. Latent and late syphilis are steadily decreasing, while gonorrhoea has stayed at a com- paratively unchanged level and the incidence of chancroid and lymphogranuloma remains very low.
Sixteen outpatient sessions are held weekly through the Colony solely for the diagnosis and treatment of leprosy. In addition, sessions are held at social hygiene centres in conjunction with the dermatology and venereal disease clinics. Immigrants from China, many of whom show severe deformities, make up a large proportion of new cases presenting at clinics for the first time. There is provision for the fitting of surgical appliances for cases with limb deformities. Prejudices against employment or rehabilitation of the cured leprosy patients are gradually but steadily disappearing and wide- spread publicity is leading to a more humane and progressive approach to the problem by the community.
The Hong Kong Auxiliary of the Mission to Lepers, with the aid of a government subvention, maintains 540 beds at the Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium to which infectious cases are admitted voluntarily. In addition, a small number of patients requiring surgical reconstructive operations are accepted.
Malaria continues to be endemic but is restricted mainly to certain parts of the uncontrolled rural areas, the majority of cases during the year being reported from the Sai Kung district of the New Territories.
The important carriers of malaria are Anopheles minimus, found breeding in hill streams, seepages and irrigation ditches, and A. jeyporiensis var. candidiensis which breeds in rice cultivation, fallow rice fields, pools in rice stubble and water flowing through grass. Other anopheline species found in the Colony play little or no