HEALTH
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parks. The campaign focussed on direct community involvement, education, and publicity through the media. The steering committee also introduced a Keep Hong Kong Clean Activities Funding Scheme. Under the scheme, voluntary agencies, local organisations and schools were encouraged to organise clean-up activities and apply to the two municipal councils for subsidies.
Law enforcement remained a major weapon against litter offenders. During the year, 36 766 litterbugs were fined a total of $11.9 million.
Controls
Staff of the two municipal services departments enforce the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance to ensure that standards of hygiene are maintained. The staff regularly inspect licensed and permitted premises, common parts of buildings, squatter areas, construction sites and undeveloped land. They respond to complaints about sanitary nuisances and vermin infestation.
For the prevention of vector-borne diseases, pest control staff carry out integrated programmes to control rodents, mosquitoes, flies and other public health pests. Measures taken included environmental improvement, eradication of breeding places, health education and law enforcement. Special surveillance is maintained to prevent outbreaks of malaria in Vietnamese migrant centres. Technical support is provided by the Pest Control Advisory Section of the Department of Health.
Environmental Health Education
The Health Education Unit of the Hygiene Division of the Department of Health promotes environmental health through education on a territory-wide basis. Under the auspices of the two municipal councils, the unit launched a number of educational campaigns in 1993. The most notable were the Environment and Health Drive held early in the year, and the Food Hygiene Campaign organised during the summer for members of the food trade and school teachers.
Publicity campaigns directed at the prevention of rodent infestation and nuisances caused by mosquitoes and dripping air-conditioners, as well as the promotion of good personal habits, were also staged during the year. Apart from talks and hotline services provided by the unit, health messages were disseminated through the mass media. Public health materials, including posters and leaflets, were also distributed to the general public at the unit's resource centre.
Food Hygiene
The health inspectorate of the Hygiene Division of the Department of Health, backed by a hygiene consultant, controls both imported and locally-produced food for sale. Supported by laboratory resources and assisted by a scientific advisory arm, the inspectorate ensures that consumers are able to buy good, wholesome food which is unadulterated, uncontaminated, properly described and of nutritious quality.
Food samples are taken regularly for chemical analyses, bacteriological examinations and toxicity tests to ascertain their fitness for human consumption. For the purpose of sampling for laboratory testing, food items are prioritised according to the nature of the food and the risks that they may pose to consumers. Complementary to regular laboratory analyses, field tests for pesticide residues are performed on imported vegetables at the points of entry into Hong Kong.