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Health
Health Promotion
Healthy Lifestyle
The DH's Central Health Education Unit formulates and implements health promotion strategies. It runs various promotional campaigns and programmes to provide the public with information and advice on a range of health-related topics and to encourage healthy eating and regular physical activity.
In the 2013-14 school year, over 600 pre-primary institutions participated in the '[email protected]' campaign; about 450 primary schools (including special schools) participated in the '[email protected]' campaign. In 2014, about 640 restaurants took part in the '[email protected]' campaign, while '[email protected]' project promoted health in the workplace.
In addition, to prevent communicable diseases, the unit provided the public with updated information and health advice on infectious diseases through the media, webpages, promotional leaflets, posters, telephone education hotline and large-scale publicity activities. It also produced health education materials in various languages to raise awareness of the need to prevent communicable diseases and related hygiene measures among ethnic minorities.
In addition, some 325 secondary schools, about 79,000 students and 900 parents and teachers enrolled in the Adolescent Health Programme and received its services.
AIDS Counselling and Education
The DH's 'Red Ribbon Centre' collaborates with its community partners to enhance public awareness and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to promote caring and acceptance of HIV patients. In 2014, the centre organised 17 major activities and 74 special programmes, with some 85,000 participants.
Information on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), sexually transmitted infections. and multilingual AIDS hotlines is available at the DH's website.
Appointments for counselling and HIV antibody/rapid tests may be made on the hotline 2780 2211. In 2014, the hotline received about 22,000 calls, of which 17,516 calls sought AIDS counselling from nurse counsellors. About 940,000 condoms were distributed to promote safer sex. There are also a Gay Men HIV Testing Hotline (2117 1069) and a website. In 2014, the Gay Men HIV Testing Hotline received 298 calls for counselling and HIV antibody/rapid testing.
Organ Donation and Transplant
The DH promotes organ donation in various ways (including a dedicated page on Facebook) in collaboration with the HA, healthcare professional bodies and NGOs. As at the end of 2014, over 150,000 persons had registered with the Centralised Organ Donation Register to express their wish to donate their organs after death.
The number of patients waiting for kidney, liver, heart and lung transplants stood at 1,965, 98, 28 and 22 respectively as at the end of 2014. During the year, there were 36 liver, 63 renal, nine
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