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Health
knowledge and experience in combating diseases with other health authorities and agencies on the Mainland, in Macao and at the WHO.
Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases
Under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance, there are 49 statutory notifiable infectious diseases in Hong Kong. In 2015, about 17,000 cases were reported, of which about 8,800 and 4,469 were diagnosed as chickenpox and tuberculosis respectively.
Up to December 2015, Hong Kong had confirmed 13 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) since the city reported its first human case in December 2013. All 13 cases were considered upon investigation to be sporadic imported cases. A Preparedness Plan for Influenza Pandemic defines the city's respective response levels, sets out the corresponding command structures and outlines the measures to be taken in relation to the development of a pandemic.
The centre continually reviews and updates its strategies for coping with major outbreaks of infectious diseases, including the Ebola virus disease and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, ensuring both the government and the community are prepared to deal with them.
Vaccination Programmes
Children are protected against communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis B, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox and pneumococcal disease under a Childhood Immunisation Programme.
The Government Vaccination Programme, which includes a Residential Care Home Vaccination Programme, provides eligible people in target groups with free seasonal flu and pneumococcal vaccinations each year at public hospitals and clinics, and at residential care homes for the elderly and people with disabilities. From October 2015, the programmes extended free seasonal flu vaccination to all elders aged 65 or above and eligible people with intellectual disability.
The predominating virus in the 2014-15 season was found to be an antigenically drifted H3N2 strain. In view of this, the government implemented a 2015 Southern Hemisphere Seasonal Influenza Vaccination (SH SIV) Programme from May to August 2015, providing free SH SIV vaccination to all residents of residential care homes of the elderly.
Under Vaccination Subsidy Schemes, children aged between six months and less than six years and elderly people aged 65 or above get subsidised seasonal flu vaccinations at private clinics. This benefit was extended to people with intellectual disability from October 2015. A subsidised pneumococcal vaccination at private clinics is also available for elderly people who have not previously received one. More than 1,600 private doctors take part in the schemes.
Non-communicable Diseases
The biggest killers in Hong Kong are cancer, heart and cerebrovascular diseases, which together accounted for about 51 per cent of all registered deaths in 2015. Elderly people are the major victims of these chronic non-communicable diseases.
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