II. PUBLIC HEALTH
(Tables 6-20)
VITAL STATISTICS (Tables 6-12)
39. The estimated population of Hong Kong in the middle of 1972 was 4,077,400. Approximately 83 per cent of this total was concentrated in the urban areas of the Island, Kowloon and New Kowloon. About 35 per cent was under 15, and 8 per cent over 60 years of age. The general state of health remained satisfactory. The crude death rate, based on the number of deaths registered, was 5.2 per thousand of the population. As shown in Figure 1, age and sex specific death rates were also low, and reflected the rapid improvement of medical and health services on a young and expanding population. The crude birth rale at 19.4 was slightly above the rate for 1971, and reversed a continuous downward trend since 1960.
FIGURE :
AGE AND SEX SPECIFIC DEATH RATE—1973
200 per 19
40. The infant mortality and neo-natal mortality rates continued to decline. This useful index to the trend of health conditions of the general population is illustrated in Figure 2.
AS AF REMAN #AM *25% LINE KAİNA
FTOURE 2
INFANT AND NEO-NATAL MORTALITY RATE 1938–72
DEATHE REA 1000 POMAATIM 18 24 11F
DO
TH
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T
7:
#4
45
M
10
KALE
TE44
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Infant Mortality
41. The infant mortality rate was 17.5 per thousand live births, and is now at a lower level than many European and American countries. The decline in infant mortality during the year was due to improve- ment in environmental conditions, development of maternal and child health services, and increasing public appreciation of the value of these services in the maintenance of health among infants and mothers.
42. Among the major causes of infant mortality there were reduc- tions in mortality from preventable diseases, particularly tetanus, pneu- monia and bronchitis. There has been a steady reduction in mortality from prematurity due to improvement in midwifery and maternal health services. As experienced elsewhere, congenital malformations and other diseases of the new-bom proved during the year to be more intractable, and mortality from these causes was little affected.
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