M 14
III.—HYGIENE & SANITATION.
(A) GENERAL REVIEW OF WORK DONE AND PROGRESS MADE.
(1)—PREVENTIVE MEASURES.
(i) Mosquito & insect-borne diseases.
(a) Malaria.
The surveys and research work carried out by the Malariologist and staff of the Malaria Bureau, which was established in 1930, have borne fruit and malarial infection is now limited to rural areas and to the outlying parts of towns. Constant vigilance is, however, needed to ensure that there is no slackening up of anti-malarial activities in urban areas where it has not yet been found possible to institute permanent drainage works requiring a minimum of maintenance.
The subject is being dealt with in detail in the Report of the Malaria Bureau in Section IX, Scientific; consequently, it is not proposed to describe malaria preventive measures in this section.
Two points are, however, deserving of record.
Firstly, the number of cases of the disease admitted to Government hospitals increased during the last two years, as may be seen from Table V.
Year. 1931. 1932. 1933. 1934. 1935. 1936. 1937. Cases of malaria treated in hospitals. 585 465 475 457 384 581 677Secondly, a not inconsiderable amount of breeding of the anopheline vectors takes place in paddy-fields and in land under wet cultivation. It is often undesirable on economic grounds to abolish this form of agricultural activity. At the same time, the areas are too extensive with the staff and funds available to permit of treatment with Paris-green or other non-oily larvicide. As an alternative, advice is given in places infected with mosquitoes for screening, spraying of the interiors of rooms with insecticide, and the use of bed nets and of prophylactic quinine.
Part of the former prison at Lai Chi Kok was mosquito-proofed during the year.