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Friday, March 30, 1973
HONG KONG NOW WORLD CENTRE FOR T.B. RESEARCH
Dr. Choa Says Incidence Of Disease Continues To Decline
Hong Kong has become a world centre for research into tuberculosis
at a time when local action against the disease continues to produce more.
satisfying results year by year.
Announcing this today at the annual general meeting of the Hong
Kong Anti-Tuberculosis and Thoracic Diseases Association, Dr. G.H. Choa,
Director of Medical and Health Services and President of the Association,
said the incidence of tuberculosis had declined from 9,792 cases in
1968 to 8,420 in 1972.
The death rate had also gone down, from 39 per 100,000 of the
population in 1968 to 32 last year.
In the field of research, he referred to mumerous projects now
being undertaken by the Government, the Association, and other local agencies
in partnership with the Medical Research Council of the United Kingdom.
Early in 1971, the Government had set aside $318,000 to support
these projects for a further five years. One aim was to shorten the
duration of tuberculosis treatment.
Dr. Chos was confident that this extensive co-operative effort
would "undoubtedly produce significant results."
He attributed Hong Kong's success in the continuing battle against
the disease as due in part to the BCG programme among the newly-born, which
he described as "probably one of the most comprehensive in the world."
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