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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1977
HONG KONG FREE OF MANY INFECTIOUS DISEASES
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HONG KONG HAS BEEN RENDERED FREE OF MANY INFECTIOUS DISEASES WHICH WERE MAJOR KILLERS IN THE PAST BY EFFECTIVE CONTROL MEASURES AND BY THE GROWING PUBLIC AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND PERSONAL HYGIENE.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. S.H. LEE, IN A TALK TO THE LIONS CLUB OF SOUTH KOWLOON THIS AFTERNOON.
DR. LEE SAID THE ACHIEVEMENT IS ALL THE MORE REMARKABLE WHEN CONS IDERED IN THE LIGHT OF HONG KONG'S GEOGRAPHICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
HE SAID THE EXIGUOUS WATER SUPPLIES DURING THE WATER RESTRICTION PERIOD. THE INSANITARY CONDITION IN CERTAIN AREAS WHERE SANITARY FACILITIES ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND THE HIGH DENSITY OF THE POPULATION
IN THE URBAN AREAS MAKE HONG KONG VULNERABLE TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
+HOWEVER, DESPITE THESE CONDITIONS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE NOT ONLY TO BRING THE MAJOR KILLERS OF THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES UNDER CONTROL, BUT ALSO ERADICATE CERTAIN COMMON INFECTIOUS DISEASES WHICH IN THE PAST HAD CAUSED THOUSANDS OF LIVES,+ HE SAID.
FOR EXAMPLE, HE NOTED, THE INCIDENCE RATE OF DIPHTHERIA HAS FALLEN FROM 70.3 PER 100,000 POPULATION IN 1959 TO 0.02 IN 1973 WITH ONLY TWO CASES REPORTED IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WHILE THE NOTIFICATION RATE OF TUBERCULOSIS HAS DROPPED FROM 697.2 PER 100,000 POPULATION IN 1952 TO 178.4 IN 1976.
MANY OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES, SUCH AS POL 10, CHOLERA AND SMALLPOX, HAVE BEEN ERADICATED, HE ADDED.
HOWEVER, DR. LEE WARNED THAT WITH THE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF HONG KONG AS A TOURIST AND INTERNATIONAL TRANSIT CENTRE THE RISK OF AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE BEING BROUGHT INTO HONG KONG BY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL IS ALL THE TIME PRESENT.
HE SAID THERE IS ALWAYS THE THREAT OF RE-APPEARANCE OF CHOLERA IN HONG KONG IN VIEW OF THE PRESENCE OF SUCH DISEASE
IN SOME NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES.
DR. LEE CALLED ON THE PUBLIC TO MAINTAIN A HIGH LEVEL OF VIGILANCE AGAINST THIS AND OTHER INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
HE POINTED OUT THAT CERTAIN GASTRO-INSTESTINAL GROUPS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES ARE STILL ENDEKIC IN HONG KONG AND IT IS NECESSARY THAT THE SIMPLE RULES OF PERSONAL AND FOOD HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION EE ADHERED TO.
HE ADDED THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S WIDE RANGE OF IMMUNISATION PROGRAMME WILL BE STRENGTHENED TO ENSURE THAT EVERY NEW BORN CHILD IS IMMUNISED AGAINST THE COMMON CHILDHOOD DISEASES.
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