SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1978
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NOTICEABLE DROP IN INCIDENCE AND DEATH RATE OF TB
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THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS ACHIEVED SIGNIFICANT RESULTS IN THE BATTLE AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS WITH A NOTICEABLE DROP IN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS AND INCIDENCE OF THE FORMER NUMBER ONE KILLER DISEASE IN HONG KONG.
IN THE PAST DECADE, THE INCIDENCE OF THE DISEASE DROPPED FROM 398 PER 100,000 POPULATION IN 1967 TO 168.4 PER 100,000 LAST YEAR.
THERE WAS ALSO A CORRESPONDING FALL IN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS. THE DEATH RATE AT 11.8 PER 100,000 POPULATION IN 1977, WAS AN ALL-TIME LOW AND ONE FOURTH OF THE RATE A DECADE AGO.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (SATURDAY): +ALTHOUGH THE INCIDENCE AND DEATH RATES HAVE DECLINED SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE PAST DECADE, THE BATTLE AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS IS NOT YET OVER, AND ANY RELAXATION COULD CAUSE A RESURGENCE OF THE DISEASE.+
TO KEEP UP ITS EFFORTS IN CHECKING THIS DISEASE, THE
CHEST SERVICE OF THE DEPARTMENT LAUNCHED A YEAR-ROUND TB CASE-FINDING CAMPAIGN IN MARCH THIS YEAR, URGING PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS OF PERSISTENT COUGH FOR MORE THAN FOUR WEEKS TO GO TO A GOVERNMENT CHEST CLINIC FOR A CHECK-UP.
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG, AS IN OTHER DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, NOW HAS FEWER PEOPLE DYING OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INCLUDING TUBERCULOSIS.
FAST SUBSTITUTING TUBERCULOSIS AS THE NUMBER ONE KILLER DISEASE IN HONG KONG AS IN OTHER DEVELOPED TERRITORIES IS CANCER. THE LOCAL MORTALITY RATE IS GRADUALLY RISING FROM 88.1 PER 100,000 POPULATION IN 1967 TO 107.3 PER 100,000 IN 1972 AND TO 125.2 LAST YEAR.
THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF CANCER ARE FOUND IN THE LUNG, LIVER, STOMACH AND NASOPHARYNX.
CAMPAIGNS TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THE DISEASE ARE HELD FROM TIME TO TIME.
THE SPOKESMAN URGED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THEIR HEALTH AND TO SEE A DOCTOR ON NOTICING ANY ABNORMALTIES OR DISCOMFORT.
+WITH OUR MODERN MEDICINE AND ADVANCE IN TECHNOLOGY, CANCER, IF DETECTED AT AN EARLY STAGE, COULD BE EFFECTIVELY CURED, HE ADDED.
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