WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1987
1
EDUCATION AND PREVENTION FOCUS OF AIDS CAMPAIGN
*****
THE GOVERNMENT POLICY FOR THE CONTROL OF ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS) WAS PRIMARILY CONCERNED WITH EDUCATION AND PREVENTION AS IT HAD NO EFFECTIVE CURE YET, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM DR THE HON CHIU HEN-KWONG, MR CHAMBERS LISTED THE FOLLOWING STRATEGIES TAKEN TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY.
*
*
*
AN EXPERT COMMITTEE ON AIDS WAS SET UP TO MONITOR LOCAL SITUATION AND LATEST DEVELOPMENTS AND KNOWLEDGE ON AIDS:
A MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE NETWORK WAS INTRODUCED TO DETECT, REPORT AND INVESTIGATE AIDS CASES. A SPECIAL SCREENING PROGRAMME FOR HIGH RISK GROUPS WAS SET UP IN 1985:
MASS SCREENING OF ALL DONATED BLOOD AND THE USE OF A MUCH SAFER BLOOD PRODUCT FOR THE TREATMENT OF HEAMOPHILIAGS:
A SPECIAL CLINIC WAS SET UP TO PROVIDE COUNSELLING TO THE PUBLIC AND
PROVISION OF INFORMATION AND EDUCATION REGARDING AIDS AND ITS PREVENTION AND CONTROL.
IN VIEW OF THE INCREASED THREAT POSED BY THE DISEASE BOTH IN HONG KONG AND WORLDWIDE, MR CHAMBERS SAID AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY ON AIDS WAS ESTABLISHED IN JANUARY TO FORMULATE AND EXECUTE PLANS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY.
+THE CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT OF THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT STARTED TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ON AIDS AS EARLY AS 1983. HE SAID.
+THESE EFFORTS WERE INTENSIFIED IN 1985, + HE ADDED.
MR CHAMBERS ALSO SAID EFFORTS WERE DIRECTED AT THREE TARGETS, THE HIGH RISK GROUPS, HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
APART FROM THE MEDIA PUBLICITY WHICH INCLUDED ANNOUNCEMENTS OF PUBLIC INTEREST ON TELEVISION AND RADIO, ADVERTISING IN NEWSPAPERS AND ON THE MTR, PRESS INTERVIEWS, THE DISTRIBUTION OF PAMPHLETS AND POSTERS, AND FEATURE ARTICLES IN MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS, A 24-HOUR TELEPHONE INFORMATION SERVICE WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED IN MARCH 1985.
OTHER MEASURES TAKEN INCLUDED EDUCATION THROUGH GROUPS SUCH AS DOCTORS, SOCIAL WORKERS AND TEACHERS, WHOSE SERVICES WERE ENLISTED TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE TO THEIR PATIENTS, CLIENTS AND PUPILS, HE SAID.
MR CHAMBERS ALSO SAID EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY HAD SPECIFICALLY BEEN DIRECTED AT CERTAIN GROUPS WHICH WERE BELIEVED TO BE PARTICULARLY AT RISKS SUCH AS BAR GIRLS, CLIENTS ATTENDING SOCIAL HYGIENE CLINICS, PRISONERS AND INMATES OF THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT'S CORRECTIONAL HOMES.
/2