17
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1987
GENETIC COUNSELLING SHOULD BE EXPANDED
THE GOVERNMENT WAS ASKED TODAY (THURSDAY) ΤΟ EXPAND AND PROMOTE GENETIC COUNSELLING AS A PART OF ITS PREVENTIVE MEDICAL CARR PROGRAMME.
THE CALL WAS MADE BY DR THE HON CHIU HIN-KWONG DURING THE DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY SPEECH.
DR CHIU
CHIU EXPLAINED THAT THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING GENETIC COUNSELLING WAS TO PREVENT GENETIC DISORDERS AND REDUCE THE INCIDENCE AND RECURRENCE OF GENETIC DISEASES AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.
SOME EXAMPLES OF GENETIC DISEASES HE CITED WERE DOWN'S SYNDROME, DIABETES, HUNTINGTON'S CHOREA, NIGHT BLINDNESS, POLYCYSTIC KIDNEY DISEASE, SICKLEMIA, MULTIPLE POLYPOSIS OF THE INTESTINES, AND OSTEOGENESIS IMPERFECTA.
"A GREAT MAJORITY OF THESE DISEASES ARE SERIOUS, RELATIVELY FEW ARE TREATED, BUT NONE ARE CURABLE. THEREFORE, THE APPROPRIATE APPROACH TO THEIR CONTROL IS PREVENTION THROUGH COUNSELLING, WITH PRENATAL DIAGNOSIS AND SELECTIVE ABORTION IF INDICATED," DR CHIU
SAID.
ONE
HE POINTED OUT THAT, ACCORDING TO SURVEY RESULTS, AT LEAST CHILD IN 10, AND SOMETIMES PERHAPS AS MANY AS ONE IN FOUR, HAD A DISORDER WHICH WAS PARTLY GENETIC IN CAUSATION; AND ONE IN 20 HAD A DISORDER WHICH WAS ENTIRELY GENETIC IN ORIGIN.
HE ADDED THAT STUDIES CONDUCTED IN WESTERN COUNTRIES REVEALED THAT GENETIC DISORDERS CONTRIBUTED SIGNIFICANTLY то MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN CHILDHOOD.
"IT IS, THEREFORE, IMPORTANT TO RECOGNISE THE PROBLEM AND IDENTIFY THOSE AT RISK AS A FIRST STEP TOWARDS PREVENTION, HE SAID.
DR CHIU NOTED THAT HONG KONG OPERATED A CLINICAL GENETIC COUNSELLING SERVICE ON A SMALL SCALE, SUPPORTED BY THE CYTOGENETIC LABORATORY AT THE TSAN YUR HOSPITAL.
BUT HE SAID ONLY 1,630 OUT OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES HAD MADE USE OF THIS SERVICE, AND HE ATTRIBUTED THE LOW USAGE TO "INADEQUATE PUBLIC EDUCATION
[1
"SHOULD THE GENERAL PUBLIC BE AWARE OF THE A SERVICE, THE CASELOAD WILL CERTAINLY INCREASE SAID.
EXISTENCE OF SUCH CONSIDERABLY," HE
/HE DESCRIBED