14
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 1990
THE FIGURES FOR PREVIOUS YEARS WERE: 7,269 CASES AND A RATE OF 129.5 PER 100,000 POPULATION IN 1987, 7.432 AND 134.3 IN 1986, 7,545 AND 138.3 IN 1985 AND 7,843 AND 145 IN 1984.
DR LEE SAID A TOTAL OF 403 TUBERCULOSIS DEATHS WERE REPORTED LAST YEAR, GIVING A RATE OF SEVEN PER 100,000 POPULATION.
THIS SHOWED A SLIGHT INCREASE WHEN COMPARED WITH 388 DEATHS
AND A RATE OF 6.8 PER 100,000 POPULATION IN 1988.
WERE
DURING THE PAST YEAR, HE SAID, 226 VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE FOUND TO HAVE ACTIVE TUBERCULOSIS REQUIRING TREATMENT AS A RESULT OF EXAMINATION OF SYMPTOM-MOTIVATED INDIVIDUALS.
"ALL BOAT PEOPLE AGED 14 AND BELOW WERE GIVEN DIRECT BCG VACCINATION AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVED, DR LEE SAID.
MAINTAINED TO
"ALL OTHER PREVENTIVE AND CONTROL MEASURES WERE PREVENT THE POSSIBLE SPREAD OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASES FROM THE VBP TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY," HE ADDED.
DESPITE THE DECLINING ANNUAL RATE OF NOTIFICATION, DR LEE SAID TUBERCULOSIS REMAINED A PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM IN HONG KONG.
KINGDOM
- AT THE STATE OF
LAST YEAR, TWO TUBERCULOSIS EXPERTS FROM THE UNITED PROFESSOR WALLACE FOX AND PROFESSOR STEWART KILPATRICK INVITATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REVIEWED THE PRESENT TUBERCULOSIS AND ITS MANAGEMENT IN HONG KONG AND ADVISED ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TUBERCULOSIS AND CHEST SERVICE.
ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THEIR REPORT, DR LEE SAID, WAS THE SETTING UP OF A TUBERCULOSIS RESEARCH CENTRE.
HE EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT THE ASSOCIATION, WHICH HAS BEEN PLAYING A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS, WOULD RENDER ITS ASSISTANCE TO THIS END.
ON LUNG CANCER DEATHS, DR LEE SAID, THE FIGURE FOR LAST YEAR WENT UP TO 2,592 FROM 2,354 IN 1988, GIVING A MORTALITY RATE OF 45 AND 41.4 PER 100,000 POPULATION RESPECTIVELY.
HE EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT, VolunteeER AGENCIES AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC MUST CONTINUE THEIR EFFORTS то COMBAT CIGARETTE SMOKING.
TURNING TO OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISEASES, DR LEE SAID, 152 CASES OF SILICOSIS AND ONE CASE OF ASBESTOSIS WERE REPORTED AND COMPENSATED LAST YEAR.
THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PNEUMOCONIOSIS CASES COMPENSATED SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PNEUMOCONIOSIS COMPENSATION ORDINANCE IN JANUARY 1981 STOOD AT 3,511.
/DR LEE