XN000022-1977-07-11 — Page 5

MONDAY, JULY 11, 1977

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT KEY TO SUCCESSFUL

HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMME

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HONG KONG'S OUTSTANDING AND SUCCESSFUL HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES ON FAMILY PLANNING AND IMMUNISATION HAVE BEEN DUE TO LARGE-SCALE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND NOT JUST TO THE EFFORTS OF PROFESSIONAL GROUPS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES, DR. K.L. THONG, IN HIS ADDRESS TO THE SACRED HEART CANOSSIAN COLLEGE ANNUAL SPEECH DAY THIS AFTERNOON.

HE SAID SUCCESSFUL HEALTH EDUCATION HAS BROUGHT THE BIRTH RATE DOWN TO AN ALL-TIME LOW OF 17 PER 1,000 POPULATION AND THE INFANT MORTALITY RATE DOWN TO 14.3 PER 1,000 LIVE BIRTHS WHICH IS THE ENVY OF MANY COUNTRIES INCLUDING SOME OF THE MOST ADVANCED IN THE WORLD.

THE DIRECTOR POINTED OUT THAT THE KEY FACTOR TO SUCCESS IN HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IS THE EXTENSIVE INVOLVEMENT OF THE RELEVANT GROUPS IN THE COMMUNITY WHICH HAS RESULTED NOT ONLY IN THE ABSORPTION OF INFORMATION BUT IN CHANGED ATTITUDES AND ACTUAL PRACTICE OF THE DESIRED HEALTH PRINCIPLES.

HE SAID THERE APPEARED TO BE A GENERAL MISCONCEPTION THAT HEALTH EDUCATION IS A ONE-WAY PROCESS WHEREBY SOMEONE IN POSSESSION OF HEALTH INFORMATION CAN ALWAYS TEACH OR IMPART SUCH KNOWLEDGE JUST BY LECTURING OTHERS.

BECAUSE OF THIS MISCONCEPTION, WHENEVER A NEED IS FELT THAT AN EDUCATION PROGRAMME SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT ON A PARTICULAR SUBJECT THE IMMEDIATE REACTION IS THAT THE WHOLE MATTER SHOULD BE REFERRED TO AN +AUTHORITY+ WHO MUST CARRY OUT ALL HEALTH EDUCATION ACTIVITIES FOR SOMEONE OR AN ORGANISATION, HE SAID.

+THIS APPROACH,+ SAID DR. THONG, +IS A WRONG APPROACH AND THE HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAMME IS DOOMED TO FAIL FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.+

+THIS IS BECAUSE IT IS ASSUMED THAT AS LONG AS INFORMATION IS POURED OUT IN LIBERAL DOSES TO A VAGUE TARGET CALLED THE "GENERAL PUBLIC', EVERYBODY IS THEN EXPECTED TO ABSORB THE INFORMATION, CHANGE THEIR ATTITUDES AUTOMATICALLY AND FINALLY TAKE ACTION ON SUCH INFORMATION,+ HE SAID.

+THE BETTER APPROACH IS THAT DEPENDING ON THE SUBJECT THERE SHOULD BE A DEFINITE TARGET GROUP OF PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, SCHOOL CHILDREN OR MOTHERS IN MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CLINICS TO WHICH THE HEALTH EDUCATION MESSAGE COULD BE DIRECTED.+

IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT NO +AUTHORITY+ SHOULD CARRY OUT HEALTH EDUCATION FOR OTHERS BUT TO DO SO WITH THEM, HE SAID.

/+BY THIS