XN000022-1992-01-24 — Page 16

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1992

"THE INFANT MORTALITY RATE WAS 6.5 PER 1,000 LIFE BIRTHS WHICH IS LOWER THAN SOME OF THE TECHNICALLY ADVANCED COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, HE SAID.

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"OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A STEADY DOWNWARD TREND IN MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE, WHICH IN 1991 STOOD AT 0.06 PER 1,000 TOTAL BIRTHS

ONE OF THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD."

ALL THESE, HE SAID, POINTED TO THE HIGH STANDARD OF OBSTETRICAL, MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CARE IN HONG KONG.

THE LIFE EXPECTANCY HAS ALSO SHOWN A VERY SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER THE YEARS. FOR MALE, THE LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH IS 75 AND FOR FEMALE IT IS 80 WHICH AGAIN COMPARE VERY FAVOURABLY WITH THOSE TECHNICALLY ADVANCED COUNTRIES.

DR LEE SAID MOST OF THE MAJOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY THE COMMON CHILDHOOD COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, WERE WELL

UNDER CONTROL.

ON VIRAL HEPATITIS AND AIDS, THE DISEASES CAUSING CONCERN AT TO THE MOMENT, HE SAID, THE DEPARTMENT WAS PAYING SPECIAL ATTENTION PREVENTIVE MEASURES.

IN ADDITION то EXPANDING THE VACCINATION PROGRAMME FOR HEPATITIS B. EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY EFFORTS HAD BEEN INTENSIFIED ON BOTH DISEASES, DR LEE ADDED.

MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD

TOMORROW

ABOUT 240 STUDENTS FROM 40 SECONDARY SCHOOLS (SATURDAY) WILL BE SOLVING MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS WITHOUT ANY HI-TECH ASSISTANCE, THE TRUSTY ABACUS NOR THE SLIDE RULE.

THESE STUDENTS ARE TAKING PART IN THE FINAL ROUND OF THIS YEAR'S HONG KONG MATHEMATICS OLYMPIAD ORGANISED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

THEIR SCHOOLS

THE YOUNG MATHEMATICAL WIZARDS ARE REPRESENTING IN THE CONTEST WHICH REQUIRES ACCURACY AND SPEED WITHOUT ELECTRONIC CALCULATORS). THEY WILL BE ENTITLED TO A BONUS OF 20 MARKS IF THEY GIVE CORRECT ANSWERS WITHIN THREE MINUTES.

THE ASSISTANT