WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1993
IN THE ABSENCE OF A VACCINE OR A CURE FOR AIDS, PREVENTION AND EDUCATION REMAIN THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST THE THIS EPIDEMIC. IN LINE WITH WHO'S GLOBAL STRATEGY, GOVERNMENT'S KEY OBJECTIVES ARE :
(A) TO PREVENT INFECTION WITH HJV;
SPREAD OF HONG KONG
(B) TO REDUCE THE PERSONAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF HIV INFECTION:
AND
(C) TO MOBILIZE AND UNIFY PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY EFFORTS AGAINST
AIDS.
AND HIV
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING I THINK, WE IN THE GOVERNMENT HAVE ADOPTED A PROACTIVE APPROACH. EVEN BEFORE THE FIRST AIDS CASE WAS DIAGNOSED IN HONG KONG, AN EXPERT COMMITTEE ON AIDS WAS FORMED IN 1984 TO LOOK INTO THE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS AND TO DEVELOP A STRATEGY OF CONTROL. IN MAY THE FOLLOWING YEAR, A DEDICATED SCIENTIFIC WORKING GROUP WAS FORMED TO SUPERVISE THE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM ON AIDS AND ΤΟ ESTABLISH GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS IN PREVENTION MANAGEMENT OF HIV INFECTION. IN 1985, A COUNSELLING SERVICE FOR INFECTED PERSONS WAS PUT INTO OPERATION. THE HONG KONG RED CROSS ALSO STARTED SCREENING ALL DONATED BLOOD ΤΟ GUARD AGAINST HIV CONTAMINATION. MOREOVER, THE HIV ANTI-BODY TEST BECAME GENERALLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE VIRUS LABORATORY IN QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL. THROUGH THE AIDS COUNSELLING AND HEALTH EDUCATION SERVICES, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH NOW CONDUCTS AN AVERAGE OF SOME 3,000 HIV TESTS ON SAMPLED BLOOD ALONE. IT ALSO PROVIDES MEDICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING FOR CLIENTS, ORGANIZES SUPPORT GROUP FOR PATIENTS, RUNS A SPECIALIST CLINIC FOR HIV POSITIVE PATIENTS AND OPERATES AN AIDS HOT- LINE FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. FURTHERMORE, IT ORGANIZES EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY PROGRAMMES AIMED AT ENHANCING PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE ON THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE DISEASE, PARTICULARLY ON THE WAYS OF PREVENTING INFECTION. IN ADDITION TO APIS AND EXHIBITIONS, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH STAFF CONDUCTS HEALTH TALKS THE CLINICS AND SCHOOLS AND ALSO, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT, PRODUCED GUIDELINES AND TEACHING KITS FOR SCHOOLS.
IN
FOR THE BETTER COORDINATION OF THE MANY ACTIVITIES ORGANIZED BY GOVERNMENT AND BY COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, TWO YEARS AGO, AN ADVISORY COUNCIL ON AIDS WAS SET UP. LATER, THE HONG KONG AIDS FOUNDATION LIMITED WAS ESTABLISHED, RECEIVING MONEY FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE JOCKEY CLUB TO FURTHER ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION AS PART OF OUR OVERALL STRATEGY TO COMBAT AIDS.
IT
CAN BE SEEN, THEREFORE, THAT MUCH HAVE BEEN DONE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. HOWEVER, MUCH MORE, MUCH MUCH MORE NEED TO BE DONE. WE IN HEALTH AND WELFARE BRANCH AND THE DEPARTMENT
OF HEALTH HAVE THEREFORE DEDICATED THIS YEAR TO BE THE YEAR OF CONCENTRATED CAMPAIGN AGAINST AIDS. WE ARE PUTTING IN PLACE PLANS FOR A MAJOR PUBLICITY AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN FOR SUSTAINING THIS EFFORT IN THE COMING YEARS.
/OUR STRATEGY
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