XN000022-1993-07-08 — Page 13

THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1993

12

NEW TB CASES SHOW SMALL RISE

HONG

KONG

THE NUMBER OF NEWLY NOTIFIED TUBERCULOSIS CASES IN HAS SHOWN A SLIGHT INCREASE LAST YEAR WITH 6,534 CASES REPORTED, COMPARED WITH 6,283 CASES IN 1991.

THIS WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY (THURSDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH AND PRESIDENT OF THE HONG KONG TUBERCULOSIS, CHEST AND HEART DISEASES ASSOCIATION, DR S H LEE, AT THE ASSOCIATION'S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

DR LEE SAID THE NOTIFICATION RATE WAS 112.4 PER 100,000 POPULATION COMPARED WITH 109.2 IN 1991.

TUBERCULOSIS MORTALITY REMAINED MORE OR LESS THE SAME WITH DEATH RATE BEING 7.1 PER 100,000 POPULATION IN THE PAST TWO CONSECUTIVE YEARS, HE ADDED.

AMONG VIETNAMESE REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS, 309 WERE FOUND TO HAVE ACTIVE TUBERCULOSIS IN THE COURSE OF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AS REQUIRED UNDER THE REPATRIATION OR RESETTLEMENT SCHEMB.

IT IS NOTED THAT THE INCIDENCE RATE OF TUBERCULOSIS AMONG THEM HAS BEEN HIGHER THAN THE LOCAL POPULATION, DR LEE SAID.

HE NOTED THAT THE SITUATION OF TUBERCULOSIS HAD BERN CAUSING WORLDWIDE CONCERN IN RECENT YEARS.

MANY

"DURING THE WORLD CONGRESS IN WASHINGTON, USA IN NOVEMBER 1992, RENOWNED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR WORRIES ON THE CONTROL OF THE DISEASE IN RELATION TO THE PANDEMIC OF HIV INFECTION AND THE PROBLEM OF MULTIDRUG-RESISTANCE.

'ALTHOUGH HONG KONG IS NOT FACING THE SAME PROBLEM AT PRESENT, ALL PREVENTIVE AND CONTROL MEASURES ON TUBERCULOSIS HAVE ΤΟ BE MAINTAINED AND STRENGTHENED, HE SAID.

RESEARCH ON TUBERCULOSIS HAS BEEN CONTINUED TO DEVELOP MODERN CHEMOTHERAPY REGIMENS WHICH WILL BE MORE EFFECTIVE, LESS TOXIC AND EASIER TO ADMINISTER.

"OTHER RESEARCH ON SURVEILLANCE, DEVELOPMENT OF NEW AND DIAGNOSTIC METHODS WILL NEED TO BE LOOKED INTO IN THE YEARS TO HE SAID.

RAPID

COME,

ti

TURNING TO LUNG CANCER, DR LEE SAID THE REPORTED LUNG CANCER DEATHS WERE 2,761 LAST YEAR COMPARED WITH 2,597 IN 1991.

"AN UNSTEADY TREND OF LUNG CANCER DEATHS IS EXPECTED CONTINUE UNTIL THE ANTI-CIGARETTE SMOKING EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TOTAL PUBLIC CONSCIENCE AND BECOME CONSISTENTLY SUCCESSFUL,

TO

HAS WON HE SAID.

ON PNEUMOCONTOSIS CASES, DR LEE SAID 188 CASES OF SILICOSIS AND TWO CASES OF ASBESTOSIS WERE REPORTED, ASSESSED AND COMPENSATED LAST YEAR.

/"WITH THE