TNAG-0655-FCO40-804-Development-of-medical-and-health-services-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 69

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IMMEDIATE

CYPHER CAT/A

FM HONG KONG 061000Z

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

READ A

RESIDURY NO. 51

7 APR 1977

(1)CK-250/

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NO 359 OF 6 APRIL

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 259.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS: MR DAN JONES, M.P.

ANSWER TO QUESTION 1

IN THE CONTROL OF COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, HONG KONG HAS ERADICATED SUCH QUARANTINABLE DISEASES AS SMALLPOX AND CHOLERA

AND OTHERS SUCH AS POLIOMYELITIS, DIPTHERIA, WHOOPING COUGH AND INDIGENOUS MALARIA. IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, IMMUNISATION PROGRAMMES AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CONTROL WILL CONTINUE TO ENSURE THE ABSENCE OF THESE DISEASES, IN THE CASE OF OTHER DISEASES SUCH AS TUBERCULOSIS, MEASLES, LEPROSY, VENEREAL DISEASES, TETANUS ETC., THERE HAVE BEEN REDUCTIONS IN THE INCIDENCE RATES DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS. STEPS WILL CONTINUE TO BE TAKEN IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO FURTHER REDUCE THE INCIDENCE RATES AND, WHERE POSSIBLE, TO ERADICATE THESE DISEASES.

TO PROVIDE HEALTH SERVICES FOR MOTHERS AND CHILDREN, THE

NUMBER OF HEALTH CENTRES WILL BE INCREASED FROM 37 IN 1974

TO 43 BY 1982.

IN THE AREA OF FAMILY PLANNING, IT IS INTENDED THAT THE NUMBER OF FAMILY PLANNING CLINICS WILL BE INCREASED FROM 66 IN 1977 TO 72 BY 1982. THE BIRTH RATE PER THOUSAND POPULATION

AND THE INFANT MORTALITY RATE PER THOUSAND LIVE BIRTHS, WHICH WERE 17.2 AND 14.3 RESPECTIVELY IN 1976, ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE FURTHER IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

A COMPREHENSIVE OBSERVATION SCHEME FOR THE EARLY DETECTION OF DISABILITIES IN CHILDREN AGED 0-5 WILL BE INSTITUTED FROM 1978.

CONFIDENTIAL

/ VISION AND