X1000306-1966-67_Part01 — Page 6

L INTRODUCTION

THE Colony of Hong Kong occupies a land area of 3984 sq. miles, and the estimated mid-year population in 1966 was 3,732,400 of which approximately 85% was concentrated in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It is a young population, 40% being below the age of 15 years and only 6% over the age of 60.

2. The general health of the population continued to be good during the year under review despite the conditions of urban overcrowding aggravated by poor hygienic conditions in pre-war tenement and other buildings in multiple occupation and by large aggregations of squatter and roof-top dwellings. A single case of cholera was notified on 24th November after an absence of the disease for more than two years in the Colony, the last case having been reported in June 1964. The Colony was declared free from cholera infection on 5th December and continued to remain free from this and other quarantinable infectious diseases. The major infectious diseases such as diphtheria and poliom- yelitis continued to remain at a low incidence. The normal biennial increase in the number of cases of measles was recorded during the year under review.

3. While tuberculosis remains the major public health problem in the Colony, deaths from cancer, diseases of the heart, cerebro-vascular lesions and poeumonia were the leading causes of death followed by tuberculosis.

4. During the year the Jockey Club Clinic at Cheung Sha Wan and the complex Jockey Club Polyclinic at Yau Ma Tei were opened. In addition, two new ward blocks at Castle Peak Hospital and the exten- sions to the Queen Mary Hospital were completed and the majority of these buildings were brought into use.

5. In the following pages are reviewed the state of the public health and the more important developments in the work of the Medical and Health Department and of the major voluntary agencies which are in receipt of substantial subventions from Government funds for the sup. port of their medical activities. Detailed information covering all aspects of these fields is to be found in the Statistical Appendix to this report, the index to which is at page 58.

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