ENG-1953 — Page 125

SOCIAL SERVICES

minimal cases among those brought to light. This has been reflected in the steady fall in the number of persons it has been found necessary to invalid from the Government service on account of tuberculosis.

During the year, 24,915 Government employees were examined radiographically and the percentage found with active tuberculosis was 0.722%. The corresponding figures for the previous year were 19,611 and 0.984%. At Appendix XB is set forth an analysis showing percentages of cases of tuberculosis found in major Government Departments (employing 500 or more persons) during the past three years.

The figures therein indicate that, despite the not inconsider- able cost of the procedure, the annual radiographic survey pays material dividends in reduced commitments for sickness.

Malaria. There was a reduction in the number of cases of this infection reported, there being 780 cases as compared with 1,010 in the previous year. It is difficult to assess accurately the incidence of malaria in the Colony as it is impossible to get exact information relating to the cases that are reported. There is little doubt, however, that the figures already quoted do not indicate that anything like that number of persons acquired their infection within the urban areas con- trolled by the Malaria Bureau. It is perhaps of interest that of 30 cases recorded from the European population of approxi- mately 25,000, it was established in only 2 such cases that infection was incurred within the area subject to malaria control.

With the commencement of construction work on the new dam at Tai Lam Chung, in the New Territories, anti-malaria measures were instituted in the vicinity to protect the labour force. The average monthly labour population in the area, throughout the year, was 600 and no cases of malaria were recorded. This is of interest in view of the fact that 20 years ago, when the Shing Mun Dam was being constructed in exactly

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