ENG-1959 — Page 166

PUBLIC HEALTH

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supervision of the staff of the Government Tuberculosis Service. In addition to the 198 tuberculosis beds in Government hospitals, subventions from public funds are granted to voluntary agencies for the maintenance, in total or in part, of 1,426 beds.

Since 1951, when the death rate from tuberculosis was 208 per 100,000, the highest figure on record in Hong Kong, the death rate has declined steadily to 76.2 per 100,000 in 1959. The percentage of deaths from tuberculosis occurring below five years of age has also declined from 34.0% in 1951 to 19.0% in 1959. The figures for the last five years are as follows:

Year

Estimated mid-year

Death rate

population

per 100,000

Percentage of all deaths registered

1955

2,340,000

120.0

14.7

1956

• ·

2,440,000

107.0

13.6

1957

2,583,000

103.6

13.9

1958

1959

2,748,000

2,857,000

83.8

11.2

76.2

10.7

Percentage of T.B. deaths below 5 years of age

28.0

T

25.0

21.2

19.6

19.0

Although encouraging progress is being made there is still a very long way to go before population surveys can be instituted. Existing services and planned clinic and hospital facilities due to materialize within the next 3 years are likely to be more than fully committed by the steadily increasing demand for treatment. X-Ray surveys, however, are carried out among special groups such as school teachers, University students, in orphanages, and in industrial undertakings when specific guarantees are given by employers in respect of sick leave and re-employment.

The Tuberculosis Service has at its disposal funds for the assist- ance of tuberculosis patients who have been advised by its medical officers to give up work to undergo treatment in hospital. Assist- ance in kind as well as in cash is given at the discretion of the Almoner. Welfare services, mainly assistance in kind, are also maintained by other official and voluntary agencies.

Venereal Diseases. Generally speaking, the decline in the inci- dence of venereal diseases has continued with certain exceptions which are not significant in relation to the whole problem. There was an increase in the number of cases of primary and secondary syphilis, and the figures for early latent syphilis also rose, though the number of cases of late latent syphilis dropped considerably.