ENG-1969 — Page 164

HEALTH

99

the aid of a government subvention, maintains accommodation for 540 persons at Hei Ling Chau Leprosarium for the treatment of infectious cases and a small number of patients requiring reconstruc- tive operations are also accepted.

Malaria continues to occur on a very limited scale, being restricted to certain rural areas of the Colony. Most of the cases reported during the year were either imported or recurrent cases. Malaria prevention in the urban areas is based chiefly on anti-larval measures consisting of draining and clearing streams, ditching and oiling. In the greater part of the New Territories, where the background is essentially rural, screening of buildings, use of mosquito nets and chemoprophylaxis constitute the main protection against malaria. All anti-mosquito measures for the prevention of malaria are carried out by the Pest Control Section of the Urban Services Department. Clinical aspects of malaria control such as malaria surveys and chemotherapy are the responsibility of the Medical and Health Department.

Diphtheria continued to occur mainly among children under 10 years of age, predominantly within the 'pre-school' age-group. The annual inoculation drive which has been in progress since 1959 continued to give encouraging results, and it is gratifying to record that there has been a steady decline in the number of cases notified annually; in 1969 only 62 cases were recorded compared with 2,087 cases in 1959.

Measles is most prevalent among children under the age of five years and epidemics are characteristically biennial, the last one occurring in the winter of 1966–7. In Hong Kong during epidemics the disease is usually associated with high mortality due mainly to complicated bronchopneumonia encountered too late for treatment to be effective. A Colony-wide immunisation campaign commenced in December 1967 and was continued through 1968-9. The campaign was given wide publicity and parents were also informed of the importance of early treatment of the disease. The disease incidence during the winter months of 1968-9 did not show the expected biennial rise, and mortality associated with the disease remained low. These results were due, at least in part, to the immunisation campaign and the continuing health education efforts to encourage parents to seek early medical advice.