ENG-1986 — Page 170

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HEALTH

of breeding places, use of pesticides and law enforcement. Attention is also paid to the control of malaria vectors, especially in Sai Kung and the border areas.

General health educational strategies in environmental hygiene were employed with particular emphasis being placed on educating the younger generation. The Health Education Unit of the Municipal Services Branch manned by health inspectors organised talks, instruction courses, contests and competitions for students and youth groups to stimulate their awareness of and concern for public health matters. During the year, a number of educational campaigns on environmental and food hygiene were launched. Lectures, seminars and courses on public health were conducted for the food trade, members of voluntary welfare agencies, elderly people and Vietnamese refugees. Efforts were also made to educate special groups, including immigrants from China and Filipina maids, chiefly through mobile broadcasting. In addition, the Health Education Unit provided a consultancy service on health education methodology and techniques for the public and disseminated public health information on a wide front with the aid of the mass media.

Food

The health inspectorate, backed by medical advice and supported by laboratory staff, continued to monitor food for sale, both imported and locally produced, to ensure it was hygienic and safe for consumption. The ever-increasing number of food establishments and the quantities and varieties of food items on sale have increased the importance of law enforcement, including systematic inspection, sampling of food products for laboratory examination, and surveys. At the same time, liaison with the World Health Organisation and other international bodies keeps Hong Kong abreast of international developments in food science and toxicological evaluation for the protection and benefit of local food traders and consumers.

Markets

In the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, the Urban Council runs 58 public markets with more than 7900 stalls selling different commodities ranging from fresh foodstuffs such as meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and fruits, to general merchandise such as clothing, household goods and other daily necessities. Besides providing a wide range of commodities, the design of new market complexes includes also the standard provision of a cooked food centre.

It is the Urban Council's policy to reprovision outdated markets and replace them with multi-purpose complexes to cater for other needs of the community such as games halls, libraries, and auditoria for the performing arts, as well as markets. This results in a more efficient and productive use of available land. There are now six such market complexes in the urban areas.

The Regional Services Department is responsible for the management of public markets in the Regional Council area. There are 27 public markets and 13 cooked food markets with a total of 4 468 market stalls and 362 cooked food stalls under its management. One new market, namely the Hung Shui Kiu Temporary Market was commissioned in 1986, providing 224 additional market stalls.

Hawkers

The management and control of hawkers in the urban areas of Hong Kong Island and Kowloon is the responsibility of the Urban Council, with the police assisting in the control