ENG-1992 — Page 185

HEALTH

villages, as well as the countryside and country parks. The campaign focused on community involvement, education and publicity through all media of communication.

The 20th anniversary celebrations included mass participation events, a parade carnival and the Keep Hong Kong Clean 20th Anniversary Rally, at the launching and conclusion of the campaign year, involving the active participation of the District Boards.

To encourage greater public participation and achieve wider media publicity, the two municipal councils engaged an advertising agency. Along with the 20th anniversary theme, a new slogan, Thanks for Keeping Hong Kong Clean, was adopted. Television Broadcasts Limited was engaged to build up publicity for the campaign through nominating a ‘Star of Cleanliness' each month and a grand finale TV spectacular in November.

The Dragon of Cleanliness, the mascot for the campaign, continued to participate actively in various campaign activities to put across the keep clean message.

Law enforcement remained a major weapon against litter offenders, and special efforts were made by enforcement officers to deter littering. During the year, 37 000 litterbugs were fined a total of $10.5 million.

Controls

Both municipal councils are the authorities responsible for environmental hygiene and staff of the two municipal services departments enforce the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation to ensure that standards of hygiene in the territory are well maintained. The staff regularly inspect licensed and permitted premises, common parts of buildings, squatter areas, construction sites and undeveloped land. They respond to complaints about sanitary nuisances, vermin infestation and substandard foods. They also work closely with the Department of Health in the investigation and control of food-poisoning outbreaks and infectious diseases.

To better utilise manpower and resources, the Urban Services Department continued with the Selective Inspection System for the inspection of licensed food premises. Under this system, food business establishments are graded according to their past performance. The frequency of inspection for each establishment is then determined in accordance with its grading.

In order to maintain standards on food premises and to deter offences against licensing and hygiene regulations, a Demerit Points System is used under which the accumulation of 15 points for convictions within 12 months forms the basis for suspension or cancellation of a food business licence or permit.

The Regional Services Department continued to exercise strict control over food premises which failed to apply for a licence or which had not complied with the specified requirements. Since 1987, the prosecution of offenders had increased in frequency from monthly to weekly. This had had the effect of dramatically reducing the number of unlicensed food businesses to 75 in December 1992.

For the prevention of vector-borne diseases, pest control staff of the two departments carried out integrated programmes to control rodents, mosquitoes, flies and other public health pests. Measures taken included environmental improvement, eradication of breeding places, health education and law enforcement. Special surveillance was maintained to prevent outbreaks of malaria in Vietnamese migrant centres. Technical support is provided by the Pest Control Advisory Section of the Department of Health.

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