ENG-2007 — Page 209

Chapter 8

Health

No one in Hong Kong is deprived of medical care because of a lack of means. The Government provides a wide range of public services and facilities to meet the community's healthcare needs. Concurrently, it spares no effort in combating health hazards. Its very strict ban on smoking in public places indoor

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and outdoor is just one of many

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examples of its commitment to keeping Hong Kong clean and healthy.

2007 Figures at a Glance

Infant Mortality Rate

Maternal Mortality Ratio

Life Expectancy 2007 2036

(* provisional figures)

1.7* per 1 000 registered live births.

1.4* per 100 000 registered live births.

79.3* (Male) 85.4* (Female) 82.7 (Male) 88.3 (Female) projected

Hong Kong has a quality healthcare system supported by a highly professional team of healthcare workers. The infant mortality rate has declined steadily over the past 20 years and was the lowest in the world in 2006. Hong Kong people's life expectancy has improved notably. In 2007, male life expectancy was 79.3* years while female life expectancy was 85.4* years (* provisional figures). The life expectancies of both sexes in Hong Kong were the second highest in the world in 2006.

But Hong Kong's healthcare system comes at a price. According to Hong Kong's Domestic Health Accounts (DHA)1, Hong Kong's total health expenditure increased from 3.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1989-90 to 5.2 per cent in 2004-05. As a percentage of total health expenditure, the share of public health spending rose from 40 per cent to 55 per cent in the same period. Public health spending in the 2004-05 financial year amounted to $37.2 billion, or 2.8 per cent of

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A series of accounts compiled over the years in accordance with the International Classification for Health Accounts (ICHA) Framework developed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to keep track of Hong Kong's health spending and to allow for international comparison.

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