ENG-2007 — Page 217

Health 169

AIDS Counselling and Education

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention and health promotion programmes in Hong Kong are underpinned by the concerted efforts of the Government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The department's Red Ribbon Centre collaborates with its community partners to promote public awareness and prevention of HIV and to discourage discrimination against HIV patients. In 2007, the centre organised 26 major activities and 122 focused programmes, benefiting around 70 000 participants.

A 24-hour, trilingual (Cantonese, Putonghua and English) AIDS hotline 2780-2211 has been set up to provide information to the public on AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome), sexually transmitted diseases and HIV testing. Appointments for counselling and HIV antibody tests may be made on the hotline. In 2007, some 16 000 calls were made to nurse counsellors on the hotline by people seeking AIDS counselling. Over 1 million condoms were distributed to promote safer sex. There is also a telephone hotline called The Gay Men HIV Testing Hotline 2117-1069 and a website www.21171069.com set up for men who have sex with

men.

Organ Donation

The Department of Health joined hands with the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Medical Association and various NGOs to promote organ donation. In collaboration with the Hong Kong Medical Association, the department also launched a territory-wide organ donation promotion campaign entitled 'Light up lives. Support organ donation' in 2007.

A territory-wide campaign was launched to encourage organ donation. Appeals were made to various government departments, NGOs and private companies to solicit their support in making organ donation cards/forms readily accessible to their staff and clients, and actively encouraging them to sign on. Posters were also put up and car screen stickers were distributed to motorists to help spread the word.

Twenty-three liver transplants, seven heart transplants, 53 renal transplants, one lung transplant and 213 cornea transplants were carried out in Hong Kong's public hospitals in 2007.

Smoking and Health

Legislation

To further protect the public from the hazards of second-hand smoking, the Legislative Council enacted the Smoking (Public Health) (Amendment) Bill 2005 in October 2006 to expand statutory no smoking areas to all indoor workplaces and public places, to strengthen the regulation on advertisement, promotion, packaging and labelling of tobacco products, as well as to strengthen law enforcement efforts. China is a signatory to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) of the World Health Organisation (WHO), rendering provisions of the convention to be applicable to Hong Kong. The amendment bill has significantly enhanced Hong Kong's tobacco control regime and its compliance with the FCTC. With effect from