ENG-2015 — Page 184

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Health

Leveraging on its experience in the pilot project, the government committed to undertake a 10-year programme to develop a citywide Electronic Health Record Sharing System (eHRSS). This is a new IT infrastructure developed to enhance the quality and efficiency of healthcare service provided to healthcare recipients. The corresponding legislation, the Electronic Health Record Sharing System Ordinance (Cap 625), was passed by the Legislative Council in July 2015 and took effect in December 2015. The first stage of eHRSS development has been completed and the system is targeted to be launched in the first quarter of 2016.

Health Promotion

Healthy Lifestyle

The Department of Health's Central Health Education Unit formulates and implements health promotion strategies. It runs campaigns and programmes to provide the public with information and advice on health-related topics and to encourage healthy eating and regular physical activity.

In the 2014-15 school year, 590 pre-primary institutions participated in the [email protected] campaign and about 470 primary schools, including special schools, joined the [email protected] campaign. In 2015, about 700 restaurants took part in the [email protected] campaign, while 18 organisations involving about 3,300 staff took part in the [email protected] project.

In addition, to prevent communicable diseases, the unit provided the public with updated information and health advice on infectious diseases. It also produced materials in various languages to raise awareness among ethnic minorities of hygiene measures and the need to prevent communicable diseases.

A total of 317 secondary schools, about 75,000 students and 800 parents and teachers enrolled in the Adolescent Health Programme and received its services.

Aids Counselling and Education

The department's Red Ribbon Centre collaborates with community partners to enhance public awareness and prevention of human immunodeficiency virus and to promote caring and acceptance of HIV patients. In 2015, the centre organised 23 major activities and 64 special programmes, involving some 81,400 participants.

Information on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, sexually transmitted infections and multilingual Aids hotlines is available at the department's website.

Appointments for counselling and HIV antibody/rapid tests may be made on the hotline 2780 2211. In 2015, the hotline received about 26,000 calls and nurse counsellors received 18,500 calls for Aids counselling service. About 820,000 condoms were distributed to promote safer sex. There are also a Gay Men HIV Testing Hotline (2117 1069) and a website. In 2015, the Gay Men HIV Testing Hotline received 250 calls for counselling and HIV antibody/rapid testing.

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