ENG-2016 — Page 193

9

Health

Under a Vaccination Subsidy Scheme, children aged six months to less than 12 years, elders aged 65 or above, people with intellectual disability, pregnant women and Disability Allowance recipients can receive subsidised seasonal flu vaccination at private clinics. From the 2016-17 season, the government increased the subsidy for all eligible groups from $160 to $190 per dose. A subsidised pneumococcal vaccination at private clinics is also available for elders who have not previously received one. About 1,700 private doctors take part in the scheme.

Non-communicable Diseases

The major killers in Hong Kong are cancer, heart and cerebrovascular diseases, which together accounted for about 51 per cent of all registered deaths in 2016. Elderly people are the major victims of these chronic non-communicable diseases.

The Cancer Coordinating Committee, chaired by the Secretary for Food and Health, steers and recommends the strategies and work for the prevention and control of cancer, which claimed more than 14,100 lives locally in 2016. The Department of Health's Cervical Screening Programme encourages women aged 25 to 64 to undergo regular cervical cancer screening. In 2016, about 109,600 women underwent cancer screening.

On 28 September, the department launched a Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme to provide subsidised screening for Hong Kong residents born in the years 1946 to 1955 in phases to prevent colorectal cancer.

Regulatory Activities

Healthcare Professionals

As at end-2016, 14,013 doctors, 2,441 dentists, 9,956 listed and registered Chinese medicine practitioners, 52,389 registered and enrolled nurses, 4,540 midwives, 2,659 pharmacists, 209 chiropractors, 2,956 physiotherapists, 1,911 occupational therapists, 3,443 medical laboratory technologists, 2,180 optometrists, 2,209 radiographers and 424 dental hygienists were registered in Hong Kong.

The government launched a pilot Accredited Registers Scheme in 2016 to enhance the society-based registration arrangements of healthcare professions currently not subject to statutory regulation, to ensure the professional competency of healthcare personnel and provide more information for the public to make informed decisions.

Western Medicine

Western medicine in Hong Kong is regulated under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance. Acting on the authority of the Pharmacy and Poisons Board, the department evaluates and approves applications for registration of pharmaceutical products, issues licences to drug manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers, and takes action against the illegal sale of controlled drugs. The department also enforces regulatory controls on poisons, antibiotics and dangerous. drugs for medicinal use.

In 2016, the board approved 3,233 applications for registration of pharmaceutical products. As at the year end, 18,584 pharmaceutical products were registered.

151