Press Releases
TB is still a major public health problem
Tuberculosis (TB) is still a major public health problem around the world and
members of the public should build up their bodily resistance, Secretary for
Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow said today (March 19).
At a ceremony marking World TB Day, Dr Chow said there were about eight million
new cases in the world, among which some two millions were fatal cases.
Dr Chow said in Hong Kong the annual reported cases remained at 6,000 in recent
years.
He said Hong Kong had adopted Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) for TB patients
in the past few decades. DOT required patients to take every dose of the
medication under the direct observation of healthcare staff.
Echoing Dr Chow's remarks, Director of Health, Dr Lam Ping-yan said Hong Kong's
TB notification rate was 10 times higher than that of Western developed
countries.
As the incubation period of TB can be several weeks to several decades, Dr Lam
said a set of long-term and effective preventive measures was essential to fight
against it.
In addition to the use of DOT, Dr Lam said contact tracing and detection of new
TB cases were important preventive measures being taken by the Department of
Health.
As a preventive measure, the department has also provided medicines to patients'
family members who were infected to minimise the chance of onset of the disease.
Dr Lam said the department had all along been maintaining close contact with the
World Health Organisation and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and
Lung Disease in the fight against the disease which is a worldwide problem.
He thanked the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart
Diseases Association and other parties concerned for their support and
cooperation in providing TB information as well as preventive and control
services.
"The collaboration of all sectors of the community is essential in the fight
against the disease," Dr Lam noted.
To prevent TB, members of the public should build up their bodily resistance by
getting adequate rest and exercise as well as adhering to a balanced diet, he
said.
"Parents should make sure that their children receive the BCG vaccination for
protection against TB," Dr Lam added.
Today's ceremony was organised by the Hong Kong Tuberculosis, Chest and Heart
Diseases Association, the Department of Health and the Hospital Authority.
More information on TB is available from the department's Tuberculosis and Chest
Service hotline at 2572 6024.
The public can also visit the website jointly developed by the department and
the Hospital Authority at http://www.info.gov.hk/tb_chest or the WHO website at http://www.who.int/gtb.
Ends/Saturday, March 19, 2005
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