March 25, 2000, Saturday
HEADLINE: TB incidence 10 times worse than overseas
BYLINE: Sanna So
THE incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is 10 times higher than that in overseas countries,
according to statistics released yesterday on World Tuberculosis Day. The Department of
Health reported 7,557 cases last year, compared with 7,673 and 7,072 cases in 1998 and
1997. It means that one in every 1,000 residents in Hong Kong has TB. Dr Tam Cheuk-ming,
the department's consultant chest physician, said this was 10 times higher than countries
in Europe and America. He said the congested living conditions and close links with the
mainland and Southeast Asian countries had made the transmission of the airborne disease
easier. The ageing population was also to blame for the high rate, Dr Tam said. ''For
instance, one-third of the TB patients in 1999 were elderly people aged over 65. With the
ageing population, the bodily resistance gets lower than when they were young and they
become more vulnerable to TB,'' he said. The rate had been the same in the last 20-30
years because of intense lifestyle, imbalanced diet and inadequate rest, Dr Tam said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), TB kills two million people each year.
It also warned that the global epidemic was growing and becoming more dangerous. It
estimates that between this year and 2020, nearly one billion people will be infected
globally, 200 million people will get sick, and 35 million will die from TB - if effective
measures were not taken to stem the disease's spread. Acting Director of Health Dr Paul
Saw Thian-aun said TB was a very serious disease. ''Co-operation between healthcare
workers and the patients' family members in providing full support to the patients would
be the essential element in successfully controlling TB,'' said Dr Saw while addressing a
ceremony marking the day. The WHO and the International Union Against Tuberculosis And
Lung Diseases had declared March 24 as World Tuberculosis Day. Dr Saw said: ''Our slogan
for 2000 is: 'Eradicating TB depends on you and me.' It calls for continuous efforts in
our anti-TB work. ''It is hoped that the disease could be eliminated through the joint
efforts of the government and the citizens together with international collaboration.''
The department advised the public to maintain health, have adequate rest and exercise and
a balanced diet to guard against TB. Dr Saw said parents should make sure their children
were vaccination against the disease.