Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (April 5) received notification of a human case of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Gansu from the National Health Commission, and again urged the public to maintain strict personal, food and environmental hygiene both locally and during travel.

     The male patient from Jiuquan, aged 82, has been hospitalised for management and his condition is serious now. This is the first case reported in the Mainland this year.

     “Travellers to the Mainland or other affected areas must avoid visiting wet markets, live poultry markets or farms. They should be alert to the presence of backyard poultry when visiting relatives and friends. They should also avoid purchasing live or freshly slaughtered poultry, and avoid touching poultry/birds or their droppings. They should strictly observe personal and hand hygiene when visiting any place with live poultry,” a spokesman for the CHP said.

     Travellers returning from affected areas should consult a doctor promptly if symptoms develop, and inform the doctor of their travel history for prompt diagnosis and treatment of potential diseases. It is essential to tell the doctor if they have seen any live poultry during travel, which may imply possible exposure to contaminated environments. This will enable the doctor to assess the possibility of avian influenza and arrange necessary investigations and appropriate treatment in a timely manner.

     While local surveillance, prevention and control measures are in place, the CHP will remain vigilant and work closely with the World Health Organization and relevant health authorities to monitor the latest developments.

     The CHP’s Port Health Office conducts health surveillance measures at all boundary control points. Thermal imaging systems are in place for body temperature checks on inbound travellers. Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for follow-up.

     The display of posters and broadcasting of health messages in departure and arrival halls as health education for travellers is under way. The travel industry and other stakeholders are regularly updated on the latest information.

     The public should maintain strict personal, hand, food and environmental hygiene and take heed of the advice below if handling poultry:
 

• Avoid touching poultry, birds, animals or their droppings;
• When buying live chickens, do not touch them and their droppings. Do not blow at their bottoms. Wash eggs with detergent if soiled with faecal matter and cook and consume the eggs immediately. Always wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling chickens and eggs;
• Eggs should be cooked well until the white and yolk become firm. Do not eat raw eggs or dip cooked food into any sauce with raw eggs. Poultry should be cooked thoroughly. If there is pinkish juice running from the cooked poultry or the middle part of its bone is still red, the poultry should be cooked again until fully done;
• Wash hands frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, before handling food or eating, and after going to the toilet, touching public installations or equipment such as escalator handrails, elevator control panels or door knobs, or when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing; and
• Wear a mask if fever or respiratory symptoms develop, when going to a hospital or clinic, or while taking care of patients with fever or respiratory symptoms.

     The public may visit the CHP’s pages for more information: the avian influenza page, the weekly Avian Influenza Report, global statistics and affected areas of avian influenza, the Facebook Page and the YouTube Channel. read more

Attention TV/radio announcers:   Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:        The car park at Hong Kong Wetland Park is full. Motorists going to the Park can use the nearby public car parks at Tin Heng Es… read more

     The Department of Health (DH) today (April 5) urged the public to engage in physical activity regularly to have a healthy lifestyle, which can help in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), in support of the annual World Day for Physical Activity on April 6.
 
     “Physical inactivity is one of the leading behavioural risk factors for NCDs. According to the data collected by the Health Assessment Questionnaire of the Student Health Service Centres of the DH in the 2017/18 school year, the proportion of secondary and primary students who were insufficiently physically active reached 94 per cent. On the other hand, according to the Population Health Survey 2014/15, the prevalence of insufficiently physically active persons aged 18 years or above was 13.0 per cent locally,” a spokesman for the DH said.
 
     “According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical inactivity is estimated to be the principal cause for over 20 per cent of breast and colon cancer burden and diabetes, and approximately 30 per cent of ischaemic heart disease burden. NCDs such as cancers, cardiovascular diseases including heart diseases and stroke, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases are prevalent in Hong Kong. Once these diseases develop, patients not only have to arrange medical appointments and take medications in the long run to manage their health, but also face risks of complications or even death. Their ability to work and care for themselves will be reduced, thus affecting the individuals, their families and the entire society as a whole,” the spokesman said.
 
     “Maintaining regular physical activity starting from childhood and continuing into adult years will bring tremendous health benefits, including increased physical fitness with improvements to both cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength; reduced body fatness; lower risks of developing cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes; enhanced bone health; and building resilience and reducing symptoms of depression and so on,” the spokesman added.
 
     Medical research has also revealed that by leading a healthy lifestyle, such as avoiding smoking and alcohol consumption, maintaining regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy diet (e.g. choosing food low in salt, sugar and fat, and consuming at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables a day), 80 per cent of heart disease, stroke and diabetes cases and 40 per cent of cancer cases can be prevented.
 
     WHO recommends children (aged 5 and above) and adolescents (up to 17 years of age) to have at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity every day and adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity in every week. Also the “Global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030” was published by the WHO in 2018 to encourage member states to create active societies, active environments, active people and active systems to achieve more active people for a healthier world. The spokesman explained that most people can do physical activity easily in their daily lives. For instance, they may get off a stop or two earlier and walk the rest of the way to their destination when taking public transport; take the stairs instead of escalators or lifts; or do housework such as mopping the floor, scrubbing the bathtub or car washing, which are also physical activities.
 
     With a view to reducing the burden of NCDs, including disability and premature death, in Hong Kong, the Government announced “Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in Hong Kong” in May last year with a focus on four NCDs (namely cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes) and four shared behavioural risk factors (namely unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol), the spokesman said.
 
     In addition, the DH in December last year launched a one-year territory-wide “Healthy Hong Kong 2025 | Move for Health” Campaign, which aims to raise the public’s awareness on and participation in healthy living, and to encourage the public to “move for health” and increase their physical activity to build an active lifestyle and prevent NCDs. The DH also created a campaign mascot, Lazy Lion, who will pop up in the community from time to time to dance with the public and promote the “move for health” message.
 
     For more information, please visit:
 
• Physical activity guidelines;
• “Towards 2025: Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent and Control Non-communicable Diseases in Hong Kong“;
• “Healthy Hong Kong 2025 | Move for Health” Campaign and Lazy Lion page; and
• WHO Global action plan on physical activity 2018–2030 read more

     The International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva is one of the largest and most prestigious innovation shows in the world. Hong Kong innovators frequently come away with prizes from the annual expo. In 2018, the Hong Kong Design Institute and the Hong Kong Productivity Council scooped awards for their outstanding inventions and now the Productivity Council is preparing to enter this year’s exhibition, which will run from April 10 to 14.

     News.gov.hk spoke to the inventors about their designs and how joining global events helps promote Hong Kong’s achievements in innovation and technology.

     The story appears on news.gov.hk today (April 5) in text and video format. read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:        During the winter surge, the Hospital Authority is closely monitoring the service demand of Accident and Emergency Departments and the occupancy rate in publ… read more