Annual departmental report by the Director of Medical and Health Services / Hong Kong.

  • Hong Kong. Medical Department.
Date:
[1973]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual departmental report by the Director of Medical and Health Services / Hong Kong. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/180 (page 11)
    40. The infant mortality and neo-natal mortality rates continued to decline. This useful index to the trend of health conditions of the general population is illustrated in Figure 2. FIGURE 2 INFANT AND NEO-NATAL MORTALITY RATE 1958-72 YEAR Infant Mortality 41. The infant mortality rate was 17.5 per thousand live births, and is now at a lower level than many European and American countries. The decline in infant mortality during the year was due to improve¬ ment in environmental conditions, development of maternal and child health services, and increasing public appreciation of the value of these services in the maintenance of health among infants and mothers. 42. Among the major causes of infant mortality there were reduc¬ tions in mortality from preventable diseases, particularly tetanus, pneu¬ monia and bronchitis. There has been a steady reduction in mortality from prematurity due to improvement in midwifery and maternal health services. As experienced elsewhere, congenital malformations and other diseases of the new-born proved during the year to be more intractable, and mortality from these causes was little affected.