ARTICLE 12
EQUALITY IN ACCESS TO HEALTH FACILITIES
EQUALITY IN ACCESS TO HEALTH FACILITIES
In addition to the Cervical Screening Programme, DH has also rolled out a three-year pilot scheme funded by the CCF in December 2017, under which service providers from three NGOs will reach out to the community to encourage low-income women to receive free or subsidised cervical cancer screening and provide them with health education on prevention of cervical cancer.
The Government announced in the 2014 Policy Address the planning and implementation of a pilot programme that subsidises colorectal cancer screening for specific age groups. In September 2016, DH launched the three-year Colorectal Cancer Screening Pilot Programme to provide subsidised screening for asymptomatic Hong Kong residents born in the years 1946 to 1955 to prevent colorectal cancer. In the 2018-19 Budget, the Government announced that the Programme will be regularised and the screening age will be progressively extended to 50-75 by phases in coming years.
Since the last report, policy and measures that promotes, supports and protects breastfeeding has been strengthened. Details are set out in Annex 12A.
Mental health problems have become increasingly significant in the HKSAR. The Hong Kong Mental Morbidity Survey (HKMMS), the first territory-wide face-to-face psychiatric epidemiological study conducted in Hong Kong during 2010 to 2013, estimated that the one-week prevalence of any common mental disorders6 in Chinese women aged 16-75 was 16.9%, which was higher than that in men (9.4%). In 2016, the female age-standardised mortality rate due to suicide was 5.7 per 100 000 standard population, compared to 13.7 per 100 000 standard population for males.
In the past few years, the resources allocated by the Government on mental health services have been increasing. The annual expenditure has increased from over HK$5 billion in 2013-14 to around HK$6.45 billion in 2017-18.
Following the conclusion of a mental health review conducted during 2013 to 2017, the Mental Health Review Report was published by the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) in April 2017 with 40 recommendations made for the enhancement of the mental health services in Hong Kong. Based on the recommendations of the mental health review, FHB has set up a standing Advisory Committee on Mental Health in December 2017 to follow up on the implementation of the 40 recommendations, to advise the Government on mental health policies as well as to assist the Government in further enhancing various mental health services. Amongst other initiatives, the Advisory Committee has steered the conduct of prevalence studies on mental health for different age groups with first phase of studies commencing in early 2019.
Since 2010, HA has implemented a number of new initiatives, including the launch of the Case Management Programme (“CMP”), the introduction of peer support element in the CMP, the introduction of a 24-hour psychiatric advisory hotline, the enhancement of multi-disciplinary support for common mental disorder clinics, etc., with a view to strengthening community support and improving waiting time for psychiatric services.
FHB, in collaboration with HA and SWD, launched a two-year pilot scheme named the Dementia Community Support Scheme (“DCSS”) in February 2017 to provide support services to elderly persons with mild or moderate dementia and their carers in the community through 20 District Elderly Community Centres (DECCs). The DCSS will be regularised in February 2019 and extended to all 41 DECCs in 2019-20 to benefit more elderly persons (including women) in need.
DH launched the Joyful@HK Campaign, a three-year territory-wide promotion programme, in January 2016. DH is planning to launch an on-going mental health education and destigmatisation campaign in 2019.
At the MCHC level, a Comprehensive Child Development Service has been implemented to identify mothers with probable postnatal depression. Clients suspected to have postnatal depression will be referred to HA’s specialist services if necessary. In collaboration with public hospitals, postnatal mothers are also provided with physical checkups, advice on family planning and support to adapt to life changes through experience sharing in support groups and individual counselling.
In the coming years, HIV prevention and care for women will be enhanced. As stated in the “Recommended HIV/AIDS Strategies for Hong Kong (2017-2021)” – published by the Hong Kong Advisory Council on AIDS, HIV education, condom use and regular testing should be strengthened in non-Chinese Asians, and Africans, the majority of whom are women. Services should be sensitive to their needs. Moreover, feasibility and the logistics of re-testing pregnant women to further eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission during the latter part of pregnancy will be explored.
The Government continues to ensure the provisions of services for women with special needs, such as women with disabilities, elderly women, drug abusers, sex workers and ethnic minorities, imported workers and foreign domestic helpers, as reported in the previous report. Details of such services are set out in Annex 12B.
6 Including depressive episode, generalised anxiety disorder, mixed anxiety and depressive disorder, phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and panic disorder.
