OpinionHong Kong’s ageing society is prone to ‘rich-person’s diseases’ but help is on the way

Bernard Chan says cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory problems are the major causes of death in Hong Kong and linked to the ageing population. The government’s ‘Towards 2025’ action plan is taking steps to address this

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An elderly man and a child at Yue Kwong Chuen estate in Aberdeen in May 2018. Hong Kong has one of the lowest infant mortality and highest life expectancy rates in the world. Photo: Nora Tam

Published: 5:00am, 3 Aug 2018Updated: 12:29pm, 14 Aug 2018

By many measures, Hong Kong is one of the healthiest places in the world. We have one of the lowest infant mortality rates, and we come out on top in terms of life expectancy.

But like many developed societies, we are seeing a rise in non-communicable diseases. Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory problems have become the main threats to our health. Around 55 per cent of deaths in Hong Kong are due to these conditions.

Obviously, this trend is related to the ageing of our society – everyone will die of something. But we can live happier and more active lives if we take steps to reduce our chances of suffering from these “diseases of the rich world”.

The government recently released an action plan “Towards 2025” to do just this. Drawing on contributions and advice from a range of local experts and the World Health Organisation, the Food and Health Bureau and Department of Health have announced a set of nine targets, which they hope can be achieved by 2025.

One of the main benchmarks is a 25 per cent relative reduction in risk of premature death from these diseases. This calls for such measures such as improved cancer screening. It is also connected to other specified targets – such as reductions in alcohol, tobacco and sodium intake, and an increase in physical activity among the population.