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Letters | Ignoring wealth inequality puts Hong Kong’s health and well-being at risk
- Readers discuss the effects of inequality on Hong Kong people’s physical and mental health, continuing education for the elderly and the hotel quarantine policy
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It is deplorable that the lowest decile of median monthly household income in Hong Kong has not increased since the handover in 1997. In fact, it has actually decreased from HK$4,200 to HK$3,000 (US$535 to US$380) as of the first quarter of 2022, as we learned from Paul Yip’s recent column (“Five steps Hong Kong’s new leader can take to tackle income inequality”, July 10).
Entrenched poverty must become a policy priority for Hong Kong’s new government, so as to fulfil the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and President Xi Jinping’s to-do list for the new chief executive.
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A deeper issue is that poverty and deprivation are closely related to people’s health. Although Hong Kong has the world’s longest life expectancy, not all of its people are necessarily leading healthy lives. A local study showed that those who earned less than HK$15,000 a month were around 50 per cent more likely to suffer from more than one chronic disease than those earning HK$40,000 or more.
It is pathetic that a city with such massive wealth inequality takes no proportionate heed of the health divide. Extensive evidence shows that such neglect will lead to immense medical and social costs in the long run. Factors such as work environment, neighbourhood and physical environment and education all play substantial roles in people’s health.
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Yip’s suggestions of a minimum wage review, creation of a family-friendly work environment and employee protections are to be applauded because these are conducive to workers’ well-being, particularly those on the lower rungs of the social ladder. It is also a welcome trend to see some local organisations trying out a four-day working week, giving employees more flexibility to find work-life balance.
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