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The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (December 30) the "Special Topics Report No. 62" on social statistics, which contains detailed findings of the survey on persons with disabilities and chronic diseases conducted in 2013.
Persons with disabilities included those with restriction or those who lacked the ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. At the time of the survey, it was estimated that there were some 578 600 persons with disabilities residing in institutions with residential services and in domestic households. These persons with disabilities had one or more of the following types of disability : (1) restriction in body movement; (2) seeing difficulty; (3) hearing difficulty; (4) speech difficulty; (5) mental illness/mood disorder; (6) Autism; (7) Specific Learning Difficulties; and (8) Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. These 578 600 persons with disabilities constituted about 8.1% of the total population of Hong Kong.
The survey also collected information on persons with intellectual disability residing in institutions and in households. However, there was strong indication of under-reporting in respect of the number of persons with intellectual disability in households as derived from the survey findings. Hence, the analysis of survey findings pertaining to the persons with intellectual disability has been separated from that of persons with other types of disability in the report. A crude statistical assessment indicated that the total number of persons with intellectual disability in Hong Kong was likely to be in the region of 71 000 – 101 000.
The survey findings also indicated that some 1 375 200 persons required long-term (i.e. lasting at least 6 months) medical treatment, consultation or medication for certain type(s) of diseases at the time of the survey. These 1 375 200 persons with chronic diseases constituted about 19.2% of the total population of Hong Kong.
The survey was organised into three parts. The first part was a special topic enquiry (STE) on persons with chronic diseases conducted via the General Household Survey (GHS), collecting data from persons with chronic diseases who resided in households. The second part was a STE on persons with disabilities conducted via the GHS, collecting data from persons with disabilities who resided in households. The third part was an institutions survey to collect data from those persons with disabilities and chronic diseases who resided in institutions with residential services.
The survey report includes findings of the above survey with some 91 statistical tables and charts. Users can download this publication free of charge at the website of C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp380.jsp?productCode=C0000055).
Enquiries about the contents of the survey report can be directed to the Social Analysis and Research Section (2) of C&SD (Tel: 2887 5503 or email: special-topics@censtatd.gov.hk).
Ends/Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Issued at HKT 14:30
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