To celebrate Kwun Tong District joining the World Health Organization Global Network of Age-friendly Cities and Communities and the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, the Kwun Tong District Office held the Lion Dance Performance in Celebration of Lunar New Year and Hong Kong's Return to the Motherland - Kwun Tong District Feast for the Elderly today (February 23).

     The Chairman of the Kwun Tong District Council (KTDC), Dr Bunny Chan; the District Officer (Kwun Tong), Mr Gilford Law; the Acting District Social Welfare Officer (Kwun Tong) of the Social Welfare Department, Ms Bonnie Leung; the Vice Chairman of the KTDC, Mr Hung Kam-in; the Chairman of the Social Services Committee under the KTDC, Mr Tang Wing-chun; and the Assistant District Officer (Kwun Tong), Ms Eiphie Chan, officiated at the ceremony.

     Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Chan said that Kwun Tong has the third highest proportion of elderly population in Hong Kong.  In response to the global ageing population, the WHO advocated the implementation of the Network in 2005, encouraging cities and communities worldwide to provide a healthy and comfortable living environment for the elderly based on the eight indicators in the guidelines, including transport, community support and health services. In Kwun Tong District, various government departments, the KTDC, the Area Committees, district organisations, social welfare organisations and more have been working closely to provide a wide variety of services for the elderly in the district with elderly care as one of the major development strategies. These efforts have aimed at building an age-friendly community in Kwun Tong in response to the challenges posed by an ageing population. 

     Dr Chan announced that Kwun Tong District was certified by the WHO as a member of the Network in early February.  The certification recognised the achievements made by the district's various partners in elderly services over the years.  Efforts will continuously be made to organise diversified activities in the future to encourage senior citizens to express their views on improvements to community facilities for the elderly, promoting a sense of worthiness in the community and engaging others in the spirit of lifelong learning, so that the elderly persons in Kwun Tong can enjoy an enriching life. The results and assessments will be submitted to the WHO in a timely manner for certification of the age-friendly community in Kwun Tong on a continuous basis.

     The event was joined by more than 1 000 elderly people from the elderly centres and day care centres in the district, and provided an opportunity to show care and respect for the elderly in the district and express gratitude to them for their contributions to the community.

Ends/Thursday, February 23, 2017
Issued at HKT 20:34

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