The Government aims to ensure no one in Hong Kong is deprived of medical care because of lack of means. It provides a wide range of public services and facilities to meet the healthcare needs of the community. It also works endlessly to safeguard public health — combating infectious diseases and promoting health education. Second-hand smoking is dealt with severely. The law on tobacco control has been further strengthened, and smoking in most indoor and outdoor places such as restaurants, bars, offices and leisure grounds is now banned.

Hong Kong has a quality healthcare system supported by a highly professional team of healthcare workers. The infant mortality rate has declined steadily over the past 20 years to become the lowest in the world in 2006. Hong Kong people's life expectancy has improved notably. In 2004, male life expectancy was 79 years, the highest in the world; while female life expectancy at 84.8 years was the third highest, or slightly lower than that of Japan and Monaco.

But Hong Kong's healthcare system comes at a price. According to the Government's Domestic Health Accounts (DHA)¹, Hong Kong's health bill increased from 3.8 per cent of GDP in 1989-90 to 5.5 per cent in 2001-02.² The Government's share of this expenditure rose from 43 per cent to 57 per cent in the same period. The Government's total spending on health-related matters in the 2004-05 financial year amounted to $37.8 billion, equivalent to 14.7 per cent of total public expenditure, or 2.9 per cent of GDP. Hong Kong's ageing population, rising expectations of healthcare, and soaring medical costs pose a challenge for the Government in the long run and is a matter of concern to the community.