ThepublicationofthisbookmarksthefifteenthanniversaryoftheoutbreakofSARSepidemicinHongKongin2003.Thisdocumentarystudy,originatingasaresearchprojectayearaftertheepidemic,isacomprehensiveattempttoexaminethedevelopmentofpublichealthinHongKongfrom1841totheearly1990s.Itcoverstheperiodsofprewarcolonialrule,Japaneseoccupation,postwarreconstructionandgrowth,andthebeginningofdecolonisation.Itanalysespolitical,social,economic,andculturalfactors,includingtheintersectionofcolonialprioritiesandindigenousagencyandpracticesthataffecteddiseaseoutbreaksanddevelopment,governmentandlocalresponses,advancesintechnologyrelatedtohealthandmedicine,aswellastheemergenceofhealthagenciesandinstitutions.Thehistoricaldocuments,selectedfromgovernmentarchives,personalpapers,andspecialcollections,areinvaluablesourcematerialsforthecriticalevaluationofsuchdevelopments.ThebookprovidesamuchneededandindispensablehistoricalperspectivetounderstandingHongKong’sstruggletocombatprevalentandemergingdiseasessuchasmalaria,tuberculosis,avianinfluenza,andSARS.
avianinfluenza economic SOCIAL KONG HEALTH HISTORY HONG
