International Perspectives

Abstract

Variations in disease patterns have been observed frequently in different geographic locations, in particular, between Asian and western countries. These differences can be due to dissimilarities in genetic composition or the influence of environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. Hong Kong is an important gateway between mainland China and the western world. It is situated in the Guangdong province of Southeastern China and is home to 7.2 million people, who live in a very densely populated area of 1,071 square kilometers. It consists of the Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and New Territories. Approximately 98% of the population is ethnic Chinese, with inhabitants originating from southern provinces of China. Hong Kong was a British colony for 155 years until sovereignty was returned to China on July 1, 1997, under a governing structure of “One country, two systems.” Such historic factors have paved the way for a unique mixing of eastern and western cultures in Hong Kong. For example, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), although not the mainstream health-care system recognized by the British Hong Kong Government, is widely practiced in the territory. Despite prosperity in past decades, Hong Kong still is perceived commonly by westerners as a “developing” city, implying that it is rather “backward and poor.” Hong Kong was, indeed, a small fishing village in the 19th century but has evolved since into one of the premier maritime hubs and metropolitan cities. In the past 10 years, shipping followed the manufacturing industry up the Pearl River Delta into mainland China during the jittery pre-handover period in the 1990s. Today, Hong Kong is a major financial center and often referred to as Asia's New York City. (1) In the past decade, market capitalization on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has increased fivefold to just under $2 trillion, approximately one sixth the size …