25% Hongkongers Can't Afford Basic Needs

One-quarter of Hongkongers are considered deprived of basic necessities

The Hong Kong government acknowledges there are poor people in Hong Kong, but it's the number that it can't seem to decide on because it can't determine the exact definition of poverty.

It prefers to just look at income levels, but critics say this is not enough, as some people may own flats, but have no income and have run out of savings, or they barely make enough to make ends meet and live in squalid conditions. Some don't want to bother reaching out for social services or they don't qualify for certain subsidies.

Chinese University researchers have come up with another way to determine if someone is poor by seeing if they can afford 23 essential items or services. These include three meals a day, a dental check-up once a year, afford new clothes or go out with family or friends once a month.

Researchers say poverty should be calculated by deprivation

If they were not able to afford at least two or more of these items they were considered deprived.

They interviewed 1,476 people in 2014 and the same participants again last year. They found that one in four of them were deprived last year, 24.7 percent, which compares to 28.8 percent in 2014.

Researchers say the city's economic growth, historically low unemployment ration and higher salaries attributed to fewer deprived people, but it doesn't mean poverty has been eliminated at all.

Of those who took part in the study, 26.7 percent were unable to afford to get a regular dental check-up, though it was down from 38.7 percent three years earlier.

The study also showed that those who were defined as deprived were 1.5 times more likely to be less physically healthy, and 1.3 times more likely to be less mentally healthy compared to those who could afford all 23 items and services.

Chinese University associate professor Wong Hung who conducted the study said the research showed the government's official definition of poverty underestimated those who were socially disadvantaged in Hong Kong.

Handouts don't solve the poverty issue, researchers say

The government makes its calculations based solely on income and household size, and so the poverty line is at half the median monthly household income according to household size. Those who live below the poverty line are considered poor.

With that calculation, one in five people were living below the poverty line last year, a record high.

Wong said, "Handing out money or cash vouchers to people might not necessarily solve the city's deprivation problem. The government should implement more specific community programs so people can directly benefit from them."

This is not a new suggestion and the government doesn't really do anything, instead depending on NGOs and charities to fill the need.

Wong and his colleagues are suggesting to the government that it include deprivation as part of its determination of who is in poverty or not. It would probably increase the numbers which the authorities wouldn't be happy about, but these people are in desperate need of services and resources to keep their heads above water.

With Hong Kong being such a wealthy city, there is no excuse not to help the neediest.

Hong Kong's Teething Problems

Hong Kong children need to learn more about the importance of healthy teeth

For the most part Hong Kong people are very conscious about their appearance, washing their hands a lot and bathing. They use 220 litres of water per capita per day -- way above the global average of 130 litres per capita per day.

But you'd think that hygiene ritual would include dental care, but apparently not enough attention is focused on the teeth.

The University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Dentistry has found that two out of five children, or 37 percent of the 23,000 students in 125 kindergartens examined in the last academic year had dental cavities.

This averages out to 1.5 decayed teeth, 0.1 tooth less than two years ago. Although the overall prevalence rate of tooth decay in kindergarten pupils has dropped from 44 percent two years ago to 37 percent, Dr Chu Chun-hung, from the faculty's Community and Family Dentistry, said the situation warranted serious concern.

In the United States, the prevalence for tooth decay in children two to five years of age was 23 percent, and 18 percent in three-year-olds in Japan.

"The eruption of permanent teeth begins when they are six years old until 12. Decayed teeth could affect their learning at school, as there could be pain and fever," Chu said.

Those kids studying in Sham Shui Po, Wong Tai Sin and North District had more decayed teeth than average, around 1.9 to 2 teeth.

Dr Edward Lo Chin-man, chair professor in dental public health at HKU suggests this could be because of the parents' educational and wealth levels. He said some parents neglected the importance of cleaning the children's teeth because they think there are other more important things to look after.

Lo said the government should expand its dental care service from primary schools to kindergartens.

What's even more shocking is that in March, experts said more than 90 percent of five-year-olds in Hong Kong with cavities did not get treatment because their parents weren't aware of it, and that many patients didn't see a dentist until they were in their 50s or older.

This is such a bizarre observation considering most Hong Kong people are very conscientious about their grooming habits. But obviously they have not been taught, either by their parents or at school, about the importance of good dental care.

Having clean teeth and healthy gums also indicate the overall health of the individual, as some health problems can be detected by a dentist looking in someone's mouth.

But there are probably the usual fears of visiting the dentist and being scared of the pain, or concerns about the cost, but many Hong Kong people don't understand the benefits and the necessity of checking in with a dentist at least once a year.

As Lo says the government needs to educate people about how teeth in good condition are a sign of a healthy body, just like washing hands.

The MTR these days makes public announcements of how people should use a tissue when they sneeze, and wash their hands frequently. Maybe adding that people should brush their teeth twice a day and floss should be added...