Expat kids Health?

Hi there,


My husband and I are planning to move to Hong Kong with our 3 and 5 year old next year.


We are both Australians and just wondering what are some of the precautions and things we should know about living in HK, especially with such young children. Is HK as dirty and polluted as it is often made out to be?


How do you rate the health care system? Which aspects of it are you most nervous about?


Are the local produce safe? Is it better to eat imported foods?



What are some of the health issues that worry you as parents?


Are there any diseases or problems that commonly aile the expat children? Respiratory issues?


Thanks in advance.


Concerned mum.

the air is polluted, but the streets and sidewalks are for the most part very clean, in fact the heavy pedestrian areas like Causeway bay streets and sidewalks are washed at least weekly


health care is excellent, we had our girl in the local system last year and they were very well equipped and professional, she was 6 wks preem and they took great care of her...in fact, many private (read expensive) hospitals send problem births to local hospitals as they are not equipped to deal with them...also extremely affordable, like Canada but without the insane taxes, but of course waiting room to fill up...


my visiting father developed a clot in his leg and was also admitted to public hosp., again very good care, full battery of scans and treatment done quickly, very low cost, even for a foreigner


the biggest worry i have is the air quality...i'm from Canada which, like Aus, has very clean air...my health has suffered (constant 'frog in the throat', can't wear my contact lenses for very long) because of the terrible air quality


you must have heard about the milk scandal, and there are the occasional food quality scares, mainly from Mainland sources...i definitely am more label aware now, and try not to buy any processed foods from China

Have lived here for 11 years, my youngest 2 were born here. Healthcare is very good. Streets are swept daily, so yes buildings are grimy from road pollution and peeling billboards, but very little litter. Where we live the roads are swept of leaves everyday too. We're not nervous about any aspect, my kids are extremely healthy, in fact we all seem to suffer if we go back to the UK on holiday.

We cannot afford to buy only imported food, so the family has been brought on local veg, chicken, eggs, milk etc.

Even public toilets have improved greatly since the Sars outbreak.