Life expectancy of Hong Kong people is about 10 years longer, compared with that of 30 years ago, local press reported Saturday.

According to statistics made by Hong Kong's Department of Health, the life expectancy at birth reached 78.6 years among males and 84.5 years among females in 2002, compared with approximately 67 among males and 75 among females in the early 1970s.

Consultant of the Department of Health Tse Lai-yin was Saturday quoted as saying that apart from the life expectancy, other major health indices, including the infant mortality rate, maternal mortality ratio have been all remaining consistently at a highly satisfactory level over the past three decades.

She believed that the satisfactory health indices reflected substantial improvements in public health infrastructure, medical care, public education and better hygiene over the years.

She stressed that Hong Kong continues to enjoy highly satisfactory health indices compared with the rest of the world.

According to the Department of Health, the infant mortality rate, which is among one of the lowest in the world, has decreased from 9.7 per 1,000 registered live births in 1981 to 2.4 in 2002.

The maternal mortality ratio remained low over the past two decades. There was only one maternal death registered in 2002.

"However, cancer, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease remained the top three killers," she added.

"Keeping up a healthy lifestyle is crucial to maintaining good health. The public is advised to eat a balanced diet, do regular exercise, not to smoke and to have adequate rest," she said.

(Xinhua News Agency  September 22, 2003)