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7
No serious major epidemics occurred in the district and
the influenza epidemic anticipated in the post-war years has
not materialised. Notifications of Infectious Disease numbered
1405. One death occurred from Diphtheria, a disease
which is to a great extent preventable. During the year the
Diphtheria Immunisation Scheme was extended and
publicised and although the proportion of children protected
in this way is not as high as one would wish, it is reasonable
to look forward in future years to a greater use being made
of the facilities and to a further improvement in the incidence
of this serious disease. Scarlet Fever, Measles and Whooping
Cough have been mild in type and only where the home
conditions were unsuitable were cases removed to hospital
for treatment. This unavoidable measure of treating infectious
disease in the home, owing to the acute shortage of
hospital beds, has apparently had no adverse effect on the
spread of infection. The incidence rate in Tuberculosis,
which in the war years 1941-44 showed a rise compared with
the gradual fall recorded in the years prior to the war, has
again fallen and the table on page 27 shows the trend
for both the primary notification rate and the death rate.
Inadequate housing both in quantity and quality is the
most urgent problem which needs to be dealt with in
the field of public health in the immediate future. The long
and short term policies of both the Borough Council and of
the London County Council, when completed, will reap rich
rewards in mental and physical well-being, and an opportunity
will then arise to rid the district of much slum property
which in other circumstances would not have been tolerated.
It is fortunate that during the year the staff of Sanitary Inspectors
was not affected by the general shortage of these
officers. Complaints have greatly increased and 19,823 inspections
and 15,486 re-inspections were carried out. A
rigorous policy of enforcing abatement of nuisances was
pursued but unavoidable delays and disappointments occurred
as a result of the shortage of materials and skilled labour.
The Public Health Services and the work of the
Maternity and Child Welfare Services were gradually