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5
Sanitation
Clean Air remains our most important task and the Chief
Public Health Inspector records the real progress made in this
campaign.
Infectious Diseases
The programme of vaccination against poliomyelitis continued
and against the background of an unusually hot dry summer, the
virtual disappearance of the disease was most encouraging. Prom
other sources, evidence suggests that the degree of protection
given hy vaccination to the individual is only adequate against
average risk and it is therefore most important to ensure that
as large a percentage as possible of the susceptible population
are immunised. Well over 90% of children under 15 years of age
have been vaccinated in Croydon and every effort is being made
to maintain this coverage.
Personal Health services
1959 was mainly a year of planning for new services in the
light of fresh legislation, but all existing facilities were
maintained, some extended in volume and others improved in detail
Major Building Projects
The replacement of the existing public abattoir, the provision
of a public mortuary and Coroner's post-mortem room, an
adult training centre and new clinic buildings for the West
Croydon and Waddon areas presented problems due to failure to
find suitable sites, the great amount of architectural work at
present being undertaken by the Corporation and delays in actual
building. While unable to report on the successful solution
of all the problems thus presented, Members of the Committee
will recall visits to sites and long deliberations on various
Possibilities. I hope to record more definite results in my
next Report.
Health Education
The special section which assists in the fulfilment of this
fundamental duty of the Health Department continues to be of increasing
value. Not only are we improving and developing our
methods, but there is the constant stimulus to re-examine basic
beliefs and to test the explanations for established procedures.