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ANALYSIS OF VITAL STATISTICS
1. The Registrar General's mid-year estimate of population
for 1956 is 40,660. This is a decrease of 50 on the previous year's
estimate. The estimated population for 1955 also showed a slight
decrease of 20 on the previous year. Over the two years the Registrar
General estimates that the population has decreased by 70 which
on a population of over 40,000 is approximately .17 per cent.
2. The number of live births has increased from 504 in 1955 to
534 in 1956. There was also a slight increase in births in 1955. The
birth rate has risen from 30.0 to 30.9 due to the increase combined
with the decrease in population. The number of illegitimate births
shows a very considerable increase over 1955 being a 40 per cent,
rise on that figure. Over the past 10 years the average of illegitimate
births is approximately 20. There has been an increase over the last
2 years. However, as these figures fluctuate widely year by year
it is not possible to draw any conclusions from the statistics of
two consecutive years.
3. The infantile mortality rate is 13.5 per thousand live births
which is considerably less than in 1955 a year in which the
figure was very high. In order to make a comparison of figures
the average rate over the last 5 years was approximately 18.
Over this period the infantile mortality rate has varied between
21.0 and 10.5. The death rate for illegitimate infants is 0. This
figure has no significance as the figures involved are too small
and vary too widely for one year's statistics to have any meaning.
4. The number of deaths from cancer is the same as the previous
year, i.e., 78, of which 12 were due to cancer of the lungs.
5. In Table IV it will be noted that there were 29 new cases of
Tuberculosis but only 2 deaths from this disease. In the last Annual
Report it was noted that the number of deaths from Tuberculosis
is apparently decreasing, which is again borne out by the present
year's figures.
6. Infectious diseases show a decrease of approximately 500
during the year. The number of cases of measles notified is extremely
low and does not appear to be a true figure. In 1955 there was an
epidemic of measles and chicken pox which accounted for the high
figure of notified infectious diseases during that year. In 1956 there
were no epidemics of any size. The 12 cases of food poisoning
notified were isolated cases or cases occurring in one family. No
outbreaks of food poisoning have occurred throughout the year.
All cases of scarlet fever, poliomyelitis and food poisoning
are visited by the Public Health Inspectors and every endeavour
is made to trace contacts and in the case of food poisoning the
vehicle of transmission.
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