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PREFACE.
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
Edmonton, N.9.
His Worship the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the Borough of
Edmonton.
Your Worship, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In presenting my Annual Report for the year 1945, I wish to inform you that
it has been compiled in accordance with Ministry of Health Circular 28/46 and
contains therefore only a brief outline of the health circumstances relating to the
Borough.
I am pleased to say that the war terminated during this municipal year to
the intense satisfaction of everyone concerned. We must now set ourselves
energetically to the task of reconstruction and to make up for the lack of progress
which we would otherwise have made but for the outbreak of war.
The DEATH RATE continues to be low and shows a reduction on the
previous year, notwithstanding the restrictions due to war conditions. The increase
in BIRTH RATE for 1944 has not been maintained.
During the year we remained free from epidemics, and again it is to be
noted quite a number of old people in Edmonton exceed their three score years and
ten. Already the citizens are eagerly looking for the repair of their battered accommodation
and trying to acquire other, and it would appear that from the requests
made at my Department in the Town Hall that it will be not only a matter of
prime importance to develop new dwellings but a task difficult to attain; considering
the circumstances under which quite a number of the citizens live they still maintain
a cheerfulness and good fellowship which was so characteristic of them during
the war.
The trend of Tuberculosis was upwards for the Country as a whole, but in
Edmonton it remained fairly constant with only a very slight increase.
I am very happy to be able to report that only eleven cases of Diphtheria
occurred in the Borough throughout this year, this in no small measure being
due to immunisation; nevertheless I shall feel more happy when larger numbers
of children in the Borough have been immunised. The response to our appeal
for immunisation was always good, which shows that many of the Edmonton people
have a sound realisation of their duties as citizens. Upwards of three-quarters of
the child population of the Borough should be immunised in order to secure a
fair degree of success for the scheme. Quite a large number of children are
immunised for Whooping Cough as well and from reports from the General
Practitioners it would appear that not only is there a less incidence of the disease
but those immunised children who contract Whooping Cough had much milder
symptoms and shorter duration of the illness.
I must also mention that the MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE in the
Borough is one to be proud of, having reached an exceedingly low rate of 0.61 per
1,000 live and still births. This is in no small measure due to the splendid efforts
made by Assistant Medical Officers, Municipal Midwives, Health Visitors, General
Practitioners and the willing co-operation which we have received from the Staff
of the North Middlesex County Hospital.
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