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3
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH
FOR 1949.
Town Hall,
Anerley Road, S.E.20.
June, 1950.
To the Chairman and Members of the Urban District Council of Penge.
Mr. Chairman, Lady and Gentlemen,
I beg to present an Annual Report for the year ended 31st December, 1949,
which has been compiled in accordance with Circular No. 2/50 of the Ministry of
Health.
It is satisfactory to note that the improvement in the general health, as shown
by the Vital Statistics, has been continued during the year. The comparative
table later in the Report shows that Penge can show as good or better figures as comparable
parts of the country. The live-birth rate continues high although the
expected drop from the peak years following the war continues. Infantile
mortality has now reached a further low level record in the past year, and the
general death rate is the lowest recorded since 1933. Again there was a high
proportion of persons over 75 years of age among those who died. This large
number of old people in the community presents many problems in their care and
welfare, especially in the case of those who have become infirm and unable entirely
to look after themselves. In many cases voluntary organisations are augmenting
the help given by official departments. A meals service and home for old people
are being very successfully run by voluntary bodies in this district. In spite of all
this many cases of hardship are met with by my department which are very difficult
to relieve.
The figures for diphtheria immunisation again show satisfactory progress
and about 70% of the young people under 15 years of age have received the
necessary protective doses. The value of this method of protection is shown by
the fact that for the second year in succession no case of diphtheria occurred in
Penge.
Clean food campaigns have been much in the public mind during the past
few years and it is gratifying to report again that no case of food poisoning has
been notified during the past year.
STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE AREA.
Area (acres) 770
Population (Census, 1931) 27,771
Civilian Population mid year 1949 (estimated by Registrar General) 24,850
Total Population „ „ „ „ „ „ „ 24,870
Rateable Value, 1st October, 1949 £193,787
Sum represented by 1d. rate £783