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BOROUGH OF WILLESDEN
Health Department,
54, Winchester Avenue,
Kilburn, London, N.W.6.
July, 1956.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors
of the Borough of Willesden.
Mr. Mayor, lxidies and Gentlemen,
I beg to submit the annual report of the health and sanitary circumstances of the borough for the
year 1955.
There has been a further slight decrease in the population, which is a healthy sign if it leads to a
reduction in the overcrowding in the borough. The birth rate showed a slight rise, but so did the infant mortality,
stillbirth and death-rates. The infant mortality for illegitimate infants reached a remarkably record
low level of just over 5 per thousand. It is too early to say whether this is due to the special care given to
mothers with illegitimate children in the past few years. The infant mortality was only just over 20 per thousand;
the lowest rate 11.2, was in the Manor ward. The rate in the Carlton ward was almost three times as
high as in the Manor ward, and it is clear that social conditions play an important part. Indeed, there were
no deaths in Social Class I, and 49 deaths (ten of which were due to infection) in the lower social groups.
Prematurity still takes a heavy toll and there were 20 deaths, 19 in the first week of life. More research
is required into prematurity and congenital abnormalities, but there is no doubt, once again, that if
social conditions were improved, the number of premature babies would be reduced.
Now that more radioactive substances are discharged in the atmosphere, it is essential to study their
effect on the occurence of congenital abnormalities and if' hereditary traits are affected.
Although there has been an increase in the general death rate it is still at a low level—under 10 per
thousand. Willesden has an ageing population and the increase in deaths from heart and vascular lesions is
to be expected.
The alarming increase in deaths is from cancer and from bronchitis. It is significant that the number
of deaths from cancer of the lung is still on the increase and was double that of the next highest cause of
death by cancer. The number of deaths is now almost four times as high as that for tuberculosis, and it is
clear that preventive measures are urgently necessary.
The association between cigarette smoking and cancer of the lung is now clearly established, and already
much health education is being carried out in Willesden to present the facts to the public. Unless people
act upon the advice to stop smoking, the number of cases of cancer of the lung and of bronchitis will continue
to rise. The chances of a moderate smoker getting cancer of the lung are about 50 times as high as those of a
non-smoker.
At the same time, atmospheric pollution also has an important effect, and people living in towns
have a nine times greater risk of' contracting cancer of the lung than people in the country. More research is
required into this, and on the effects of dust and fumes, such as diesel oil at work. But it has to be regretted
that more is not being done to reduce the quantity of sulphur compounds being discharged into the atmosphere.
It is gratifying to report substantial advances in the battle against tuberculosis. Both the death rate
and the number of notifications have fallen (there was a particularly low rate in Brondesbury Park ward). It
is unlikely that the general decline in tuberculosis has been due to any large extent to the improvement in housing
and other environmental conditions, although it is possible that the reduction in the rate in the Carlton
ward may well be due to the rehousing in that area. However, now that the number of cases is small it is
necessary to examine at least a number of years, and over the past three years Carlton still has the highest
rate—more than double that of Brondesbury Park. School leavers are now being protected by B.C.G. vaccination,
and as the tuberculosis declines, and the number of children who have never been in contact with the
germ increases, more children require to be protected when they leave school. The talks that are given in
schools and factories on tuberculosis encourage the people in the borough to play their part in the battle
against the disease.
Health education in general remains an important function of the health department. Talks in
schools, in clinics, day nurseries and outside organisations have continued. But with the growth of a television-viewing
public, there have been smaller attendances at the evening meetings. Consequently, an extension
of the factory talks was organised, particularly to deal with the poliomyelitis outbreak. Results have been
very successful indeed, and many people have for the first time had an opportunity of hearing about and asking
questions on subjects which affect them intimately.
The outbreak of poliomyelitis was a most unusual one and it is described fully in the report. Fortunately
most of the cases were non-paralytic, the number of persons paralysed was less than in 1947, and the
number of severe cases less than in three previous years. There were no deaths.