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HEALTH EDUCATION
The programme of health education continued throughout the ye.^r.
Each month a different topic is chosen, either to coincide with a
national campaign or at a time of year when the incidence of a
particular health hazard increases.
The operation of the Council's third Smoke Control Order was given
intensive publicity in that part of the Borough covered by the order.
The Department's Poster Boards were used to display various
posters during the year, as were also the Council's official notice
boards and those affixed to lamp columns in street markets in the
Borough. The occupiers of several large factories and some chemists'
shops accepted posters for display and leaflets for distribution.
With the co-operation of the Borough Librarian, bookmarks and leaflets
on various health subjects were distributed from the lending section
of the borough Libraries. Some 3,000 posters and 21,000 leaflets
were distributed.
In view of the dangers associated with defective and badly
maintained oil heaters, posters and leaflets were distributed in the
winter months. Copies of posters were printed in Greek and Turkish
for the benefit of non-English speaking Cypriots. The Pakistan High
Commissioner's Office was approached for a translation of the posters
into Bengali and Urdu to help Pakistani and Indian residents in the
borough. A monthly bulletin giving details of the incidence of
infectious diseases, and data supplied by the local office of the
Ministry of Pensions and National Insurance on persons claiming sick
benefit - plus health propaganda material for surgery waiting-rooms,
were circulated to local general practitioners and hospitals.
In an attempt to put over by more direct means elements of
positive health, a course of four weekly lectures on Food Hygiene and
practice, supported by films and practical demonstrations, was held at
the Public Health Department. These were attended by the food supervisory
staffs of local firms undertaking food manufacturing processes
or running large workers canteens. The food inspectors in their daily
work at such premises endeavour to raise the standards of food hygiene.
Lectures and film shows were also given to a local school, to a postgraduate
group of social science students, and at a local hospital to
a regional meeting of the Royal College of Nursing during the smallpox
outbreak in other parts of the country.
By invitation of the Medical Officer of Health, City of London,
and St.Bartholomew's Hospital, E.C.L, the facilities of the diagnostic
clinic for women at the hospital were made available to residents and
workers in Stepney, in addition to those working in the City. This
clinic aims to detect malignant, or other gynaecological pathological
states, at a time when preventive measures can guarantee cure. Perhaps
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