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5
Public Health Department,
Town Hall,
East Ham, E.6.
April, 1932.
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
County Borough oj East Ham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
1 beg' lo submit my Annual Report on the health and
sanitary circumstances of the Borough, together with my Report
to tiie Education Authority on the work of the School Medical
Service, for the year 1931.
The report is based on the " Circular as to the Contents and
Arrangement of the Annual Reports of Medical Officers of Health
for 1931 " issued by the Ministry of Health, and is in no sense a
" Survey " report as required for the year 1930.
Although there is a slight increase in the death and infant
mortality rates, the Borough still occupies a very satisfactory
position as regards statistics generally.
It will be noted that there is a considerable decrease in the
number of cases of infectious disease notified, particularly in regard
to Scarlet Fever and Diphtheria. In the case of Diphtheria there
were 19G cases notified in 1931 as against 473 in 1930. This, in
my opinion, is to some extent evidence of the success obtained by
the immunising of children at the Clinic established in recent
years. It is gratifying^ to be able to record that the number of
cases of Smallpox declined during the year and that the disease
remained the mild type.
I would again draw the attention of the Council to the urgent
need of further accommodation for the use of maternity, child
welfare and school clinics. The continued use of the old
unsuitable building as a Tuberculosis and Chest Clinic calls for the
immediate consideration by the Council.