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4
COUNTY BOROUGH OF EAST HAM
Public Health Department,
Town Hall Annexe, E.6.
October, 1945.
To the Worshipful the Mayor, The Aldermen
and Councillors of the County Borough of East Ham.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my annual report as Medical Officer
of Health and School Medical Officer for the year 1944.
At the request of the Ministry of Health, the report is again
abbreviated and confined largely to statistical information.
The birth rate (20.9) is the highest since the year 1922. The
death rate is slightly above that of the preceding year. The estimated
population for the Borough as given by the Registrar General is
91,060 as against 92,800, the decrease being due to movements of the
population resulting from war conditions.
It will be seen that the infant mortality rate stands at 31 per
1,000 live births, the lowest recorded in the history of the Borough.
The maternal mortality rate, always a variable figure, is slightly
higher than last year, viz., 3.06 per 1,000 total births (live and
still)—all the deaths occurred in hospital. The neo-natal mortality
rate has decreased from 23.5 to 17.3 per 1,000 live births.
The prevention and control of epidemic and infectious disease
is always the most pressing and urgent matter in any health department.
Notifications in respect of infectious diseases have markedly
decreased.
The cancer death rate is lower, although the ratio of males to
females is somewhat higher than in previous years.
Difficulty has been experienced in providing accommodation
for tuberculous patients, especially the advanced cases. Destruction