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8
COUNTY BOROUGH OF EAST HAM
Public Health Department,
Town Hall Annexe, E.6.
TO THE WORHIPFUL THE MAYOR, THE ALDERMEN AND
JCUNCILLORS OF THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF EAST HAM„
Mr. Ma or, Ladles and Gentlemen,
I -ave the honour to present the Annual Report on the health of the
Borougi a'd other attendant matters.
The hegistrar General, following the fifteenth census of the population
of England u Kales on 8th April, 1951, gave the population of East Ham as
120,873 and estimated that this would stand at 120,500 at 30th June. This
shews a decline of 1,400 since midsummer 1950, and points to a decrease of
15.1% of the 1931 population.
There was also a small but significant decrease in the numbers of live
births registered - 1,732 - with a corresponding fall in the birth rate from
14.4 to 14.3 (corrected by an area comparability factor by the Registrar
General to 13.6) so that the Council's policy of reducing the number of inhabitants
to an optimum for the area of 108,000 Is in unsought measure
assisted by the decline In the birth rate.
A little reflection brings out the disquieting conclusion that the
triad of a falling birth rate, raised age at marriage and increasing
longevity may well lead to a loss of vigour In our people, for it is our
most virile and intelligent young people who hold back from marriage and
reproduction through the pressure of economic circumstances and lack of
good cheap housing. In my last report I made a plea for the revision of
our methods of allocation of new dwellings and to this I would add substantial
reduction of rent to young married couples who have two children
within the first four years of marriage.
The death rate shews a slight rise, but generally Is lower than that
for England & Wales or the administrative County of London, whilst cardio
vascular disease followed by cancer still stand in the van as 'Captains
of the Men of Death'.
There was only one maternal death attributable to childbirth and the
infant mortality and neo-natal mortality have fallen respectively to 18.4
and 13.8 per 1,000 live births. These record low figures, in general, are
an index of the efficiency of the maternity and child welfare services
given to the burgesses, and particularly reflect the enhanced ante-natal
care now available in our clinics.
Turning now to local epidemiology, it is pleasing to record that for
the first time in local history no case of diphtheria was reported during
the period. Measles was prevalent in the first and second quarters of the
year and we must Increase our efforts to educate the public that, by all
possible means, young babies should be shielded from this disease until they
are 2-3 years old and better able to withstand the more severe symptoms
and complications.
Early in the year a sharp outbreak of Sonne dysentery occurred centred
in our day nurseries. Vigorous action was taken in investigation,
exclusion and treatment, with the active co-operation of the local general
practitioners. The Superintendent Nursing Officer and a section of the
Public Health office staff organized and ensured the systematic bacteriological
investigation of all cases, suspects and contacts. Detailed instruction
was given to all members of the staff on the importance of personal and