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Infectious Disease - In general the health of the
people has been good. The number of infectious disease
notifications received in 1954 was six higher than in 1953,
and this was due to an increased incidence of measles and
puerperal pyrexia. A reduction in the number of cases of
scarlet fever is again recorded, and there has been a
dramatic drop in the number of cases of whooping cough with
the lowest figure since notification commenced in 1940.
Once again, for the seventh year in succession, no case of
diphtheria was notified, and further progress was made in
the active immunisation and protection of the child population
against this deadly and disabling disease.
Vaccination against Smallpox - is voluntary and a
calculation shows that by the end of 1954 some 69% of the
children born between 1st July 1953 and 30th June 195k have
been vaccinated.
Births - The number of live births for 1954 is 534 and
compares with 609 for 1953 The Birth Rate is 13.64 per
1,000 of the population, compared with 15.25 for 1953.
Deaths - The number of deaths recorded in 1954 is 450
compared with 465 for 1953. This makes a Death Rate of
11.49 for 1954 compared with 11.64 for 1953.
The excess of births over deaths was 84 compared with
144 for the previous year.
The number of deaths of infants under 1 year of age in
1954 is 11, which gives an Infant Mortality Rate per 1,000
live births of 20.60.
The corresponding figures for 1953 were 15 infant
deaths and an Infant Mortality Rate of 24.63.
The Causes of Death - The main conditions causing
death as recorded in the table for 1954 are Heart Disease
130; Cancer - 72; and Vascular Lesions of the Nervous
System - 66.