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PREFACE.
Public Health Offices,
Ilford.
October, 1943.
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I herewith submit the Annual Report required by the Ministry of
Health and Board of Education.
It is limited in scope to mainly statistical figures. There are, however,
two records to which I would call the Council's attention.
(1) No death occurred from diphtheria. This is the first year since any
Annual Report was published in Ilford (in 1900) that such has been the case.
A study of the figures will show that only 7 children attending Ilford schools
were notified as suffering from diphtheria. In 1929, 305 cases of diphtheria
were notified, 210 of which were among children of school age.
Immunisation against diphtheria cannot be considered to be the only
factor at work to produce such a remarkable result, since it is necessary
for two-thirds of the children of school age, and at least one-third of the
children under school age to be immunised to eliminate the possibilities of
an epidemic, but it is difficult to believe that its effect has not been very
considerable. As I pointed out in my Report for 1930, although there are
other epidemiological factors which must be taken into account, the effect
of immunisation, by providing a mass of insusceptible children, is a
considerable agent in producing the results achieved. I made that remark
in connection with the outbreaks of diphtheria which were occurring in the
Becontree and Goodmayes area of the town, and I showed in that Report
that by a considerable amount of immunisation the number of cases in the
Becontree and Goodmayes schools had been reduced by nine-tenths for the
months when diphtheria was most prevalent, while the number of cases of
diphtheria in the other schools had not been appreciably diminished; also
that the number of cases of diphtheria in the Goodmayes Ward was less
than one-seventh of what it was in the corresponding period of October,
1929, to February, 1930, although the number of cases of diphtheria in
Ilford was much the same.
I first recommended immunisation to the Council in a report which
I presented in December. 1927. Application to the Ministry of Health was
made for approval; the Ministry of Health replied that as under the existing
law this is held to be outside the normal functions of a sanitary authority,
the Minister would be prepared to give his formal sanction under Section 133
of the Public Health Act, 1875; further, that no part of the expenditure
incurred in connection with the scheme would be eligible for grant under
the Maternity and Child Welfare regulations. The Ministry of Health has
travelled far since those days, and has been of considerable service to local
authorities by its broadcasts and other propaganda. The work of the
Diphtheria Clinics for 1942 is summarised on page 24.
(2) The infant mortality rate is the lowest on record, reaching the low
figure of 30.6, and compares with the rate of 49 for England and Wales,
and 60 for the L.C.C. area. The birth rate has risen from 13.3 to 17.2,
and is a factor in the reduction of the infant mortality rate.
As regards other infectious diseases, it will be seen that such diseases
as scarlet fever, measles and chicken pox, over which we have little or no
means of control, have been very prevalent. The incidence of scarlet fever
has been such that it has only been with great difficulty that I have been
able to allow the Essex County Council the use of the extra beds for advanced
pulmonary tuberculosis cases. If it were not for the modern treatment of
scarlet fever, by which such cases can be discharged in half the previous
period, serious difficulties would have occurred.
The Isolation Hospital has admitted more cases than ever before in its
history, the variety of admissions being seen from the table on page 30.