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The corrected live birth rate for Wimbledon in 1956 was 13.94 per
thousand of the population compared with a rate of 12.91 for 1955. The
rate for England and Wales for the year was 15.7. The corrected death
rate for the Borough during the period was 9.88 compared with 8.29
in 1955 and 11.7 for England and Wales. This is one of the lowest
death rates recorded in Wimbledon.
There were no maternal deaths in the Borough.
The infantile mortality rate for 1956 in Wimbledon was the lowest
on record. Ten Wimbledon children under the age of one year died
during the year, giving an infantile mortality rate of 12.40 per thousand
live births compared with a rate of 23.8 for England and Wales.
The stillbirth rate per thousand live and stillbirths was 19.46. This
is higher than the record low figure of 10.14 in 1955 but better than the
rate for England and Wales which is recorded as 23.0.
The death rate from all forms of cancer was higher than in 1955,
although deaths from cancer of the lung in Wimbledon shewed a decrease
over the figures for the previous year. Nationally, the trend
continues upward, and in 1956 deaths from cancer of the lung in
England and Wales were the highest on record.
The tuberculosis death rate was the same as for the previous year
at 0.14, this being slightly above the figure for England and Wales which
was 0.12
Notifications of infectious disease amounted to only 344 compared
with 1,074 in 1955. The decrease was largely attributable to the low
incidence of measles. There were no deaths from infectious diseases.
For the seventh successive year there were no cases of diphtheria in
Wimbledon.
There were seven confirmed cases of poliomyelitis, four of them
being associated with paralysis. This disease does not now appear to
be so markedly seasonal as in the past, and during 1956 notifications
were received sporadically throughout the year, although the period of
greatest risk is still in the summer months.
In the field of preventive medicine, 1956 will be remembered for
the introduction, for the first time, of a vaccine to fight poliomyelitis.
Due to the stringent tests to which the vaccine is subjected before release
to Local Health Authorities, only small supplies became available during
the year and these were given to certain registered children between
the ages of 2 and 9 years. It is to be hoped that increased supplies will
become available in the near future to assist in stamping out this
disease.
I would like to thank Mr. Cockell, the Senior Public Health
Inspector, and Mr. Richardson, my Chief Clerk, for their contribution
in connection with the preparation of this Report.
I have the honour to be,
Your obedient Servant,
P. J. DOODY,
Medical Officer of Health.
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