View report page

2
WANSTEAD AND WOODFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL.
To THE MAYOR, THE ALDERMEN AND COUNCILLORS,
BOROUGH OF WANSTEAD AND WOODFORD
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my Annual Report as Medical Officer
of Health for the year 1945.
As I did not take up duty as Medical Officer of Health until l0th
September, 1945, this report is largely statistical and based on facts obtained
from my predecessor.
In the year under review the health of the district was satisfactory
and the incidence of infectious disease remained at a consistently low
level.
The resident population as given by the Registrar General is 48,230
as compared with 46,670 for 1944, the increase being due to the return
to the Borough of evacuated persons.
The birth-rate shows a slight decrease from the previous year, having
fallen to 16 per 1,000 as compared with 18.8 in 1944. This is considered
to be due to the number of persons who evacuated from the borough during
the flying bomb period and who did not return until the latter half of the
year. This rate approximates closely to the rate for England and Wales
which is 16.1.
The death-rate increased from 12.8 in 1944 to 13.02 in 1945, this
increase being largely due to deaths from enemy action in the first months
of the year.
The infant mortality rate is 31.6 per 1,000 as compared with 46 for
England and Wales. This is regarded as satisfactory.
I am most grateful to the Chairman of the Public Health Committee
and to the Chairman of the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee for
the support they have given me in my work. I would also like to thank
the staff of the Department for their help and co-operation.
I have the honour to be,
Mr. Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
F. G. BROWN, M.B., B.Ch., D.P.H