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2.
ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR
19 5 3
To: The Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors of the
Chingford Corporation.
Mr. Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors,
I have pleasure in submitting my Annual Report for the year 1953
upon the health and sanitary circumstances of the Borough.
The estimated population for the year was 47,770.
Vital Statistics: The birth-rate at 12.6 per 1,000 is slightly
higher than last year and shows signs of stabilising around this
figure, the rates for 1951 and 1952 being 12.2 and 11.8 respectively.
The death-rate at 8.1 per 1,000 was little
changed from the previous year.
The number of deaths of infants under one year
of age per 1,000 live births, i.e. the infant mortality rate, was
13.3; this is lower than 1952 which was 17.6 and is less than half
the figure for England and Wales at 26.8.
Infectious Diseases: For the third successive year no case of
diphtheria occurred. The commonest of the infectious diseases
were measles, whooping cough and scarlet fever. In regard to
whooping cough, I am pleased to report that the Essex County
Council now provides facilities for immunisation against this
disease at the clinics in the borough; the response has been
very good.
There were six notifications of poliomyelitis
during 1953.
Tuberculosis: Forty-four new cases of tuberculosis, pulmonary
and non-pulmonary, were reported during the year. The Mass
Radiography Unit visited the borough in July.
Old Persons: The problem of providing suitable hospital, nursing
home or other accommodation for the aged sick and infirm is still
very much with us and little or nothing appears to have been done
to alleviate the position.
In conclusion, I express my thanks to the Chairman and Members
of the Health Committee for their support and to Mr. J.F. Rogers,
Chief Sanitary Inspector, and the Staff of the Health Department
for their loyalty and co-operation throughout the year.
1 am , Ladies and Gentlemen,
Your obedient servant,
J. II. CROSBY,
August ,1954
Medical Officer of Health.