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HEALTH EDUCATION
During the year, work on the education of the general public in matters of
health and hygiene continued by means of personal communication between Public
Health Department Staff and individuals, talks to Associations illustrated by
topical film strips, poster publicity and leaflet distribution.
In the Spring of the year, special publicity was given to anti-diphtheria
immunisation and for the first time the managers of the local factories were
asked to display Public Health publicity material, The response was very good
and during the periodof the campaign, posters ware displayed in factory canteens
and offices.
In February, 1956, the Central Cbuncil for Health Education held a seminar
for Medical Officers on the subj ectof Public Relations and the Health Department"
at which public relations in its various aspects was discussed. The
speakers included a Public Relations Consultant, the Editorsof two newspapers,
a Public Relations Officerof the National and Local Government Officers Association,
Officers of the Central Council for Health Education and various Medical
Officers of Health. Group discussions were held and notes compared as to the
value of various publicity methods as assessed from results obtained
Results of health education, of course, are not easily assessable as indeed
can be said of the results of all preventive health work, since any improvement
in the health of the community is not immediately able to be measured by increased
height, weight or lessening of the frequency of illness and individual
personal well-being is never a measurable factor although it is so important.
There was general agreement that there was room for improvement in the
public relations work of most Public Health Departments, and that more co-operation
between Corporation Departments, and between members of the Department
staffs themselves, was desirable.
It seems unlikely that the general public will be knowledgeable about
public health if the Authority and its Officers are not well aware of all the
changing facets of the work in the Public Health Department
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