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COUNTY BOROUGH OF WEST HAM.
ANNUAL REPORT ON THE HEALTH SERVICES, 1937.
Madam Mayor, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have the honour to submit my annual report on the health
of the population of this area for the year 1937, this being my
first annual report as Medical Officer of Health and School Medical
Officer. As I was in office auring only about a quarter of the
year under review, I have attempted to give a considered statement
of facts relating to the health of the area in this and past
years, rather than to make suggestions regarding the future
development of the services.
With reference to the health of the inhabitants during the
year 1937, I have to draw your attention to the following facts,
which are dealt with more fully in the text of the report.
The population of the area—as estimated by the RegistrarGeneral—continues
to decline. This decrease is a logical result
of modern social tendencies. Associated with this is the question
whether the population is replacing itself to anything approaching
an adequate degree. In an area such as West Ham, where
the extent of migration, inward and outward, is difficult to assess,
it is not easy to answer this question. By inference from figures
for other areas it would seem, however, that the position in this
area must give rise to some disquietude, and in the report I have
discussed briefly some of the problems relating to the low natural
increase of the population. In these circumstances it is encouraging
to note that the birth rate—namely 16.1 per 1,000 of the
population—was an increase on the rate for the year 1936, and
was indeed the highest birth rate since 1932. The death
rate gives grounds for some satisfaction. The general death
rate shows a slight increase over the figure for 1936, but it was
still lower than the corresponding figures for London and the
country as a whole. The infant mortality rate shows a decrease
over the figure for the previous year, and the maternal mortality
rate can stand favourable comparison with that for other areas.
It is satisfactory to be able to state that the death rate
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