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No new schemes for old people's welfare were introduced during the
year. The impression was gained that more old people without relatives
were living under conditions of considerable hardship, with inadequate
meals and home conditions in many cases sinking to a very low level of
sanitation.
The total number of notified cases of infectious disease rose considerably
during the year, and was actually more than twice the number
recorded in 1952. The principal infectious diseases showing a marked
increase were measles and whooping-cough, the incidence being highest
amongst school children. Scarlet fever reached a very low level, and four
cases of poliomyelitis were notified.
More parents availed themselves of the immunisation service, and
considerable appreciation is shown of the new combined immunising
material which protects against whooping-cough as well as diphtheria.
This may account in part for the low attack rate of whooping-cough
amongst young infants, most of the cases being amongst school children,
who have not had the benefit, in earlier years, of whooping-cough
immunisation.
While there were a great many cases of measles, the disease does not
appear to have been of a very severe type, and admissions to hospital were
few, only 9 out of a total of 455 cases notified. It is also gratifying
to note that there were no deaths from any of these zymotic diseases
of childhood.
While there were no cases of poliomyelitis in 1952, four cases occurred
in 1953, the number of cases recorded for the whole of the country being
higher this year than in the previous year. The age incidence of attack
is interesting, as only one of the 4 cases was a child below school age.
Fortunately, permanent disability was recorded in only one of the cases.
Research work to find a vaccine has continued unabatedly, both in
this country and in America, during the whole year. The discovery of a
method of growing the virus has made this work possible, and great hopes
are entertained for the ultimate discovery of some means of immunising
the population, at least during the most susceptible years and in times of
epidemic.
In the meantime, the disease continues to show a slight increase
annually, and, what is more disturbing, an increasing attack rate for the
higher age-groups. No longer can the name " infantile paralysis " be
regarded as a true description of the disease.
All persons, health visitors, doctors, nurses and others coming in
contact with children in the district, have been struck by the increasing
standards of good general health and high average nutrition.
The Corporation can be congratulated on having completed another
year in which excellent health was enjoyed by the majority of the population,
particularly children.
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