HEALTH STATISTICS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1929, Page 6

HEALTH STATISTICS

ANNUAL REPORT OF DIRECTOII-

GENERAL.

WELLINGTON, August 29

The annual death rate for the Dominion for the past year was 8.49 per 1000 of the mean population. In 1927 the death rate was 8.45. The infantile mortality was 36.18 per 1009 births, as against 38.74 for 1927. The birth rate of 19.56 per 1000 still shows a falling tendency. In 1928. the children horn numbered 27,200, much the lowest for the last nine years. The above information was contained in the annual report of the Di-rector-General of Health presented to Parliament yesterday. The tuberculosis death rate of 5.02 per 10.000 of the mean population gave New Zealand a remarkably low death rate for this cause in comparison with other countries.** The cancer death rate of 9.87 pm 10,000 of livihg persons represented an increase on the preceding year. Cancer was principally confined _ to persons of forty years of age and upwards. and during 1928 of all persons over the age of forty years whose deaths were registered one in every sevon of males and one in every six of females died from cancer. With the formation of a New Zealand branch of the British Empire' Cancer Campaign one could look forward with confidence to renewed endeavours to fight the disease. Of the notifiable infectious diseases the most common was scarlet fevei. being epidemic for tho last two years. Fortunately, in comparison with the extensive epidemic of 1903, the disease appears of a milder type. Howover, the case mortality of 0.59 per cent’ in 1928 showed an increase on the rate for 1927, which was 0.73. Influenza (all forms) showed on increase and a higher death rate, diphtheria a slight increase, while a light year was experienced in regard to whooping cough and measles. Enteric fever is still rare. An outbreak of dysenterv in the Auckland district, particularly among the Native race, occasioned much concern.. Dealing with the problem of maternal welfare, the report stated that deaths from accidents and diseases of the puerperal state remained at- practically ibe same level in 1928 as :n 1927, the numbers being 137 in 1927 ami 134 in 1928. Owing to the lower number of births in the latter year, however, the rate per 1000 births increased slightly from 4.91 to 4.93. The reduction of deaths from these causes was a perplexing problem but with the hotter training ot medical students and the midwife a higher standard of asepsis and extension of ahtt-natal supervision, one hoped to be able to look forward to a reduction of deaths. ,