[Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Ashton-under-Lyne Borough.

  • Ashton-under-Lyne (England). Borough Council.
Date:
1964
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1964] / Medical Officer of Health, Ashton-under-Lyne Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/56 (page 4)
    MARKET PLACE ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE Mr. Mayor, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, I have pleasure in reporting upon the health of the Borough for the year 1964. The most noteworthy feature of the vital statistics is a further rise in the birth rate, the crude rate being 18-0 per 1,000 of the population (adjusted rate 19-5) ; this is the highest rate recorded since the post- war high figures. Neither the perinatal mortality rate (40-8) nor the infantile mortality rate (31-4) are as low as one might have hoped, and it is clear that continuous attention is needed in the field of family child welfare to achieve a lower rate. Unfortunately, there was one maternal death. A most disturbing feature is a rise in the lung cancer deaths from 22 in 1963 to 31 in 1964 ; the number of deaths due to this preventable disease has thus doubled in the last 15 years. Undoubtedly this con- stitutes the most important public health problem confronting the community today. 'I’he measure necessary to prevent this loss of life is too well known to deserve repetition, but the manner in which cigarette smoking should be curtailed is a matter for much disagreement and very little real action emanates from central authority, other than exhortation. 'Fhree diseases in Ashton are responsible for one-third of the total deaths—cancer of the lung, bronchitis and coronary thrombosis ; deaths from the Latter disease have jumped from 104 in 1963 to 151 in 1964. I’he town has been relatively free from any serious outbreaks of infectious disease, but the frequency of food poisoning and dysentery serves as a reminder of the need for the strictest surveillance of food catering establishments and communal feeding in general, to ensure that their standard of hygiene is as high as possible. I would acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Houldsworth, the Chief Public Health Inspector, and the help and support given by yourself, Mr. Chairman, and the Members of the Public Health Committee. 1 am. Ladies and Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, ALAN S. SIMPSON, Medical Officer of Health.