Annual report on the medical services / Sierra Leone.

  • Sierra Leone. Medical Department.
Date:
[1953]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the medical services / Sierra Leone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/38 (page 5)
    Although registration is compulsory it is a fact that the above figures are not a true record with the possible exception of those presented by Nongowa Chiefdom. Kaiyamba forwarded figures for one month only but Nimi Koro and Jawi Chiefdoms which have larger populations than Kaiyamba returned very low figures. 21. In the remainder of the Protectorate the following births and deaths were registered:— BIRTHS DEATHS M. F. Total M. F. Total 1,916 1,991 3,907 1,110 1,075 2,185 7- -PUBLIC HEALTH 22. Towards the end of the year the Health Branch and the Malaria Control Unit which had previously been sepaiate Units were amalgamated in order to economise and centralise supervision. The amalgamation also afforded the senior officers greater interests and will release at least one officer for other duties in the Protectorate. 23. Previous comments on the general health of the population still refer and the general health remains fairly satisfactory. Improvement in the general living conditions, better utilisation of locally obtained foods with a large scale campaign to eradicate the abuses of simple laws of hygiene are features which will have to be considered before any general improvement can be achieved. 24. A total of 470 samples of water were submitted to the Government laboratory for bacteriological analysis. The majority of the samples were from the City Council’s supply to Freetown. Routine samples were taken from different points in this supply and from the Public Works at Hill Station. Transport difficulties may have made the reports on the supply from Lungi Airport unreliable. Five samples out of the total of 470 gave positive cultures, two of them from the City supply being on one day. The supply from Hill Cot reservoir to houses in Brookfields remains untreated. Meter readings have been taken in order to determine the size and type of treatment apparatus required. 25. Towards the end of the year a search was made in Freetown for the breeding of Aedes Aegypti. It was disturbing to find that the mosquito density was more than adequate to maintain any infection among a susceptible population, should an infection be introduced. 26. The dog catching campaign was intensified and a total of 2,250 dogs were destroyed. The Veterinary Department inoculated some dogs with Fleury strain vaccine, on repayment, but a mass campaign is impossible until the method of control by licensing is effective. Canine rabies, never really absent from Freetown, increased towards the end of the year. Throughout the year twenty-two brains from dogs were examined and twelve were positive for Negri bodies and of these twelve, two had been referred from Bonthe. 27. The sale of fresh milk on a small scale in Freetown was an innovation and if this increases such sales will present a further health problem. Investigations revealed the most unhygienic methods of collection and transport. 28. Trapping of rats has continued and 3,448 rats were killed in spring traps and 199 being caught alive in cage traps. Of the total 2,690 were recorded as R. rattus and 758 as R. norvegicus. 29. New methods of baiting and poisoning rats have been introduced using the dicoumarin preparation—“ Warfarin ” with milling wastes from the Government Rice Mill as baits. These have been very successful and are to be used for rodent control in connection with the new Deep Water Quay. 30. The demand and the supply for mineral waters and ice cream has increased. In the absence of legislation there can be no control over these industries and in many instances the premises where these products are prepared and the methods of preparation are grossly unhygienic.