Annual report of the Medical and Sanitary Department / Sierra Leone.

  • Sierra Leone. Medical and Sanitary Department.
Date:
[1929]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical and Sanitary Department / Sierra Leone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    31/118 (page 19)
    The City Council is about to provide a covered market in Regent Road, where there has hitherto been a considerable street market. When this is completed the market accommodation n Freetown will be reasonably adequate The new Public Health (Protectorate) Rules will give medical officers full powers to deal with the sale of unsound food in the “ health areas ” of the Protectorate. There was a serious outbreak of beriberi in Freetown Prison during the early months of the year, which has formed the subject of a special report. The immediate cause appears to have been a shortage of certain foodstuffs, principally tomatoes and green, due to an exceptional prolonged dry season. The Waterworks Engineer, whose report is published elsewhere, has stated that the water shortage was the most acute since the inauguration of the Freetown Waterworks in 1902. The Committee appointed to investigate the Freetown Prison outbreak found signs of beriberi amongst the semi-destitute class, which is frequently in and out of prison, but apart from this there is little indication of beriberi in the general population. Wright’s observations in Freetown have shown, however, that there is undoubted evidence of ill-health and actual organic disease due to a vitamin “A” deficiency in the ordinary native diet. B—MEASURES TAKEN TO SPREAD THE KNOWLEDGE OF HYGIENE AND SANITATION. The School Medical Officer gave a series of lectures and demonstrations in Hygiene to about 170 teachers at the Teachers’ Vacation Course in July. Hygiene is a compulsory subject in all schools. As a result of the better training of the teachers the teaching of this subject has much improved and has become far more practical. Health Week was held in Freetown in the last week in November. The programme was as follows:— (1) Sunday 24th November was observed as Health Sunday and reference to health matters was made in most of the churches. (2) Leaflets and posters dealing with health subjects were widely circulated both in Freetown and throughout the villages of the Colony. The subjects dealt with were :—Venereal Disease, Consumption, Rats and Plague, Vaccination and Smallpox, Mosquitoes, and Infant Welfare. (3) A school essay competition was held, open to all the schools of the Colony, both primary and secondary, and prizes Aveiv awarded. Some of the winning essays reached a high standard. (4) (Three practical demonstrations were given to teachers by the Medical Officer of Health and Sanitary Superintendent. A demonstration on the Freetown water supply was given by the Waterworks Engineer. (5) The event of the week was the Mothercraft and Baby Competition, for which there were large entries. The final judging took place in the Victoria Park on Saturday 30th November, and prizes were distributed by Lady Byrne. C—TRAINING OF SANITARY PERSONNEL. The usual instruction was given to sanitary inspectors and learners by the Training Officer in accordance with the syllabus given in the Annual Report for 1926. It is hoped that one African Inspector will be able to sit for the Sanitary Inspectors’ Examination to be held in Lagos next July. D—RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE WORK. (1 ) A gradual increase in the Sanitary staff in the Protectorate. (2) Application of the Public Health (Protectorate) Ordinance to additional areas as increase in staff permits. (3) Some attempt to deal with overcrowding and congested areas in Freetown. The census to be taken in about a year will provide valuable data for an inquiry into the matter. With reference to the recommendations for future work made in the last report, the proposal regarding leper settlements seems likely to be held up for financial reasons. The other recommendations have been or are being carried out.