Report of the Sudan Medical Service.

  • Sudan. Medical Service.
Date:
[1938]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Sudan Medical Service. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    9/128 (page 3)
    Special committees are coordinating the activities of the various departments concerned in the improvement of native housing and nutrition. The Graphic Museum has proved of great value both for teaching medical and public health students, and for health propaganda among the public. EPIDEMIC DISEASES. At the beginning of the year smallpox was sporadic in Kassala and Blue Nile Provinces where a constant stream of infection from across the border continuously reintroduced the disease. In Kassala Province the disease had been prevalent for some months previously and by the end of 1937 vaccination of the people was almost complete. As a result the disease soon died out. In the southern districts of the Blue Nile Province, the infection subsided for similar reasons but in two villages of the irrigated area of the Gezira virulent outbreaks occurred in January. Here many of the women had escaped vaccination although an intensive vaccination campaign had been carried out in this district during the last three months of 1937. These as well as a few small secondary outbreaks were stamped out at once. Small outbreaks occurred in the eastern and southern districts of Kordofan Province in the first half of the year and the disease then died out throughout the Sudan to reappear in Darfur Province in November where pilgrims proceeding eastwards introduced the disease from French Equatorial Africa. The disease remained sporadic. A vaccination campaign was organised to vaccinate the whole of Darfur Province and is still in progress. Relapsing fever occurred sporadically in Kassala and Blue Nile Provinces, and two small outbreaks were reported in Darfur where memories of the appalling epidemics of this disease in the past cause its appearance to be regarded with grave anxiety. An extensive delousing campaign was organised and immediate medical assistance provided. As a result the disease did not become epidemic and the mortality was low. ENDEMIC DISEASES. The incidence of bilharziasis remains negligible, although it is only by constant effort that it is possible to prevent the irrigated area of the Gezira from becoming infected. Investigations are at present being carried out on kala-azar which remains mildly endemic over a large area. The incidence of leprosy as far as can be assessed shows little change. The incidence of malaria was high in Khartoum, Blue Nile, and Darfur Provinces owing to very heavy and badly spaced rains combined with a record high flood level of the River. The anti-malarial staff has been strengthened in many areas and the results of their work are already apparent in the Northern Province. Sleeping sickness remains endemic in the Zande district although it is hoped that systematic fly destruction along the river, which is worst affected, will soon reduce the incidence. The small outbreak near Kajo-Kaji has been stamped out. A small experiment with prophylactic Bayer 205 is being carried out to deal with a small focus of infection near Yambio. The incidence of tuberculosis shows no change. QUARANTINE. 8,159 pilgrims left Suakin for Jedda, the largest number ever reached. Calf lymph and cholera vaccine made at the Stack laboratories were used. It was possible to reduce the period of quarantine for returning pilgrims from five