Annual medical and sanitary report / Swaziland.

  • Swaziland. Medical Department.
Date:
[1960]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual medical and sanitary report / Swaziland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/114 (page 6)
    — 6 — this increase is not clear, unless it is still the result of the arrival of the new” influenza virus in 1957. The figures in question are - 1951 3,078 cases 1952 3,728 »» 1953 4,481 11 1954 4,464 11 1955 3,500 it 1956 5,213 11 1957 9.327 it 1958 12,750 tt 1959 12,557 ti I960 15,048 11 In I960 cases occurred throughout the year, with the usual rise in the number of cases in the late winter and spring, but there was no epidemic in the senee of the 1957 epidemic, and again the majority of the cases were very mild. (e) Leprosy There is little change to report as far as leprosy is concerned. The number of patients at the Mbuluzi Leprosy Colony at the end of I960 was 33, as against 30 at the end of 1959, there having been 21 admissions and 8 re-admissions, and 23 discharges, two deaths and 1 desertion during the year. It was most gratifying to hear the name of Miss Cole, Matron of the Leper Colony since 1948, in the Birthday Honours announced in June. The full report on the Colony by the Medical Superin¬ tendent of the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial Hospital will be found in Appendix IV at page 33. (f) Sc-allpox. Ho cases of Smallpox occurred in Swaziland during I960 for the eleventh year in succession. Reports were received of several suspicious cases, all of which on investigation turned out to be severe Chicken-pox or Impetigo contagiosa. During the year only 324 routine vaccinations were carried out, but it is planned to appoint a full-time vaccinator shortly and to st®p-up considerably the annual number of vaccinations carried out, (g) Acute Poliomyelitis. One case of acute poliomyelitis, which ended fatally, was reported during the year. It is hoped to be able to offer the oral vaccine to susceptible age groups next year, but it is probable that it will be offered only in urban areas and at other areas with concentrations of population. (h) Enteric Fever, The number of cases of enteric fever recorded during I960 was again considerably higher than usual, 191 cases with 14 deaths being recorded at Government and Mission hospitals, as against 141 cases in 1959 and as against the expected annual total of 60 - 80 cases. The cases were widely scattered, and although no definite epidemic /occurred ..