Report on the public health administration of Burma : 1928.

  • Burma. Department of Public Health.
Date:
[1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the public health administration of Burma : 1928. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/132 (page 3)
    I obtained in July and August. In spite of a marked fall in the price of the staple foodstuff during the year, the death rate increased by 173. • F , ■ ’ f / *v*' t 11 I * i * t ■* 5. Statistics within Railway Limits.—In a railway population of 8,395 living outside municipal and notified areas, the birth rate was 1977 compared with 26*80 in 1927, and the death rate was 10*84 compared with 7*68 in the previous year. The highest mortality was recorded in the railway population at Kyaukse (66*18) and the lowest at Shwebo (T38). The significance of these figures is reduced by the fact that they are based upon a very small population. 6. Inspection of Birth and Death Registers.—Out of a total of 35,076 villages and towns in which vital statistics are registered, the records were inspected by the District Health staff in 11,488, a figure which compares with 11,192 in 1927. The following districts, in order are those in which the largest amount of verification of vital statistics was carried out, the numbers following the names referring to the actual number of entries verified in the register :—Myaungmya (28,264), Bassein (20,094), Lower Chindwin (18,711), Prome (18,465), Henzada (17,605), Shwebo (17,549), Pakokku (15,889) and Magwe (15,528). No verification has been carried out in Ma-ubin District, and very few entries have been verified in Pyapon, Tavoy, Thayetmyo, Yamethin and Kyaukpyu Districts. This matter is being taken up with the District Health Officers concerned. In Prome District, 899 omissions were detected by the District Health staff and 110 by other district officers, and on account of greater activity in verification work, both birth and death rates, show an increase. It is unbelievable that in the Shwebo, Magwe, Myingyan, Akyab and Kyaukse Districts, the registration work was so good that no omissions to register occurred, and yet the reports state that not a single omission was detected by the Public Health staff in any of these districts. The legitimate conclusion is that verification work was very badly done in these districts and this matter also will be taken up with the district officers concerned. A curious discrepancy is reported from Thaton District, where the Public Health authorities are reported to have verified 6,800 entries and detected only 31 omissions, while other district officers verified 3,395 entries and detected 142 omissions. There were 2,484 prosecutions of parents and guardians for neglect to report births and deaths, and in 2,138 instances fines were inflicted. Seventy-five headmen were prosecuted for slackness in registration work and 25 were fined. 7. Registration of Vital Statistics in Backward Areas.—The tally system described in previous reports has been in force in the Hill Dis¬ tricts of Arakan, Chin Hills, Pakokku Hill Tracts and Northern Shan States. In the Northern Shan States, a step forward has been taken by