Annual medical and sanitary report / Bechuanaland Protectorate.

  • Bechuanaland Protectorate. Office of the Director of Medical Services.
Date:
[1962]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    9/38 (page 4)
    SMALLPOX: Luring the year 5 cases of Smallpox were reported. RELAPSING ANL TYPHUS FEVERS: No cases were reported during 1962. 16. Other diseases of Public Health Interest: POLIOMYELITIS: Oral vaccination against this disease was continued. 13 cases were reported during the year and 1,243 people were immunised. CHICKEN POX: This disease was present throughout the year and 258 cases were reported. CEREBRQ-SPINAL MENINGITIS: Three cases were reported during the year with two deaths. LIPHTHERIA: This disease was fairly widespread but no severe epidemic occurred. 48 cases were proven with 11 deaths. 4,338 people were protected against this disease during the year. MEASLES: This disease was fairly widespread; 6,261 cases were reported with three deaths. WHOOPING COUGH: 2,018 cases of whooping cough were reported with eight deaths. The disease was fairly widespread. INFLUENZA: 3,961 cases of influenza were reported during the year. TUBERCULOSIS: This remains one of the serious health problems in the territory. 3,303 cases were reported with 69 deaths. Beds available numbered 316. 1,071 patients, covering all types of tuberculosis, were admitted to hospital and of those,' 962 were pulmonary tuber¬ culosis. There were 11 deaths from other forms of tuberculosis. 823 cases were referred for out-patient treatment and there were 12,651 attendances for out-patient treatment. The Medical Officer of Health continues to control all tuberculosis work with the co-operation of all medical personnel in the territory. Following the B.G.G. pilot scheme held in November/Lecember 1961 in the Bobonong and Francistown areas, teams of locally trained personnel continue to work throughout the territory, and hospitals did some B.C.G. vaccinations furing the year. A two-man team carried out Mantoux testing and B.C.G. vaccination where necessary among school children in the eastern part of the territory. A total of 22,785 were tuberculin tested. Of these, 19,417 returned to have the test read. Of the 19,417, 38.7% showed evidence of prior infections, while the remaining 61.3% showed no evidence of prior infection and were inocu¬ lated with the B.C.G. vaccine. A higher infection rate was found in the North and in the South than in the central belt of the territory. This work is continuing. Over and above this the hospitals gave 1,240 B.C.G. vaccinations. ANTHRAX ANL RABIES: Two cases of anthrax were reported during the year and two fatal cases of human rabies occurred in the southern Kgalagadi district. MALARIA: Owing to a dry summer, malaria was confined in the north and north west districts and very few cases were reported in the south and east of the territory. The World Health Organisation Malaria Survey Team completed its work in Lecember and the report is awaited. TRYPANOSOMIASIS: 121 cases of sleeping sickness were reported and seven deaths occurred. 5/