Medical report / British Honduras.

  • British Honduras. Medical Department.
Date:
[1930]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Medical report / British Honduras. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/58 (page 5)
    Of the total number of deaths, 48.(5% were certified by a Medical Practi¬ tioner as against 43.2 in 1929. Vital Statistics. The population of the Colony at the end of the year was estimated to be 52,136 as detailed in Table 2. In all the Districts the Birth-rate is much in excess of the Death-rate ; and in all the districts there is an increase in population. The Birth-rate is highest in Toledo and lowest in Orange Walk. The death- rate is highest in Orange Walk and lowest in Stann Creek. Registration of Births and Deaths is compulsory. There is no Registration of still-births. Infantile Mortality. Figures dealing with Infantile Mortality are shown in Table 3. The Infantile Mortality Rate for the Colony is 109.5 as against 129.5 last year. This is highest in Orange Walk and lowest in Stann Creek. The British Honduras Infant Welfare League was inaugurated in 1928. This is purely a voluntary organisation, supported by voluntary subscriptions. It is doing excellent work ; unfortunately limited funds preclude the Committee of the League from extending their work to all the districts. It operates only in Belize where there is a weekly clinic for babies. There is also a staff of voluntary health visitors. Tables showing the sick, invaliding and death rates of European or Native officials are not inserted as Government Officials are attended bv Private */ Medical Practitioners. Appended are extracts from the Reports of the Assistant Medical Officers for the various districts. III. HYGIENE AND SANITATION. Administrative. There is a Central Board of Plealth for the entire Colony consisting of seven members. The Principal Medical Officer is Chairman of this Board and Medical Officer of Health for the Colony. The Colony is divided into six Districts, each with a Local Authority. The Local Authority for the Town of Belize is the Town Board of Belize. In each of the Districts, the Assistant Medical Officer is the District Medical Officer of Health. Table 4 details the Sanitary Staff controlled by the Central Board of Health. Preventive Measures. Yellow Fever.—The absence of any pipe-borne water supply in the Colony necessitates considerable storage of rain water in tanks, vats, barrels, and other receptacles, with consequent Stegomyia breeding. The Sanitary Staff have been engaged in frequent inspections in order to detect the presence or absence of mosquito larvae in these receptacles.