Annual report of the Medical Department / Uganda Protectorate.

  • Uganda Protectorate. Medical Department.
Date:
[1942]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Department / Uganda Protectorate. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The number of sick seen and treated at all Government medical units including dispensaries and aid posts is as follows : — New cases ... ... ... ... 748,221 Re-attendances ... ... ... 1,470,877 Total attendances ... ... ... 2,219,098 A number of hospitals is maintained by missionary activities, the chief of the mission hospitals being at Namirembe, the headquarters of the Church Missionary Society in Uganda, and Nsambya, the headquarters of the Mill Hil'l Mission. GENERAL DISEASES. 19. Epidemic, endemic and infections diseases.—The number of cases in this group recorded was 130,791 and there were 799 deaths in hospital. Malaria accounted for 61,720 cases, syphilis for 19,692 cases and yaws for 24,069 cases. General Diseases.—35,396 cases were recorded under this heading. Rheumatism and similar affections accounted for 21,347 of this number. 470 cases are shown under the heading of cancer or other tumours of which 335 are classified as non-malignant or undetermined; there were 35 deaths in this group. Affections of the nervous system and organs of the senses.—There were 33,541 cases. -Trachoma was responsible for 3,625 cases. Affections of the circulatory system.—There were 2,409 cases in this group. 403 patients suffered from heart diseases and of these 146 were treated in hospital with 48 deaths. Affections of the respiratory system.—There were 56,609 cases. The pneumonias show an increase, being 2,825 with 420 deaths as compared with 2,113 with 246 deaths last year. Diseases of the digestive system.—51,805 cases were recorded. Diseases of the genito-urinary system.—There were 2,685 cases of non- venereal disease of the genito-urinary system. Puerperal state and diseases of infancy.—There were 1,125 cases treated. Affections of the skin, cellular tissue, and the organs of locomotion.—A large proportion of the 73,079 cases were of tropical ulcer. Affections produced by external causes.—55,316 cases were reported and range from slight injuries to fatal accidents. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. (a) Insect-Borne. 20. Trypanosomiasis.—Sleeping Sickness which re-appeared in the Busoga District of the Eastern Province towards the end of 1941 continued to give cause for alarm. The number of new infections reported remained high during the first quarter of the year, the peak being reached in March. The infection extended from the Busoga District to the Central District and across the Kenya border. In all 1838 cases were reported from the Eastern Province, 1,112 of which occurred before the end of March. The number of new cases during the last quarter averaged about 6 per week but there is some doubt whether all these were new infections. Clinically the disease remained of the type caused by T. rhodesiense and the morphology of the trypanosome established by animal experiment was proved to be that of T. rhodesiense. 21. Mr. Gibbins, Laboratory Assistant, who had proved himself to be an entomologist of keen observation was released from the Army to make a survey of tsetse fly in the area affected. Before his untimely death in November he had done much work to clear up the picture. He found G. palpalis at a distance from the lake shore and invariably in areas where cases 'had occurred and reported that this species of tsetse fly travels from the lake shore to inland areas along tunnels made by trees overhanging roads and paths. Pie also isolated trypanosomes from the salivary glands of captured G. palpalis,, and G. pallidipes which on passage through animals showed the characteristics of the rhodesiense group. Early in the year G. pallidipes were found to be very plentiful in the area but later became less numerous. To break the