Annual medical and sanitary report / Nigeria.

  • Nigeria. Medical Department
Date:
[1924]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

    9/146 page 7
    '/ 11. PUBLIC HEALTH. GENERAL REMARKS. The Returns for the year are for the combined Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria including the British Mandated territory of the Caineroons. Total cases treated in Government hospitals and dispensaries. 1922. 1923. 1924. Europeans 5.930 5,993 5,741 Natives ... . 161,874 213,326 205,870 Total . 167,804 221,242 211,611 Total deaths in Government Hospitals and Dispensa: ries. 1922. 1923. 1924. Europeans . 38 21 33 Natives . 953 1,281 1,649 Total . 991 1,302 1,682 The general health of the European community was fairly good. There has been no striking increase or decrease of sickness. Among the Africans the return is no index of general health. Very severe epidemics of cerebrospinal meningitis and relapsing fever were reported from the Northern Provinces. In the Southern Provinces the incidence of plague ill the latter half of the year considerably increased the death rate in the area affected. Apart from the epidemics the health of the country appears to have undergone no change. There lias been a decrease in the total Africans treated of approximately 7,500. No explanation of this can be offered. Malaria is the commonest disease. Rheumatic Fever shows a notable decrease in eases treated, 109 as compared with the high figure of 1,104 for tlie previous year. Tubercu¬ losis and syphilis appear to be on the increase. The increase in the number of cases of yaws treated is gratifying as an indication that these patients are coming in more freely for treatment. Influenza shows a much higher figure than formerly but did not appear in eiiidemic form. COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. The number of patients attending for malaria increased b}^ almost 2,000 among Africans but this cannot be attributed to increased incidence. Among Europeans there was slightly less malaria. The Aestivo-autumnal type of malaria predominates. Blackivater Fever.—Twenty-four cases in Europeans occurred with twelve deaths—the case mortality being about double that in 1923. Seven cases with no deaths also occurred in Africans. Yellow Fever.—Two cases occurred with two deaths. Trijimnosomiasis.—No case Avas reported in Europeans. Thirty- nine cases in Africans Avere reported Avith eight deaths.
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3