Annual report on the health of the population of West Bengal.

  • West Bengal (India). Directorate of Health Services
Date:
[1950]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the health of the population of West Bengal. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    for the year 1950 Part I The gradual progress in the public health condition of the State has been maintained during the year under report although there was extensive outbreak of cholera and smallpox in epidemic form arising out of heavy influx of refugees from East Bengal. Quinquennial average 1946. 1947. 1948. 1949. 1950. (1938-42). 1. Birth rate per mille of population 25-1 24-7 20 -1 21 -3 22 -8 20 -3 2. Death rate per mille of population 18 -7 19 -6 18 -2 18-1 17-4 16 -7 3. Excess of births over deaths + 6-4 + 5-1 + 1 -9 + 3-9 + 5-4 + 3-6 4. Infant mortality per thousand of live births. 160-1 143-3 144 • 8 136-7 130-0 129-8 5. Diarrhoea and dysentery death rate per mille of population. 0-9 1 -1 1 -1 1 -1 1 -1 1 -1 6. Cholera death rate per mille of population. 0-9 0-5 0-5 0 -6 0-6 0 -8 7. Smallpox death rate per mille of population. 0 1 0 -2 0-1 0-4 0 -06 0 -6 8. Kala-azar death rate per mille of population. 0 -3 0-1 0-1 0 1 0 -1 0-1 9. Malaria death rate per mille of population. 6 -5 4 -9 3-9 3-6 3 -6 2 -7 10. Other fevers death rate per mille of population. 6 -2 5 -3 5 -4 5 -1 4 -7 i 4 -7 11. Enteric group of fevers death rate per mile of population. 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0 -2 j 0 -2 12. Deaths from plague (number) • • 8 7 15 52 3 The birth rate after its steady increase during 1947-49 again showed a decline during the year under report. The death rate on the other hand also showed a corresponding decrease in spite of higher death rates from cholera and small¬ pox. The infant mortality rate showed further decrease and was 19 per cent, below the quinquennial average. This year shows considerable increase in deaths from cholera and smallpox as the diseases broke out in epidemic form in Calcutta and several other towns throughout the State. During 1950 there was unprecedented influx of refugees from East Bengal. Their migration into Calcutta and several other towns was mainly responsible for widespread outbreak of the epidemic diseases and all the medical and public health staff of the State had to be mobilised to control the epidemic before they created a havoc. Deaths from diarrhoea and dysentery had slight increase only in towns, not affecting the mortality rate for rural areas which remained same as in the preceding year. One of the notable features is the further decline of malaria mortality which reached its lowest point this year and dropped down to 58 per cent, below the quinquennial average. This is the third year since the recent outbreak of plague in Calcutta in 1948. The epidemic first broke out in mild form in 1948 and had its increase to an appreciable extent in 1949 but fortunately again declined in 1950. Five cases including one imported were reported bacteriologically positive. Out of these, two local and the imported case died. 1
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