Annual medical and health report / Nigeria.

  • Nigeria. Medical Department
Date:
[1942]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

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    22. The number of invalidings of European officials'rose from 74 per cent in 1941 to 103 per cent in 1942 and of these half were due to debility and neurasthenia—a sign of the effect of the prolonged tours and family separation brought about by war conditions. We do not have the figures for European unofficials but the same circumstances apply in both cases. As was pointed out in last year’s report leave spent in South Africa does not have the same beneficial effect as leave in the United Kingdom. 23. As already mentioned malaria accounted for 35.4 per cent of all in-patients, a figure too high. There were seventeen cases of black-water fever with six deaths treated in hospitals as compared with sixteen cases and eleven deaths in 1941. 24. One case of undulant fever and four cases of typhus occurred among Europeans during the year. 25. The figures for African hospitals for the last three years are as follows :— 1940 1941 1942 In-patients .. .. 71,592 75,665 83,741 Out-patients .. .. 727,585 676,959 752,349 26. The importance of venereal disease has already been mentioned. The work of the hospitals alone will never stamp out this curse and only by mass attack can any lasting results be obtained. The numbers of women attending for diseases of pregnancy in the south steadily increases and is a sure sign of progress, but one would like to see more rapid progress in the north. The total number of deliveries in hospitals and native administration maternity homes rose from 7,976 in 1941 to 9,678 in the year under review. A further 8,000 were conducted in the mission hospitals and maternity homes. The total number of cases of all diseases treated by the missions was 180,000. Sufferers from intestinal complaints attending out-patients are far too numerous and show that sanitary consciousness is a long way from being fully awakened. 27. Leprosy.-—Progress is being maintained steadily but the leprosy problem is a very big one in Nigeria and we will have to go much further in our drive against this disease. The problem is being studied closely and further steps planned. The cost of hydnocarpus oil has trebled itself—a further reason for pushing forward with the cultivation of the trees here on a large scale. F.—NATIVE ADMINISTRATION DISPENSARIES 28. These continue to give treatment to masses of the population who would otherwise be without any medical care as their villages are remote from any hospital. Where provision is made for a midwife and sanitary inspector as well as dispensary attendant their usefulness is enhanced a hundredfold. 29. The figures for the last two years are :— Northern Provinces 1941 1942 Cases treated . . 440,390 482,189 Total attendances . . 2,357,425 2,233,614 III.—VITAL STATISTICS 30. The births and deaths of non-natives are compulsorily registrable in the whole of Nigeria. Southern Provinces 1941 1942 960,439 784,654 2,881,485 2,550,745
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