Annual report on the medical services / Sierra Leone.

  • Sierra Leone. Medical Department.
Date:
[1955]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the medical services / Sierra Leone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    in French Guinea, and two outbreaks here were caused by the entrance of an infected person by lorry from French Guinea. Both entered Sierra Leone at Kambia, Northern Province. One travelled about 90 miles by lorry and started a small outbreak in Kambia Town. Inten¬ sive vaccination stopped the spread of these outbreaks, and vaccination was continued around the main entrance roads and around the airport. A number of subsequent notifications were very doubtful, and may not have been smallpox. 68. Tuberculosis.—Reference has been made earlier to the Tuberculosis Flospital at Lakka. Dr. Roelsgaard of the Tuberculosis Research Office of World Health Organisation paid a short visit during the year in connection with a proposed tuberculosis-survey. It is proposed that World Health Organisation should do a tuberculosis- survey in Sierra Leone late in 1956 or early in 1957. 5—GENERAL Unicef Aid 69. Two schemes of UNICEF aid were approved during the year. • One was for maternity and child welfare and training of nurses, mid¬ wives and health inspectors. This includes equipment for 4 health centres and for training centres at Freetown and Bo for nurses and midwives, material for training health inspectors at Bo, with a 3-ton truck for transport on practical training. 200 midwifery kits for village maternity assistants with charts and simple models, and 66,0001b of skimmed milk, total cost $22,000. 70. The second is for equipment and penicillin for a yaws campaign to treat the whole population of the Northern Province (estimated 774,000) in accordance with World Health Organisation recommendations. The incidents of yaws from previous sample surveys is believed to exceed 10 per cent and those not diagnosed as overt cases of yaws will be treated as latent cases of contacts. The campaign is to take two years, and may then be continued to cover the whole country. UNICEF is providing 200,000 vials x 10 cc Penicillin, 4 motor vehicles with spares, syringes, sterilisers, etc. Serological laboratory unit, at a total estimated cost of $63,000. Sierra Leone Government is providing staff, travelling expenses, equipment and treat¬ ment centres at cost of approximately £14-15,000 per annum, for the two-year period. Important Visitors 71. The following visitors gave valuable advice during their stay in Sierra Leone: — 1. Dr. Wilson Rae, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Colonial Office. 2. Dr. D. A. Cannon, Chief Pathologist of the Federal Govern¬ ment of Nigeria and Party. 3. Mr. C. D. Biggs of the Amalgamated Dental Company, Limited, London. 4. Mr. R. J. Vile, Assistant Secretary, West African Department, Colonial Office. 5. Mr. D. Oakley, Architect of the Staff of the Housing Advisers to the Colonial Office. 6. Mr. P. H. M. Stevens, Town Planner of the Staff of the Advisers to the Colonial Office.