Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia.

  • Southern Rhodesia. Department of Health.
Date:
[1920]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report on the public health / Southern Rhodesia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    1/34
    SOUTHERN RHODESIA. Report on the Public Health for the Year 1920. iPrcscntcb to the Xcoislativc Council, 1921. PART I. In presenting the Public Health Report for the year 1920, though we have to confess to a year of little progress in the direction of much- needed sanitary reform and legislation, it is a subject for congratulation that this year has been marked by an absence of serious diseases or epi¬ demics, and the general health of the people, both European and native, has been above the average. The birth rate continues high in relation to the probable number of females of marriageable age, though the approaching Census will supply us with more accurate particulars in this respect, whilst the death rate continues to decline, and as far as Europeans are concerned now com¬ pares favourably with that of any province of South Africa. Vital Statistics. On the eve of a Census the estimation of the European population of the country by the somewhat crude methods we have been forced to adopt in the last few years, owing to conditions brought about by the war and other causes, may appear to be a work of supererogation, if not alto¬ gether Gilbertian. At the same time, in order to maintain conformity with previous years, some attempt must be made to arrive at even an approximate estimate of what the total European population may be. Working, therefore, on the lines previously adopted, we find that as the excess of immigration over emigration during the period 1st July, 1919, to 30th June, 1920, was approximately 2,075, and the excess of births over deaths was 442, there was a net gain of 2,517, bringing the esti¬ mated population at the middle of 1920 to 40,801. During the year the number of persons entering the Territory in excess of those leaving was 4,279, as follows Number of Europeans entering Number of Europeans leaving 1920. the Territory by rail. the T< 3rritory by rail. Males. Females. Males. Females. January ... ... 1,242 752 1.234 895 E ebruary ... 1,170 724 957 587 March ... 789 521 682 340 April ... 1,233 720 1,034 617 May . ... 1,180 801 915 432 June . ... 1,637 1,010 1,226 913 July . ... 1,460 1,023 1,082 888 August ... ... 1,329 897 1,093 845 September 1,150 903 929 707 October ... 964 663 852 601 November ... 1,147 688 899 536 December 1,547 1,123 1,262 874 14,854 9,825 12.165 8,235 Total . 24.079 Total . 20,400