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HEALTH
and for the supervision of immunization campaigns against cholera, smallpox, enteric fever, and diphtheria. Four inoculation centres are maintained for the issue of international certificates of vaccina- tion to people travelling abroad. Advice on medical problems is transmitted by radio to ships at sea.
A regular exchange of epidemiological information is maintained with the World Health Organization and with ports and airports in other countries. Medical inspections of passengers arriving by land, sea and air are carried out as necessary at the respective quarantine stations at the points of entry, and quarantine measures are enforced against travellers from ports and airports infected with smallpox and cholera.
Sanitary control of the port and airport is also the responsibility of the port health service. These areas were kept free from Aedes aegypti throughout the year. There is regular supervision of the purity of water supplied by dock hydrants and water boats, and of the airport catering service. Inspection of ships to determine the extent of rat infestation is carried out by members of the port health staff. International deratting certificates were issued to 90 ships after fumigation, while deratting exemption certificates were issued to 169 ships after inspection. The dock area and airport are included in the rodent control scheme for the Colony and returns of rats destroyed and of bacteriological examinations for plague are submitted weekly to the World Health Organization's international quarantine service.
Maternal and Child Health. During the year, as in previous years, the vast majority of confinements took place in recognized institutions. The proportion is usually 95 per cent or more. Deliveries are distributed between the maternity wards of hospitals and maternity homes with a slight preponderance in favour of the latter. Less than five per cent of deliveries are undertaken by domiciliary midwives, either private or Government.
The Government midwifery service was augmented by one maternity unit and there are now 26 district centres, of which six are domiciliary. There are in addition 160 registered midwives practising privately from 115 maternity and nursing homes. All registered maternity homes are inspected regularly by the super- visor of midwives and her staff to ensure that conditions of registration are followed and that there is a sufficiently high