HEALTH
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cholera inoculation campaigns, caused serious disruption. House- to-house visits were conducted in resettlement estates and other crowded areas and teams of inoculators visited squatters both on hillsides and on rooftops. Continuous use was made of publicity media to stress the dangers of the disease and to inform parents of the facilities available for the protection of their children. Despite this, there are still a great many children under 10 who have, as yet, no protection against the disease.
Enteric Fever. The trend followed the pattern of the past, with the greatest incidence in the third quarter of the year. The highest monthly peak was in September. Notifications numbered 1,038, being 212 higher than the preceding year. Although no mass anti- typhoid campaign was organized during the year, free inoculation at all Government clinics and vaccination centres continued to be avail- able to the public. The usual control measures were enforced, including supervision of restaurants and eating houses and the education of the public in matters of personal hygiene and general sanitation. Special attention was paid to food handlers.
Poliomyelitis. A mass anti-poliomyelitis campaign, using Sabin- type vaccine, commenced in January and was repeated in March and May. During this campaign 500,387 children, representing 85 per cent of the estimated child population up to five years of age, received first doses of vaccine and of these 430,358 received two doses. Free oral vaccine continued to be offered at all maternal and child health centres throughout the year to children too young to be included in the mass campaign; a further 46,964 doses were issued by the end of 1963.
Following this campaign, there was a most marked decline in the incidence of the disease, no case being reported during the period June to August when notifications had previously reached a peak. Total notifications were 53 compared with 363 in 1962, while deaths were four compared with 52.
The Dysenteries. In recent years there has been a gradual in- crease, associated with the increasing numbers of the population at risk, in both amoebiasis and bacillary dysentery, but the mor- tality remains low.
Measles. This infection is most prevalent during the cooler months and analysis shows, as elsewhere, a regular interval of 24