60.
Otherwise the general level of health has been well maintained and although there was an overall rise in the number of notifications of infectious diseases, this was largely duc to an epidemic of measles during the first quarter of the year. There was a small increase in notifi- cations of chickenpox, poliomyelitis, bacillary dysentery and tubercu- losis. The morbidity from diphtheria continued to decline,
61. Measles was responsible for a small increase in the total of deaths from infectious diseases while the number of deaths from the diseases of later life continued to rise. The increase in morbidity and mortality from accidents of all kinds continues unabated.
62. The notification of infectious diseases is compulsory and a small fee is paid by Government for each notification. Nevertheless only a fraction of the infectious diseases seen outside the Government Hospitals and Clinics is notified, resulting in a gross distortion of the epidemic- logical data and making contact tracing and control measures difficult. This is particularly so for tuberculosis and further comment is made later on this aspect.
VITAL STATISTICS
63. The registration of all deaths and live births occurring in the Colony is compulsory under the Births and Deaths Registration Ordin- ance. Still births are not registrable but the number received by ceme- teries and crematoria are recorded. Table 1 shows the annual returns for births and deaths during the past five years period.
65. The mortality pattern continues to show the same trends observed during previous years, namely, decreasing mortality from the communicable diseases and increases in deaths from diseases of later life, particularly neoplasms and cerebrovascular disorders. An analysis of mortality for the years 1957-61 can be found in Appendix 4.
66. Table 2 shows the recent trends in infantile and maternal mor- tality. Infant and maternal mortality rates continued to fall but the neonatal mortality rate remained more or less stationary.
67. An analysis of maternal mortality over the past 5 years is shown in Table 3. A marked reduction in deaths from ectopic gestations and toxaemias complicating pregnancy was noted.
1959
TABLE 2
INFANTILE AND MATERNAL MORTALITY 1957-61
Nea-natal Mortality
ANALYSIS OF MATERNAL MORTALITY 1957-61
Maternal Mortality
Infantile Mortality
Year
Rate (per 1,000
Rate (per 1000
Rate (per 1,000
live births)
live births)
total births)
1957 1958
55.6
23.8
1.06
54.1
23.4
0.85
48.3
21.3
0.73
1960
41.5
20.9
0.49
1961
37.7
21.0
0.45
TABLE 3
(per 1,000 total births)
TABLE I
DIRTIS AND DEATHS 1957-61
Year
Sepsis fexcluding
Toxaemian Haensorrhages Abortions
Septle Abortions)
Ectopic Pregnancies
Offers
Etherated Mid-Frar Mapundation
Toro Live
Humbe
Crude Liez BINH ANH (per 1.000
SENT Birth Recorded
Tedal
Cradle Dark Hare
1957
,000
.373
.334
.040
2069
.132
(per 1.000
1938
.028
269
250
037
.111
.L3B
Populariak!
1959
N/A
340
.220
.028
066
.056
1957
2,583,000
97,834
37.9
1,245 19.365
1.3
1960
.010
179
.143
.045
.072
ฟ
19,58
2,748.000
106.624
38.8
1,297 20,554
7.5
1961
.009
.09
.027
.036
.027
072
1959
2,857,000 104.579
36.6
1,393
20,250
7.1
1960
1961
+
2,981.000 110,667 3,177,700
37.1
1.680
19,146
6.4
108,726
34.2
1,683 18.738
5.9
64. After reaching a peak in 1960 the total of live births and the crude birth rate showed a slight decline in 1961; there was a natural increase of 89,988 persons during the year. The age structure of the population is reflected by the low crude death rate, the continuing decline of which can be attributed largely at this time to the con- comitant fall in infant mortality.
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Urban Areas
III. WORK OF THE HEALTH DIVISION
HYGIENE AND SANITATION
68. The Urban Council is responsible through the Urban Services Department for environmental sanitation in Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Kowloon. The Deputy Director of Medical and Health Services serves as Vice-Chairman of the Urban Council and is the co-ordinating
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