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HONG KONG. ANNUAL REPORT
The results of the campaign for the B.C.G. vaccination of infants were particularly encouraging, over 46% of babies born in 1958 having been vaccinated within a few days of birth.
BIRTHS AND DEATHS
In 1958 both the number of births registered and the birth rate showed an increase over the previous year's figures and the natural increase of 86,070 persons is the highest yet recorded.
The following table gives the figures of births and deaths for the last five years:
Year
Births
Birth rate per 1,000 of estimated
Deaths
Death rate per 1,000 of estimated mid-year population
mid-year
population
1954 ...
83,317
36.6
19,283
8.5
1955 ...
90,511
38.7
19,080
8.2
1956...
96,746
39.7
19,295
7.9
1957 ...
97,834
37.9
19,365
7.5
1958 ...
106,624
38.8
20,554
7.5
The infant mortality rate showed a further decline to 54.3 per 1,000 live births. This rate, which is considered a sensitive index of the health of a community, has been approximately halved in the last decade. The neonatal mortality rate was 23.4 per 1,000 live births. The still birth or pre-natal mortality rate was 12.2 per 1,000 total births.
Maternal mortality returns were the most satisfactory yet recorded. The low figure of 92 deaths attributed to pregnancy or child birth gives a rate of 0.85 deaths per 1,000 total births.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASES
Appendix XIV lists in tabular form the number of cases and deaths from notifiable diseases reported in the Colony during 1958 with the corresponding figures for 1957 for comparison.
Tuberculosis. As in many communities in South-East Asia, tuberculosis is the principal health problem and in Hong Kong just over 2% of the adult population have the disease in an acute form. Control measures are now beginning to show results, im- provements being noted particularly in those below five years of
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