MAORI MORTALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 171, 22 July 1930, Page 6

MAORI MORTALITY.

All over the civilised world the efforts of New Zealand to assist its aboriginal population are spoken of with wonder and approval. The medical and nursing services of the Maori population have been much improved of late. The Maoris themselves are giving more attention to sanitation. It is perhaps unfortunate that they have not been encouraged to maintain their own methods of feeding and cooking, but -their only 'too-ready adoption of European dress and food must necessarily detract from their general good health. Whilst the European death rate varies from 8 to 9 per 1000, the Maori rate varies from 17 to 13 per 1000, and until the two rates arc more nearly alike there is much to be done. Last year gave the lower —and lowest—rate per 1000 •in spite of a most unfavourable period of trying weather. To balance the higher death rate there is a higher birth rate amongst the Maoris, their record for 1929 being 19.85, as compared with 10.26 of the Europeans. This would be very satisfactory, were it not for the failure of Maori mothers to keep their infants alive. The death rates of Maori children under one year in 1928 and 1929 were 118.10 and 78.52 per 1000, as against 30.18 and 34.10 of the pakeha babies. The rate for 1929 is the lowest Maori rate on record. The great majority of Maori infant deaths arises from respiratory diseases. In children these diseases are so closely associated with disease of stomach and bowel and with faulty feeding that it is misleading to consider them separately. The modern Maori mother is at a disadvantage by beipg without the native knowledge of the older women and at present ignorant of,the. information given by infant welfare centres. The pakeha infant deaths under one month are so nearly those of the Maori in number that it appears native and European children have a fairly equal start. It is during the later nursing period that the native children fail. Of all Maori deaths tuberculosis and pneumonia cause by far the greater number. It is with these diseases that the medical officers attending Maoris have the hardest battle. If the preventive serum of Dr. Calmctte, of the Pasteur Institute, is ultimately proved efficient many hundreds of lives may be saved by using it here. We white people. brought the "white plague" to this country and it is our duty to remove it if we can. .—H.A.Y.