HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19389, 26 July 1926, Page 10

HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE

PREVENTION BEFORE CURE. SUGGESTIONS BY MINISTER. SAFEGUARDING MOTHERHOOD. EFFORT TO REDUCE DEATHS. Greater development of the out-patients' departments of the public hospitals with an extension of the visiting nursing service was advocated by the Minister of Health, the Hon. J. A. Young, when speaking at the official opening of the Wallace Wards at the Auckland Hospital yesterday.

" Hospital boards have two functions, the administration of charitable aid, which is now being calldd social service, and the giving of purely hospital service," the Minister said. "I would 'like to see not only the development of these two functions, but the prevention of diseases takeu up to a greater extent by the boards. Hospitals are very expensive institutions, and, to my mind, it would be better for the community to take steps to prevent the spread of disease than to devote its energies solely to the healing of people after they have contracted diseases."

Mr. Young said he felt there was a very great work to be done in this direction not only by the Health Department, bnt by hospital boards in co-operation with the department. He favoured the extension of the out-patient departments of the hospital and the sending of nurses by the boards out among the.people to work in co-operation with the nurses of the department. , As an illustration of what has been achieved by preventive work, the" Minister referred to. the exceptionally' low mortality among inf; its during the first year of life, while opportunity for similar efforts was suggested by the relatively high maternal'mortality. Last Year's Low Birth Kate. As a basis for consideration of these subjects Mr. Young announced the principal features of the "latest vital statistics. He said the number, of births in 1925 was 28,153, equivalent to 21.17 per thousand of mean population. "The actual numbers of births in each of the last three years were lower than those for the preceding years, and since the population had increased the birth-rate was correspondingly lower in the latter period. The rate for 1925 was, indeed, the lowest ever recorded in the Dominion and would be regarded as alarmingly low but for the fact that it was to some extent offset by a low death-rate, the figure for 1925 having been 8.29, which was equal to the lowest ever recorded.

Referring to infant mortality—deaths under the year—the Minister said the rate for 1925 was 39.9 per thousand births, which was again the lowest figure in the Dominion's history. It was significant that .there were more deaths within a month of birth than during the following 11 months.. Fuxiher analysis of the statistics showed that of the 744 death under one month in 1925, there were 235 within a day of birth,' and 336 more within the first week, making a total of. 571 deaths within a week of birth. Deaths in'the second, third and .fourth weeks numbered only 173. Maternal Mortality. Turning then to the subject of maternal mortality, the Minister said the position in New Zealand was not satisfactory, as was evident from comparison with other countries. "In this connection, I should like to say that an Auckland doctor has gendered great service to the community," said Mr. Young. "1 refer to Dr. Sydney Allen, who, while abroad last year, went to a great deal of trouble to make a special investigation of this problem of maternal mortality in countries that have dealt with it most successfully." Deaths at / maternity in New Zealand in 1924 numbered 140, representing five per- thousand births. Last year there were 131 deaths, the rate falling to 4.65. Denmark and Holland had the distinction of the lowest maternal death-rate in the -world~-2,Q5 and 2.58 respectively. In England and Wales the rate was 3.95 and in Australiait was 4.96. In the United States the rate was 7.58. "As Minister of Health, I shall not be satisfied until I see the rate in this country reduced to something below 3 per 1000," Mr. Young added. "Good work is being done in this direction by the Plunket Society, pre-natal clinics and by other organisations. These bodies are removing the ignorance which is the principal cause of the high proportion of deaths." , , „ ,