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.1945 NEW ZEALAND

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF HEALTH

Presented in pursuance of Section 100 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act, 1926

HON. A. H. NORDMEYER, MINISTER OF HEALTH REPORT The Director-General of Health to the Hon. the Minister of Health, Wellington. I have the honour to lay before you the annual report of the Department for the year 1944-45.

INTRODUCTION The outstanding features of the year were an epidemic of scarlet fever with a record number of notifications, a rise in the birth-rate, and lower death, infant-mortality, and still-birth rates. VITAL STATISTICS (Exclusive of Maoris) Population.—The mean population of the Dominion in 1944 was estimated to be 1,556,318. Birth-rate.—There were 33,599 births in 1944, representing a rate of 21-59 per 1,000 mean population. This rate has been exceeded on only two occasions during the last twenty years —in 1941 and 1942. In .1943 it was 19-70. Death-rate. —The crude death-rate in 1944 was 9-87 per 1,000 mean population, as compared with 10-04 in the preceding year. The death-rate has shown an upward trend in recent years and in 1942 reached a high level—namely, 10-60. Since then it has declined, and in 1944 closely approached the 1941 level (9-84). Infant Mortality.—The infant-mortality rate was 30-12 per 1,000 live births. In 1943 it was 31-37. In the five-year period 1940-44, 27-7 per cent, of all infant deaths occurred under one day, 37-3 per cent, under two days, 56-5 per cent, under one week, and 63-2 per cent, under two weeks. Prematurity was recorded as the cause of death in almost half these cases. In 1944 the combined stillbirth and infant-mortality rate per 1,000 total births (52-68) was the lowest ever recorded in New Zealand. Still-births. —The still-birth rate was 23-23 per 1,000 total births, an appreciable decline from the previous year's rate of 26-25, and the lowest recorded since the registration of still-births was made compulsory in 1913. Maternal Mortality.—The maternal-death rate, including deaths from septic abortion, was 2-65 per 1,000 live births, as compared with 2-21 in 1943. With deaths from septic abortion deducted, the maternal-mortality rate was 2-08 (1-71 in 1943). INFECTIOUS AND OTHER DISEASES (Exclusive of Maoris, unless otherwise stated) Eleven thousand five hundred and nineteen cases of notifiable diseases were reported, an increase of 5,689 on the previous year's figure of 5,830. This increase is more than accounted for by the epidemic of scarlet fever. Other diseases showing an increase were pneumonic influenza (from 4to8) ; puerperal fever, including septic abortion (from 208 to 230) ; tetanus (from 13 to 18) ; undulant fever (from 23 to 27) ; and actinomycosis (from Ito 6). Other diseases —malaria and dengue —contracted outside New Zealand but developing after arrival numbered 403,