Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health [to] the Corporation of the City of Capetown.

  • Cape Town (South Africa). City Health Department.
Date:
[1946]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health [to] the Corporation of the City of Capetown. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    15/132 (page 11)
    population than in the European. (The figures for infant mortality in Table H, on page 110, afford a comparison between the races free from the distortion caused by difference in age constitution.) Similarly cancer, circulatory diseases and diabetes occur especially in middle and old age, and the prominence of the mortality rates from these diseases in Europeans is mainly due to the larger proportion of people of such age in the European population. In other words a larger proportion of non-Europeans die before reaching the age when they are most liable to develop such diseases (see table below, Age at Death). In Table J, on page 112, the deaths by race are classified according to place of residence (wards). Deaths in the Langa Native Township and the district of Windermere are not included in the fore¬ going figures. Particulars regarding these will be found in Tables A4 and A5, on pages 100 and 101, and in Tables S and T, on pages 121 and 122. For the purpose of comparison, the death-rates of certain other towns, the Union of South Africa and England and Wales, are set out in Table K, on page 113. Deaths in Institutions. In Table L, page 114, the deaths which took place in various institutions are set out. Of the total deaths in Cape Town (uncorrected) 38-4 per cent, took place in institutions (49-8 per cent, of all European deaths and 32 • 3 per cent, of all non-European deaths). After correcting for outward transfers the percentage of deaths occurring in institutions was 30-7 (41-5 per cent, of European deaths and 25-4 per cent, of non-European deaths). Correcting also for inward transfers 42 • 9 per cent, of European deaths took place in institutions. Seasonal Variations. The seasonal variation in mortality is shown in Table D, on page 106, where the deaths for the year 1945-46, classified for certain causes and by race, are set out according to the month of registration. Sex. The death rates (per 1,000 population) during the year under review are shown in the following table according to sex :— Corrected for Corrected for out- Uncorrected. outward transfers. ward and inward ■ Race. trans fers. Males. Females. Males. Females. Males. Females. European . . 15-44 10-49 12-54 9-00 13-08 9-40 Native (not Langa) 36-21 51-08 30-99 46-38 Asiatic 16-56 12-60 15-55 11-82 ! Other Coloured . . 23-46 17-42 21-03 15-75 Non-European 24-55 18-59 21-89 16-82 All Races 20-38 14-62 17-61 12-99 Native (Langa) . . 16-22 26-05 It will be seen from the above figures that in Europeans the male death rate (corrected for outward and inward transfers) was 39 • 1 per cent, greater than the female ; and in non-Europeans the male death rate (corrected for outward transfers) was 30-1 per cent, greater than the female (Asiatics, 31-6, Coloured 33 • 5 ; in Natives the male death rate was 33 • 2 per cent, less than the female). Age at Death. The number of deaths at various ages are summarized in the following table :— No. of deaths. Percentage of all deaths. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. A. Europeans : Under 1 year . . 76 56 131 7-78 6-80 7-33 Over 1 and under 5 years . . 11 11 22 1-14 1-34 1-23 „ 5 „ 25 „ 23 40 63 2-39 4-86 3-52 „ 25 „ 65 „ 407 294 701 42-22 35-72 39-23 ,, 65 years .. 448 422 870 46-47 51-28 48-69 Total European deaths 964 823 1,787 100-00 100-00 100-00 j B. Non-Europeans : Under 1 year . . 458 353 811 24-01 23-06 23-58 Over 1 and under 5 years . . 244 255 499 12-79 16-65 14-51 „ 5 „ 25 „ 204 240 444 10-69 15-68 12-91 „ 25 „ 65 „ 786 512 1,298 41-19 33-44 37-74 ,, 65 years . . 216 171 387 11-32 11-17 11-26 Total non-European deaths 1,908 1,531 3,439 100-00 100-00 100-00 A. Corrected for outward and inward transfers. B. Corrected for outward transfers. From the foregoing figures it will be seen that the deaths under 5 years of age constitute 8 • 6 per cent, of all deaths in Europeans, as compared with 38 • 1 per cent, in non-Europeans ; and that the deaths under 25 years of age constitute 12-1 per cent, of all deaths in Europeans as compared with 51-0 per cent, in non-Europeans. Statistics for infant and maternal mortality will be found in the next section.