Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health / Nairobi Municipality.

  • Nairobi (Kenya). Public Health Department.
Date:
[1951]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health / Nairobi Municipality. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    21/136 (page 11)
    ‘O Section 3 VITAL STATISTICS GENERAL Area of City . 20,480 acres or 32 sq. miles. Population (estimate) . 149,000 Birth Rate (per 1,000 population) . 36 Still Birth Rate (per 1,000 live and still births) ... 28 Maternal Mortality Rate (per 1,000 live and still births) ... . 3 Infant Mortality Rate (deaths under one year per 1,000 live binths) ... ... ... ... 100 Death Rate (corrected; per 1,000 population) ... 12.9 The population figures are an estimate only as it has not yet been found possible to take an accurate census of the population of Nairobi. According to these figures the population has increased by 12,500 or 9% over 1950 (compare with an increase of 6.5% of 1950 over 1949 and 8% of 1949 over 1948). The sex ratio of the races remains the same as in 1950; the European distribution is equal, the Asian in the ratio of 3 males to 2 females, the Africans 4 males to 1 female. The sociological implica¬ tions of the latter are obvious. An interesting fact is that the European population of greater Nairobi is 19,000. It is probable that three-quarters, at least, of this population comes into Nairobi during the day, thus making the daytime population approximately 163,000. This very large influx of people has to be catered for in many ways and not least of all by public health services. The statistical rates for the European population remain more or less constant. The infant mortality rate shows an apparent large increase; the rate of 52 compares unfavourably with 39 in 1950. But all European rates must be accepted with caution. The population is small so that small differences in numbers result in large differences in rates. There were 16 infant deaths and 364 live births in 1951 compared with 11 and 286 respectively in 1950. The maternal mortality rate has decreased from 6.6 to 0 but the figure 6.6 in 1950 represented only 2 deaths. Outstanding is the decrease in the overall still birth rate from 41 in 1950 to 28 in 1951. The number of Asian and African still births has decreased as is shown :— 1949 1950 1951 European 6 3 3 Asian 104 112 69 African 96 102 79 Comparative Figures Generally the health statistics of Nairobi compare very favourably with those of towns in South Africa as can be seen from the above table. It may be argued that, owing to the inaccuracy of population figures in all these towns, such comparisons may not be valid. On the other hand, it