TRIENNIAL REPORT ON VACCINATION IN BURMA FOR THE YEARS 1911-12 TO 1913-14.
3
was shared in by both districts, Insein claiming 6,631 and Hanthawaddy 4,491 of
the excess primary operations.
This increased activity on the part of the Vaccination Staff of these two
districts has been due in part to special efforts made to investigate the condition of
vaccination in Insein District during the past year which brought to light among
other important facts, the existence of a large unprotected child population within
easy reach of the main lines of communication and only a short distance from
District Headquarters ; which discovery was promptly followed by the concentra¬
tion of the Vaccination Staff upon some of the areas referred to. In Hanthawaddy
District a stimulus was given to the work by the increased interest taken
in vaccination by the officers concerned with the administration of the district
after its separation from Insein, and by frequent tours made by the Civil Surgeon
and his medical assistants. Large as was the increase of work in the Insein-cum¬
Hanthawaddy District over that of the preceding triennium, it is overshadowed by
that of Ma-ubin District, 27,671, the totals for the two triennial periods in this
district being, for the former 11,188 and for the latter 38,859. The average annual
outturn of operations in the first triennium was 3,729, and in the second 12,953, an
increase of nearly 400 per cent. The annual return of primary operations in this
district has risen from 2,878 in 1908-09 to 14,375 in 1913-14. As stated in my
Notes for last year the remarkable progress effected in vaccination in this district is
due to the personal interest and efforts of the present Deputy Commissioner, Captain
Roberts, I.A., who has been ably seconded by his assistants, both Lay and Medical.
Although the increase in the work of Pegu District is not so marked as in
Insein and Hanthawaddy Districts, it is nevertheless- considerable. The return of
primary operations rose in the last year of the triennium under review to 17,614
from 9,252 in the previous year. The average for the triennium under review
has been 12,666 primary operations against 7,731 per annum in the previous
triennium.
The returns for Prome District show a steady decline in the number of primary
operations performed throughout the successive years of the two triennial periods :
from 12,249 in 1908-09 the return of primary operations has steadily fallen to 9,689
in 1913-14.
....-,...
In contrast with the progress being made in vaccination in Ma-ubin District,
the low state of protection in Pyapôn and Myaungmya Districts and the falling off
in primary operations in the latter district must attract unfavourable criticism. It
is true that there is a slow upward movement in Pyapôn District, and that a total
of 10,430 primary operations was returned during the last triennium as compared
with 6,196 in the earlier period, yet the protection afforded to the district
population is only 15.55 per mille, the lowest district ratio in the Province.
In Myaungmya District the average annual number of persons vaccinated by
each vaccinator was only 731, or 4 more than was the case in Pyap6n District.
This compares unfavourably with the 1,214 per vaccinator returned for the
previous year. Primary operations have steadily decreased year by year since
1909-10, when the total was returned as 9,813, down to 5,636 in 1913-14.
Amherst District shows a steady decline from 29,400 primary operations in
1910-11 to 14,485 in 1913-14.
In Toungoo District there is for the last triennium an increase of 9,315 which
is a material gain.
The record of vaccination work in Thatôn District fell in 1913-14 from 14,709
in the previous year (the highest total yet reached) to 9,901. The Civil Surgeon
attributes this decline to absence of small-pox.
In Ruby Mines District the primary vaccinations have steadily fallen in
number since 1911-12. The work of the past year has been less owing to bad
work by vaccinators and the outbreak of plague in the district.
In Lower Chindwin District primary vaccination has fallen from 12,984 in
1908-09 to 10,747 in 1913-14- The last year's total was less than that of any one
of the previous five years. The Civil Surgeon attributes the decrease in the last
year to the high infantile mortality in the district, and to the prevalence of scabies.
Thayetmyo District returned only 8,565 primary operations in 1913-14 against
13,734 in 1908-09, and 11,539 in the previous year. There is a decrease of
2,071 primary operations on the previous triennium. Inefficiency and sickness
of the vaccinators, the absence of small-pox and I think ,it likely, the general bad
health of the district from malaria acted unfavourably on the progress of
vaccination.