Canadian Mortality in War Years

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

ACCORDING to an annotation in the September issue of the Statistical Bulletin, the health of the Canadian people has remained at a very favourable level during the four years of the present War, the mortality in this period being the lowest on record. The improvement in mortality has been particularly marked in the diseases most prevalent among the young. Not only has the death-rate decreased among the communicable diseases of childhood, but also there has been an increased fall in the mortality among the large number of young adults in training camps. Diarrhosa and enteritis, which have always been important causes of death among Canadian children, have also shown considerable improvement in recent years. The rate of decline in tuberculosis is illustrated by a new minimum of 47·1 per 100,000, which is about one fifth below that for the period 1934–36; In contrast with the catastrophic influenza epidemic towards the close of the War of 1914–18, there has so far been no cause for serious concern, although there was a mild epidemic of influenza in Canada late in 1940 and early the following year, the favourable result being mainly due to the use of serum and chemotherapy in the treatment of pneumonia. Chemotherapy has also succeeded in reducing the mortality from appendicitis and the diseases incidental to child-bearing. On the other hand, there has been an increase in the mortality from cancer, diabetes, diseases of the heart and arteries, and from accidents.