MEDICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES

VITAL STATISTICS

Table No. 1 gives statistics relating to births and deaths since 1866.

Table No. 2 shows deaths according to age in the district from 1926 to 1961.

The following statement gives the number of births and deaths and the ratio per 1,000 for the erstwhile Akkalkot State for a few years since 1893-94:—

The total number of deaths shown in the Sanitary Commissioner's yearly reports, for the eighteen years ending 1883, was 2,54,877 or an average mortality of 14,159 or according to the 1881 Census, of twenty-four in every thousand of the population. During the famine year of 1877 the total number of deaths was very high, being 35,054 or 147 per cent above the average. Of the average number of deaths, 7,777 or 54.92 per cent were returned as due to fevers. An examination of the returns shows that impart of fevers, which during the eighteen years ending 1883 caused an average yearly mortality of 7,777 or 54.92 per cent, was below the average in the first nine years ending 1874 and above the average in the next nine years ending 1883. Of the deaths from cholera, which amounted to 21,904 and averaged 1,217, nine years caused deaths above the average and nine below the average. Of the deaths from small-pox which amounted to 6,863 and averaged 381, 2,343 or 34.14 per cent happened in 1872, 1,214 or 17.69 per cent in 1868, and 1,080 or 15.73 per cent in 1877. Other causes, with a total mortality of 56,180 and an average of 3,121, varied from 10,375 in 1877 to 932 in 1867.

Birth returns were available only for the thirteen years ending 1883. During these thirteen years the yearly totals varied from 20,634 in 1883 to 6,714 in 1879 and averaged 12,720.

In 1926 the birth-rate in the district was recorded as 45.44 per mille of population whereas in Sholapur town it was 42.92 per 1,000. The fevers and respiratory diseases accounted for most of the deaths caused, numbering 4,172. For Pandharpur and Barshi urban area the death-rate recorded was 51.80 and 40.05, respectively. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 births was 223.94 as against 232.24 in 1925.

In 1930 the birth-rate slightly increased to 46.52 per mille of population. The Sholapur town did not show any increase over the birth-rate recorded in 1926. The death-rate in the same year stood at 39.90 in Sholapur town, the main cause being cholera. The death-rate in the urban areas of Pandharpur, Sholapur and Barshi stood at 55.06, 45.05 and 44.53, respectively. The infant mortality rate per 1,000 registered births fell from 228.73 in 1929 to 212.10 in 1930.

The death-rate was 39.88 in 1935. The Pandharpur town recorded the highest infant mortality rate, viz., 323.45.

The birth-rate recorded in the district in 1945 stood at 40.22. The death-rate was 34.38. The death-rate showed a slight rise due to the prevalence of cholera epidemic. The Barshi taluka recorded the highest death-rate, viz., 47.86 in the rural areas. Among the towns, Pandharpur recorded a death-rate of 40.95. High infant death-rate was also recorded in Pandharpur town which was 311.97.

During the year 1972 the birth-rate and death-rate were 28.4 and 9.9. The infant mortality rate was put at 40 per thousand births.

The following statement shows infant mortality in the district from 1961 to 1966: —

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