X1000306-1972-73_Part01 — Page 15

Case Finding

76. In the past, the many patients attending the chest clinics made large scale case-finding undersirable. With improved facilities and the decrease in the number of patients, case finding is now playing a greater role than in the past. During the year, there was an anti-tuberculosis week lasting from 20th November to 30th November, 1972. based on the theme 'If you have a chronic cough lasting more than two weeks, get a chest X-ray." This was successful, considering the limited scale of the campaign. A much more intensive effort is needed for the future. Mortality and Morbidity

77. During the year, there was a slight rise in the tuberculosis death rate from 30.9 to 32.2. Although this was disappointing, its importance should not be exaggerated, as it probably reflected a slight reaction from the considerable fall in the death rate during the pre- vious year. Tuberculosis mortality by age and sex is shown in Figure 5.

FIGURE S

TUBERCULOSIS MORTALITY BY AGE AND SEX 1962 AND 1972

During the year, the notification rate fell to 206.5 per 100,000 of the population. Figure & shows the age and sex specific notification rates. Tuberculosis is much more common in men than women, and is especially common among older men. Tuberculosis is now rare among residents under 15, probably due to the high level of B.C.G. administration to the new-born.

FIGURE 6

TUBERCULOSIS NOTIFICATIONS DY AGE AND SEX 1962 AND 1972

BOLEH THE

FEHACE REP.

L

1150

ACK GRUP

20

HOME HAI

15

קלון

NOFFCATIOME PER QUIA POPULATION IN ACC DRU

*

髅

FEMALE TIC:

Work of the Government Chest Service

78. The government chest clinics provide ambulatory chemotherapy services for the great majority of cases of tuberculosis, hospital admission being reserved for special cases. Increasing attention is being paid to the public health aspects of tuberculosis, and 80 health

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