抄録
A study was conducted to clarify and examine the role played by the Health Centers for the Prevention of Tuberculosis in Children (HCPTCs) and the preventive measures taken against tuberculosis in elementary schools. In 1939, the Ministry of Health set up 40 HCPTCs in six major Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya, targeting children who attended elementary schools. The major achievements of the HCPTCs included obtaining an accurate grasp of the infection and progression of non-latent disease through conventional in-school physical examinations, defining the levels of disease progression, and taking appropriate measures in accordance with symptoms. In establishing the HCPTCs, the Health Ministry used elementary schools, which were ideal for instituting mass prevention programs. Elementary schools took on an active preventive role, conducting mass tests on children and dealing appropriately with children before they showed symptoms. Since mass testing and care-giving were conducted by school doctors and school nurses, these hygiene-related activities formed the heart of the HCPTC program.
