Tuberculosis Control in Okinawa after World War II with Special Interest in the Activities of Health Center

Abstract

Analyzing the records kept in Koza Public Health Center, this study aimed to elucidate tuberculosis (TB) control in Okinwa after World War II. The records included each patient's registration year, name, sex, date of birth, address, occupation, disease classification, treatment classification, bacterial tests, type of chemotherapy, surgical history, length of chemotherapy and ambulatory treatment. Pulmonary TB cases, 5, 289 in total, were the subjects of the present analyses . Based on the date of registration, the patients were assigned to phase I(1952-1961) or phase II (1962-1971), since the treatments changed from the concomitant use of 2 medications (isoniazid and pyrazinamide) in the former to that of 3 medications (streptomycin in addition to the above 2) in the latter . From the viewpoint of public health, medical care for TB patients was markedly improved from phase I to phase II, as exemplified by the decrease in the mean medication period from 3.9 years to 3.1 years and the decrease in the mean control period from 4 .8 years to 4J years. It is concluded that the home therapy system which was introduced to TB contorl in Okinawa in the postwar period to cope with insufficient medical resources, particularly in health centers, functioned effectively.