H—3l

'DIVISION OF TUBERCULOSIS The general activities of the Division were expanded during the past year and particular' attention was given to promoting legislation to deal with tuberculosis. The Tuberculosis Act passed last session took the control of tuberculosis out of the provisions of the Health Act, 1920, and introduced new measures to assist tuberculous patients and to prevent the spread of the disease. To assist in obtaining greater accuracy in classification and better control of the disease, a visible record system was instituted in all districts to maintain the tuberculous register. The use of B.C.G. vaccine in New Zealand as advocated by the World Health Organization has been accepted by the New Zealand Tuberculosis Service and pathologists, and a restricted programme in two provincial hospitals has -already commenced by inoculating successive groups of nurses with a reliable vaccine obtained from Australia. B.C.G. vaccination will be extended as vaccinators become skilled in the procedure. Several recommendations made by the Director of the Division as a result of his visit overseas in 1947 have been accepted and are now being put into effect. The use of B.C.G. in New Zealand has already been mentioned. Mass radiography is being extended and two miniature film units will be available shortly in the Dominion, one for use at Christchurch, and the other at Auckland. A third unit has already arrived, and is being held in Wellington for use in the training unit to be established to train field staff in tuberculin testing, B.C.G. vaccination, and miniature radiography. Unfortunately, difficulty is being experienced in obtaining adequate accommodation and staff to operate these units. Shortage of adequate hospital and sanatorium accommodation has militated against the hospitalization of as many of the active cases as would be desired, but it is hoped that this position will be relieved as soon as possible. Mortality The mortality returns for tuberculosis, as supplied by the Government Statistician, are as follows :

Table 22 —Deaths from Tuberculosis, by Years, Race, Pulmonary Forms, Non-pulmonary Forms, and Crude Death-rates (Worked on Mean Population), for Particular Years 1943-48

The picture obtained from the table shows a steady decline in all categories and in death-rates from 1943 onwards. On mortality figures alone it would appear that general over-all control exercised in New Zealand is gradually showing satisfactory effect.

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(Deaths, 1948, subject to further correction) Year. Pulmonary. Non-pulmonary. All Forms. On Mean Population Crude Death-rates, All Forms, per 10,000. 1 a o 3 i oS PQ d a 05 ft 2 3 H c <3 § H i 1 M 3 m "g I JZ 1 +* Ph * s 1 m o C3 s § x! ce ffl 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 468 485 496 459 440 408 264 285 292 292 275 207 732 770 788 751 715 615 96 106 105 102 84 61 91 87 81 103 75 68 187 193 186 205 159 129 564 591 601 561 524 469 355 372 373 395 350 275 919 963 974 956 874 744 3-72 3-81 3-77 3-38 3-09 2-71 36-6 37-40 37-02 39-04 32-88 25-01 5-62 5-96 5-76 5-42 4-85 4-04