PLANNING AN ATTACK ON TUBERCULOSIS

Chronicle (Levin), 4 July 1947, Page 3

PLANNING AN ATTACK ON TUBERCULOSIS

O— WELLINGTON, July 3. An incrcase in priority allocations of State houses to tuberculous families, was urged by the national conferenee of^ Tuberculosis Assocdations today. A resolution passed urged that where nnsatisfactory housing was shown to be a definite hazard to the health of the oecupants on aecount of tuberculosis, there should be no unavoidable delay in removing the hazard by rehousing the families in satisfactory conditions with sueh Government assistance as necesaary. The conferenee also asked that in the set up of Government committees dealing with housing priorities, a representative of the corresponding .tuberculosis association beappointed to ihe' committee. The conferenee today decided to forin a Eederation of Tuberculosis Associations and the following officers were elected: President, ; Di> . Gordon BicL (.Christchurch) ; vice-prcaidents, Messrs W. Appleton (Wellington), W. J. Bodgers (Wanganui), J. A. C. Allum (Auckland), Dr. G. Home (New Plymouth), Miss M. N. Enright (Canterbufy) ; couneil, Mr. W. J. Hindman, Sister M. Miller (Auckland), Mr. H. F. Low, Dr. W. A. Priest (Wanganui), Dr. E. F. Wilson, Mr. G. M. MacAllan (New Plymouth), Mr. C. Meachen, Dr. G. MacLean (Wellington), Mr. B. F. Anderson, Dr. I. C. Mclntyre (Canterbury). The theory that the Maori people were not less resistant to tuberculosis than Europeans but that the high incidence of disease among them was attributable to congested living conditions and incorrect diet, was advanced by Dr. C. F. Wilson, of Otaki. A large proportion of the Maori population was ' living on social security benefits, said Dr. Wilson and he considered that if the Government supplied the Maoris with goods instead of money their general health would be ameliorated. » The conferenee considered that, as the best possible preventive measure, the public should be educated in all aspects of tuberculosis. It adopted a resolution calling for the Government to make health a priority subject in„ public schools, recommending that grading should accrue to teachers from such instruction. It urged also that the training collegds should be given every assistance to implement the programme. As par.t of the preventive scheme, Dr. MacLean urged that X-ray surveys of all people on Teaching the age of 18 should be reinstated'and that the Government should offer facilities for •X-raying all discharged service personnel within two years of their re^ease. The grave danger of latent tuberculosis had been brought to liglit in the years following World War 1, said Dr. MacLean. Servicemen from the last war had developed tuberculosis since their discharge. At the time of therr release X-rays had shown their chests were c'lear. The conferenee adopted his proposals and agreed that the R.S.A. should bb asked to support the latter scheme. Mr. Meachen said the Government was alreadv considering the reinstating of X-ray surveys of yeung people and that mobile plants would probably be used to this end.