Fiji Tackles Her TB
p. 51 · Read in the full issue
Problem
Survey by Dr. R. J. Snodgrass
T the recent conference, held in London, under the auspices of the National Association for the Pre vention of Tuberculosis, the Fiji delegate, Dr. R. J. Snodgrass, read a paper on the incidence and treat ment of the disease in that Colony.
The following article is a conden
sation of Dr. Snodgrass’s address :
Tuberculosis has been known to exist amongst the Fijians for many years, and has been a common cause of death ever since Fiji became a British colony in 1874. During 1945, the last year for which figures are complete, 546 cases of TB were notified in the Colony, of which 420 were Fijians, 96 Indians and 26 others. (Population of Fiji is 120,000 Indians, 117,000 Fijians and about 10,000 Europeans and part- Europeans.) It is evident, from the information now becoming available, that the Indian is more resistant to the infection than the native Fijian, possibly because he has been exposed to infection for a much longer time and has bred some immunity.
For the Fijian, the period of greatest danger is between the ages of 15 and 25, With the Indian, the danger period is between 25 and 35.
During the war. thousands of young Fijians were medically examined for the military forces. Over 4 per cent, were found to have pulmonary tuberculosis— the majority of them in the 18-25 age group. In 1945. the rejection rate be cause of TB was 6.3 in a group of 1 374 recruits. In all, 12,000 men were ex amined for military service and, after the cessation of hostilities, it was found that 2.7 per cent, of those originally ac cepted for service had developed the disease.
It can be seen, therefore, that TB in Fiji is a major problem, and in 1943 it was considered desirable that a complete survey of the population be undertaken to ascertain the full extent of it. A sum of £l4 000 was granted bv the Colonial Welfare and Development Fund for this purpose and a further £14,000 for a similar survey in the WPHC territories.
It is hoped that the survey will be com menced before the end of 1947.
DR. C. A. TAYLOR, of the NZ Depart ment of Health, spent five weeks in Fiji at the end of 1946 to advise the local Health Department on how the organisation could be put into operation with existing staff and facilities.
There is one general hospital and sana torium near Suva and there are three district hospitals equipped with X-ray and a laboratory. In addition there are 15 rural hospitals and 35 dispensaries.
Staff consists of 13 medical officers at tached to hospitals or in charge of dis tncts, 79 NMP’s, European sisters and ?™. nurses attached to the hospitals, and 150 locally-trained native nurses. There are also 5 Public Health sisters stationed in the more populated places in the Coiony who conduct clinics and super vise the work of district nurses. A mobile X-ray plant will be used, where possible, for survey work.
Through the courtesy of the National Association for the Prevention of Tuber cntosis, two Native Medical Practitioners who were in the United Kingdom with the Victory Contingent were given six months’ training in anti-tuberculosis
work. Their job will be to advise Native Medical Practitioners under the general direction of the District Medical Officer.
As well, a selected number of NMP’s have been brought to Suva for 3 month’s training at the sanitorium.
The question of education and propa ganda has not been forgotten and, when the organisation is fully established, em phasis will be placed on this side of the picture. Nutrition, too, has received special attention, and information on foods used locally is being correlated with a view to printing a booklet on diets ap plicable in the South Pacific.