Annual report of the Medical Department of the Western Region of Nigeria.

  • Western Nigeria (Nigeria). Medical Department.
Date:
[1957]
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: Annual report of the Medical Department of the Western Region of Nigeria. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    cent oi all persons examined were open cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. This figure was not considered high enough to warrant assistance but it was considered that a further survey should be carried out in Ibadan town. This was undertaken by WHO in Ibadan from September 1957 to January 1958. The result indicated that at least 0.6 per cent of the adult population were infectious cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. The figures obtained indicate that there are at least 5,000 infectious cases of tuberculosis in Ibadan, and it is considered that the figures obtained are applicable to any large town in the Region. However further survey work is necessary before the whole picture is obtained. As a result of this survey in Ibadan the WHO Adviser on Tuberculosis for Africa visited the Region, and intimated that WHO and the UNICEF were now prepared to go ahead with a tuberculosis scheme for Ibadan town. The draft plans for the scheme, outlining its scope and the commitments of Government and WHO/UNICEF will shortly be available, and if agreement is reached the scheme should commence in October 1959. At present it has not been possible to undertake any large scale preventive work but B.C.G. vaccination is available to nurses, students and to those proceeding overseas, and in a limited way to contacts. In Ibadan, two family visitors are employed and are under the supervision of a Senior Health Superintendent who is engaged full time on tuberculosis work on the small pilot domiciliary scheme. The Senior Health Superin¬ tendent tries to find the defaulters from treatment, as it is considered that regular attendance for treatment and the tie up between the clinics and the patients homes are oi major importance. The Senior Health Superintendent has had special training in tuberculosis work as he has lately been on a N.A.P.T. course in the United Kingdom. As far as treatment goes the advent of anti-tuberculosis drugs has completely altered the treatment of tuberculosis. It appears that well organised outpatient treatment can be very effective in a large number of cases. The standard treatment lasts for one year and the cost per patient is approximately £10 per annum. It is imperative that sufficient drugs are available to treat cases fully, otherwise the serious problem of allowing partially treated cases to spread the disease arises. It is thought that there is an extensive black market in anti-tuberculosis drugs, especially in the larger towns, and until the Region is in a position to offer free treatment in full to all patients this market will continue. However, the public are increasingly aware of the tuberculosis problem and in particular of the efficacy of the treatment. Notifications of tuberculosis in Ibadan for 1957 were 1,245, the number of patients on the tuberculosis clinic register were 1,630 adults and 300 children. There are approximately 300 patients on treatment or under supervision for surgical tuberculosis. During the last eight months of 1957, 1,003 new cases of tuberculosis in adults were seen at the clinic. The notifications for tuberculosis for the whole Region were 1,590, and it is evident at present that by far the largest number are notified in Ibadan town. The staffing of the tuberculosis clinic in Ibadan and of the treatment clinics in the outstations has been difficult. In the tuberculosis clinic medical, radiological, and bacteriological personnel in particular are absent or short. This is also true of para-medical personnel on whom the future control of tuberculosis rests. However, two staff nurses who obtained N.A.P.T. scholarship in United Kingdom have returned, one is working at the Benin and the other at the Abeokuta clinic, and a further six staff nurses are expected to return from United Kingdom shortly after having completed a N.A.P.T. course. These nurses will be posted to various hospitals in the Region for tuberculosis duties.