title: [Evaluation of tuberculosis control in the region of the former East Germany 1945-1990].
abstract: During the forty years of existence of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) tuberculosis decreased continuously. The incidence of all types of tuberculosis decreased from 567.6 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in 1949 to 17.3 cases in 1989. During the same time the mortality rate dropped from 148.3 cases of tuberculosis deaths per 100,000 men and 74.7 cases per 100,000 women in 1949 to 1.2 respectively 0.8 death cases 1989. In the 'eighties the yearly reduction rates slowed down. Characteristics of the epidemiologic situation in this last decade were: very low incidence rates in children--varying between 0.6 and 1.1 per 100,000 persons of the age group 0-15ys, with increasing incidence rates in persons of advanced age, an unequal regional and territorial distribution of the disease and a raised proportion of immigrants and persons with alcoholism. Whereas with this epidemiological situation the GDR was in a top position compared to the other East European countries, it was in a fair-to-middling position among the European countries as a whole. The attained level could be reached by a centralistic structure and by a consequent application of a modern most fully supervised chemotherapy. However, it must be stated retrospectively that the general BCG vaccination of the newborn and school leavers, which was continued until 1990, had already lost its effectivity and should be replaced earlier by a vaccination of the risk groups.
authors.affiliation: Gesundheitsamt Cottbus.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scharkoff
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000639:trends; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005859:Germany, East / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000635:transmission
vernacular_title: Bilanz der Tuberkulosebekämpfung auf dem Gebiet der ehemaligen DDR 1945-1990.