A new report on public health shows there was a 20% increase in notified TB cases in the Eastern Health Board region in 1998. The report also highlights the fall in the numbers of children being immunised against childhood diseases. The Eastern Health Board's Department of Public Health annual report gives an extensive picture of the health of the population in the eastern region, including mortality statistics, cancer incidence and infectious diseases.
154 cases of tuberculosis were notified to the authorities in 1998, up 20% on the previous year. Rates were higher in men than women, 61% to 39%. Of the cases notified, the vast majority lived at home, 3% lived in institutions and 5% in hostel accommodation. There were three cases of drug resistant tuberculosis, all three occurred in non-nationals from Asia and West Africa.
While the TB rates show an increase in the region, they are still lower than in the early 1990s, when over 200 cases were notified. The report also highlights the fall in the numbers of children receiving childhood vaccinations, falling far short of the target uptake of 95%. It recommends that the region should have one designated senior person in charge of co-ordinating the child health system and it highlights inadequacies in the notification of births to the public health nurses in community care areas.
