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T Shimao

Publications and source records attributed to T Shimao.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Analysis of case-finding process of tuberculosis in Korea.

A total of 630 pulmonary tuberculosis patients newly registered with the health centres in the Republic of Korea were interviewed to determine their process of case-finding. One-quarter of the cases had a previous history of tuberculosis. About 70% of these retreatment cases had been treated for less than 1 year, indicating the importance of more thorough follow-through during treatment. Almost all of the cases had at least one standard symptom, with fatigue being most frequent, followed by cough and sputum. On developing the illness, about 40% of the cases were motivated to seek medical help after seeking advice from people other than family members such as friends or health workers. Half of the patients first went to the health centre, and one-third to a private clinic. The average time between the onset of symptoms and the initial medical consultation was 1.8 months (patient's delay). This delay is longer in the rural areas; besides location no other patient characteristics had any correlation with patient's delay. Nearly 80% of all cases were diagnosed as tuberculous within the first 2 weeks. Health centres diagnosed cases faster than private clinics and thus had a shorter doctor's delay. Mean total delay (patient's delay plus doctor's delay) was 2 months, with 80% of this being patient's delay.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

[Situation of tuberculosis in the world and the role expected of Japan in the global fight against tuberculosis].

The whole world is divided into 3 groups by the magnitude of tuberculosis problem: namely, developed countries in which tuberculosis is already a minor health problem and continues to decline; NIES and some oil-producing countries in which tuberculosis started to decline significantly; and most developing countries in which tuberculosis is still highly prevalent and no or only a slow decline. Number of new smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis in the whole world in a year is estimated at about 4.5 million, and adding smear negative pulmonary tuberculosis and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis, total number of new tuberculosis patients amounts to 9 to 10 million, and nearly 3 million persons die every year from tuberculosis, and 97% of these cases occur in developing countries. Failure of tuberculosis control in most developing countries could be explained by slow economic development of financial crisis, which caused poor allocation of budget for health including tuberculosis programme and slow development of primary health care. Activities of tuberculosis supervisory teams are weak. Tuberculosis programmes succeeded in developed countries could not be implemented easily in developing countries. New obstacles to the rapid decline of tuberculosis are the epidemic of AIDS, movement of population and lowering concern on tuberculosis problems, and tuberculosis will remain as one of serious global health problems at least for coming several decades. Maintenance of research and training facilities for tuberculosis is needed, however, they have been disappearing in developed countries. Facilities in developing countries might have difficulties to maintain unless financial and technical support is given from developed countries. Japan is the second biggest economic power in the world, and it is our duty to increase ODA for developing countries. In the field of health, Dr. Nakajima started to work as the director-general of WHO since 1988. We have to intensify our technical cooperation in health. As we succeeded to control tuberculosis in the past 40 years and still maintain research and training facilities for tuberculosis, they should be used for the sake of developing countries. Multi-and bi-lateral cooperation in tuberculosis control should also be intensified. The author would like to urge members of the Japanese Society for Tuberculosis to talk about the importance of tuberculosis problem and role expected to Japan in the global fight against tuberculosis to people outside the society so as to have appropriate understanding on global tuberculosis problems.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1976

Tuberculosis and its control programme in Japan.

The author analyses the factors which brought about the rapid decline of tuberculosis in Japan during the past 30 years. Among the modern measures combating tuberculosis, chemotherapy and the extensive use of BCG vaccination are at the paramount place. As a result of intensive control the problem of tuberculosis has become smaller and smaller and a turning point is reached. The future direction of tuberculosis control is determined by chemoprophylaxis of high risk groups and by symptomatic casefinding combined with selective mass miniature radiography for high risk groups using high technical standards. By means of intensive initial chemotherapy the duration of treatment will be shortened. In 1974 the policy of BCG vaccination was changed; primary vaccination is provided for children in the age of 0 to 3 years, and revaccination at entrance to primary school and in leavers from middle school for tuberculin non-reactors. If the annual risk of infection will continue to decline the primary vaccination age it intended to be raised up to school entrance.

Adolescent↗